(KBTX) – Clayton Freshcorn is headed to the professional ranks after the St. Louis Cardinals called his name on Sunday. The Texas A&M right-handed pitcher was selected 564th overall in the 19th round of the 2026 MLB Draft at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Few pitchers in the country were harder to score against late in games than Freshcorn in 2026. The Waller, Texas, native worked 54.1 innings out of the bullpen, held opposing hitters to a 2.82 ERA and struck out 56 while walking just six all season.
He shut the door 12 times, a single-season save total that puts him in rare company in A&M program history — tied for third on the all-time list. When the season wrapped up, he had earned consensus All-American recognition and was a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award, one of college baseball’s top honors for relief pitchers.
Freshcorn spent two years pitching out of the A&M bullpen, logging 50 appearances and 81.1 innings. He struck out 89 batters against a 3.43 ERA and walked away with 14 career saves — tied for sixth in the history of the program.
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