Dawson Montesa heard his name called on the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft, joining former West Virginia stars J.J. Wetherholt and Victor Scott II with the St. Louis Cardinals. But Saturday didn't end without a second WVU baseball pitcher earning his spot with a major league organization.
In the third round of the draft, pitcher Maxx Yehl was selected by the Kansas City Royals, capping an incredible comeback story that saw him return from Tommy Johns surgery to be named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year in 2026.
With the 91st pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, we have selected Maxx Yehl from West Virginia. pic.twitter.com/6RGc8jW3UA
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) July 11, 2026
Maxx Yehl joins Dawson Montesa on Day 1 of 2026 MLB Draft to make history for West Virginia Mountaineers
Yehl hearing his name called in the third round of the event was certainly the biggest moment of the young man's career, which he is well-deserved after his journey with the Mountaineers. But it also marked a special moment for the WVU baseball program at large.
It marked the first time in West Virginia program history that two players were drafted in the same year within the first three rounds of the MLB Draft. This is just another example of the incredible talent that Steve Sabins is stacking in Morgantown, as the program has went from one which occasionally spits out MLB Draft picks to one which has multiple elite-caliber draft prospects.
This is the first time in #WVU history that two Mountaineers have been taken in the first three rounds of the main MLB Draft https://t.co/VGsmnV0tRG
— Chris Anderson (@CMAnderson247) July 11, 2026
The Mountaineers will hope to be able to replicate such a feat again next year, as Gavin Kelly is widely considered a top 2027 MLB Draft prospect, while starting pitcher Chansen Cole and dynamic utility man Armani Guzman are among the pro-caliber talents set to return.
If Steve Sabins can keep bringing this type of talent through Morgantown on a yearly basis, the Mountaineers will be in a good position to repeat their historic College World Series run again in the future, and perhaps finally capture the ultimate prize in college baseball by bringing a national title home.
Add us as a preferred source on Google