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Breaking Down Minnesota's 2026 MLB Draft Picks

July 13, 2026
Parker Hageman
Prep Baseball, Upper Midwest

 

MINNESOTA - Every draft class tells a different story.

Some of these players were highly regarded prospects from the beginning. Others developed into draft picks through steady improvement, late breakouts, or winding college careers. There isn't one path to professional baseball, and Minnesota's 2026 draft class is proof of that.

Here's a look back at each Minnesota-born player selected in the 2026 MLB Draft, the journey that got them here, and what their new organizations are getting.

KADE LEWIS | CLEVELAND GUARDIANS | R4 123RD

The Sartell graduate didn't build much of a Prep Baseball portfolio during high school, but his hit tool was well known throughout the state. The one time I got an in-person look at Lewis came during the state tournament when Sartell faced Rosemount at CHS Field. Rosemount wisely pitched around the big, left-handed slugger, who was committed to Butler at the time.

Lewis proved he could hit at Butler before transferring to Wake Forest, where he did more of the same. Across three college seasons, he slashed .369/.455/.604 with 34 home runs. Lewis has the frame, power, and strike zone discipline that clubs covet. He'll need to tap into his pull-side power more consistently in the Guardians system, but the foundation is there for him to impact the baseball for years to come.

The remaining question is where he'll settle defensively. He's spent most of his college career at the corners but has enough athleticism to potentially handle an outfield spot if the power continues to develop.

ISAAC MORTON | CHICAGO CUBS | R6 188TH

As a high school prospect making the showcase circuit, state director Andy Judkins would tell anyone who would listen that Isaac Morton was going to throw 100 mph someday. This spring with the Gophers, Morton touched 97 while pairing it with a slider that spun at an elite rate.

Now in the Cubs organization, Morton's path to triple digits has been temporarily interrupted by Tommy John surgery. Chicago has built one of baseball's better pitching development pipelines, making it easy to envision a future where Morton is lighting up radar guns at Wrigley Field.

JACK SPANIER | ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS | R13 386TH

Watch enough Gopher games and you'll inevitably see Spanier sprawled across the infield making plays that most players don't reach. Offensively, he took a significant step forward as a junior, hitting .291/.428/.487 in 51 games.

The improvements underneath the hood were just as encouraging. He cut his strikeout rate from 19 percent to 13 percent while reducing his ground ball rate from 55 percent to 39 percent. Spanier feels like a prospect whose best baseball is still ahead of him.

WILL WHELAN | TEXAS RANGERS | R13 387TH

A 2021 Future Games alum, Whelan saw his stock climb after a strong Cape Cod League summer that earned him a spot on the league's All-Star roster against the MLB Draft League All-Stars.

His 2026 season at Minnesota was more uneven. In 12 appearances, he threw 16 innings, allowing 17 hits and 12 earned runs while striking out 19. The underlying numbers were more encouraging. Whelan lowered his walk rate from 12 percent to 8 percent, and his 3.18 SIERA suggested he pitched far better than his 6.19 ERA indicated. The Rangers are getting a left-hander with a low-to-mid 90s fastball and intriguing upside.

CARSON HART | MILWAUKEE BREWERS | R13 401ST

The Brewers haven't shied away from betting on Minnesota high school talent. Last year it was Bloomington Jefferson's Hayden Vucinovich. This year it's Mankato East's Carson Hart.

Hart's carrying tool is his speed. His 6.28-second 60-yard dash grabs attention, but watching him in games is even more impressive. We've seen him track down balls deep in the gaps at the Senior Future Games and turn routine singles into pressure-packed plays with his legs.

Digging into the data reveals another layer. Hart isn't necessarily explosive over the first 10 yards. At the 2026 Upper Midwest ProCase, his 1.64-second 10-yard split tied for fifth among attendees. It's the final 30 yards where he separates himself, posting the event's fastest top speed at 22.6 mph. If he's going to become an elite basestealer and consistently run down 50-50 balls in the gap, improving that first-step quickness will be the next area of development. That's something professional organizations have had success refining.

CHARLIE SUTHERLAND | SEATTLE MARINERS | R15 460TH

Sutherland was one of my favorite Minnesota prospects coming out of high school. On one of our podcast episodes, the Duluth East graduate admitted he borderline harassed the Gopher coaching staff until they finally gave him a look. Fortunately for everyone involved, he had the talent to back up the persistence.

He broke out in a big way as a junior, hitting .325/.434/.572 with 11 home runs while trimming his strikeout rate from 21 percent to 13 percent.

ETHAN STADE | ATLANTA BRAVES | R18 532ND

Stade might be the definition of a late bloomer.

The 2021 New Ulm graduate attended a Mankato Summer ID in 2020, topping out at just 81 mph. He played only one varsity season in high school after the 2020 campaign was wiped out by COVID, then spent three years at Minnesota State-Mankato making 35 appearances. Bowling Green spotted him in a summer league and offered him an opportunity.

Stade features a deceptive delivery that hides the baseball well and makes life uncomfortable for hitters. In 2026, he struck out 109 batters in 64 innings. His 29.4 percent K-BB rate ranked behind only Dax Whitney and Mason Edwards among qualified college pitchers, elite company to keep.

JAKE BERKLAND | CHICAGO WHITE SOX | R19 555TH

Wayzata's Jake Berkland is the definition of a grinder.

Undersized coming out of high school, Berkland carved out a role at Minnesota State-Mankato, where he filled out his 5-foot-9 frame without losing the edge that made him successful. After a strong 2025 season, he took another leap this spring, slashing .366/.507/.614 while scoring 82 runs, the ninth-highest total in Division II baseball.

He also embraces contact in every sense of the word. Berkland was hit by 27 pitches, tying for seventh nationally. He announced a commitment to Kansas before the draft, so it'll be interesting to see whether he begins his professional career or heads to Lawrence.

WEBER NEELS | ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS | R19 566TH

My first impression of Neels was that he owned one of the cleanest swings in the 2021 class. It was simple, direct, and consistently produced hard line drives. The over-the-fence power eventually followed, with 15 home runs as a junior and 13 more as a senior at Minnesota.

The quality that sticks with me most, though, is his loyalty. In an era defined by the transfer portal and NIL opportunities, Neels stayed with the Gophers despite likely having opportunities elsewhere that may have increased his draft stock or championship chances. That says something about his character.

Scouts have long believed in his bat. The bigger question has always been where he'll play defensively. Drafted as a catcher, the Diamondbacks will give him every opportunity to prove he can stick behind the plate.