The 2026 MLB draft will kick off All-Star Week in Philadelphia, and unlike the NBA and NFL drafts MLB prospects do not typically attend the event or go on stage to shake the commissioner’s hand, according to the league.
As top prospects wait to hear their names called, 12 current major leaguers were asked to recount the moments they were selected. The group shared stories ranging from first-round celebrations to recollections of being taken in a draft round that no longer exists.
Athletics outfielder Nick Kurtz, the No. 4 pick in the 2024 draft, said he spent the day before his selection on a boat to stay relaxed, had people over and held a party after the pick. Kurtz said he expected a top-10 selection and knew the A’s could take him, calling the experience “awesome” though not quite as memorable as his major-league debut.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, a 2020 first-round pick (No. 19) now with the Cubs, described a strange, COVID-affected draft day. He said a difficult summer had him slipping in some projections, but MLB sending a camera crew signaled he would be selected. Crow-Armstrong said he gathered friends, family and his high school coach, played pickup basketball afterward and was surprised when the Mets initially selected him, noting he had not spoken with that club.
Other players shared compact memories: Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker (2020, No. 21) said he watched the pick from his couch with family and celebrated with tacos; Brewers infielder Brice Turang (2018, No. 21) recalled watching a delayed livestream, getting a congratulatory text and learning he’d been drafted by Milwaukee despite no contact that day; and White Sox first-rounder Colson Montgomery (2021, No. 22) said he attended the draft, went onstage with his family and completed the traditional handshake and hat ceremony.
