Auburn Righty Drew Whalen Selected in 2026 MLB Draft

Despite going through an injury that had him out for a majority of the season, the Auburn Tigers see their third pitcher be selected in the MLB Draft.

Auburn pitcher and Western Kentucky transfer Drew Whalen was selected by the Seattle Mariners during the 2026 MLB Draft. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Auburn’s pitching staff was a top 5 unit in terms of earned run average in the 2026 season. Now, head coach Butch Thompson sees another piece of the unit head to the pros on Sunday. 

It comes from right-handed pitcher Drew Whalen, who was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the ninth round of the draft in Philadelphia. He was selected with the No. 280 pick of the event. 

Whalen is heading out West. 🌆#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/fsmNjWV8xR

— Auburn Baseball (@AuburnBaseball) July 12, 2026

Coming into the 2026 season, Whalen was an exciting arm who came off a season winning the Conference USA Pitcher of the Year award with Western Kentucky. However, the injury bug ended up keeping his season short-lived. 

The Nashville native only played in six games for the Tigers this past season, all coming in relief. In 11 innings pitched, he struck out 11 batters and only allowed three earned runs, leaving the Plains with a 2.45 ERA. Whalen picked up a win in his debut against Youngstown State, recording three scoreless innings. 

After his SEC debut against Missouri, he only recorded two outs in the game back in March. He suffered an elbow injury and underwent Tommy John surgery, most likely missing his first season in the majors, although he would be in Seattle’s farm system. 

Whalen’s value comes from his time at Western Kentucky, where he boasted a 9-3 record in 2025 across 16 starts. He finished with a 3.53 ERA while striking out 90 batters. He would allow 71 hits and 31 walks for the Hilltoppers that year before earning the Pitcher of the Year honor in the conference. 

In his freshman season, he was named to the All-Freshman Team in Conference USA, recording a 5.25 ERA across 36 innings pitched. In 2024, he held opponents to a .220 batting average and picked up eight starts in 16 appearances for Western Kentucky. 

The righty is the third Auburn pitcher and fifth Tiger to be selected from the event. Earlier on Sunday, starting pitcher Alex Petrovic went in the sixth round to the New York Mets while standout reliever Ryan Hetzler was selected by the Anaheim Angels in the seventh round.

Two other infielders also went for Thompson’s group. Second baseman Chris Rembert went in the second round to the Pittsburgh Pirates, while third baseman Eric Guevara was selected by the Miami Marlins on Sunday. 

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