Gavin Eddy One of Three Cal Players Taken in MLB Draft

Pitcher Gavin Eddy drafted early on second day; Cal players Oliver de la Torre, Hideki Prather picked later Sunday

Gavin Eddy | Photo by Darrell Lavin, Cal Athletics

Right-handed pitcher Gavin Eddy became the first Cal player taken in the 2026 Major League draft when he was taken by Houston Astros in the fifth round by the Houston Astros on Sunday, the second day of the draft.

The 6-foot-5, 21-year-old Eddy was the 153rd player taken, and he was drafted earlier than a lot of the predraft analysts expected. MLB.com reports that as the 153rd pick, Eddy has a draft value of about $467,700.

The second Cal player selected in the draft was also a pitcher, as 6-foot-4 right-hander Oliver de la Torre was taken in the 16th round by the Toronto Blue Jays. He was the 462nd player taken overall after going 5-5 with a 3.76 ERA in 14 starts as a junior in 2026. He went 3-4 with a 5.01 ERA as a sophomore in 2025.

Catcher Hideki Prather was the third Cal player drafted. He was taken in the 17th round by the Minnesota Twins and was the 497th overall selection in the 20-round draft. He led Cal in home runs (14), RBIs (46) and OPS (1.053) as a junior in 2026. He also batted .333, which was second on the team.

However, most of the attention was on Eddy. He was named a sleeper in the draft after a strong junior season in 2026, and he was particularly effective in the final month of the season.

He did not look like a high draft choice as a sophomore in 2025, when he had a 5.74 earned-run average in 14 appearances, including nine starts. But he made significant progress as a junior.

In his first nine starts in 2026, he posted a 5-2 record and a 3.26 earned-run average.

However, it was in his final five starts that he looked like a major-league prospect. In those five games he had a 2.38 earned run average, and he gave up just one run in each of his last three starts. He struck out 14 batters in seven innings in his next to last start against Virginia, which was ranked 23rd at the time.

Eddy finished the season with a 6-3 mark and a 2.87 ERA, which are excellent numbers for a Cal team that finished with a 29-26 record.

Last year, Cal did not have any players drafted, only the fourth time that has happened since the MLB draft began in 1965.

Two players who played for Cal in 2025 were drafted this weekend. Second baseman Jarren Advincula, who spent the 2026 season at Georgia Tech, was drafted in the second round by the Angels, and shortstop PJ Moutzouridis, who played for Arizona State in 2026, was taken in the 19th round by the Twins.

None of the high school players who committed to Cal for this coming season were picked in the MLB draft.