Where Things Stand For Clemson Baseball Ahead of 2026 MLB Draft

Clemson baseball has a few players who are getting recognition ahead of this weekend's event, while plenty of eyes remain on a key returner who was left out of the rankings.

Clemson head coach Erik Bakich has a small number of players who could hear their names called during the 2026 MLB Draft. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The MLB Draft is set to kick off today in Philadelphia, and like many other programs, the Clemson Tigers will be holding their breath. 

Some of the biggest retention targets for head coach Erik Bakich will look to hear their name called over the next two days, and they’ll face a decision on whether or not to return to Doug Kingsmore Stadium over the next week. Clemson has done a strong job in the portal, but getting some more key returners would be beneficial to the 2027 team. 

The Tigers will have to worry about two players who are on MLB.com’s top-rated baseball prospects for this weekend’s event. It’s important to note that there’s a key omission that could also lead to an optimistic comeback in 2027. 

Clemson’s first player is weekend starter Aidan Knaak, who has the choice of investing in a professional staff that could help bring his control back or return to the Tigers for his senior year. It’s not the ranking that he wants to be in, but it comes from an underwhelming junior season. 

The righty finished his third season as a Tiger with career-lows in wins, innings pitched and earned runs. 2026 was also the first season that Knaak finished with under 100 strikeouts in a season. It comes from two standout underclassmen seasons in 2024-25, where he saw two First Team All-ACC honors as a freshman and sophomore. 

There was an argument that the Fort Myers, Fla., native was injured at the beginning of the season, being unable to get into his signature rhythm that helped dominate batters in his first two seasons. If he gets fully healthy before the season begins, that would be beneficial to Clemson if he decides to return to his senior year. 

Knaak is the No. 210-ranked prospect in MLB’s rankings heading into the draft. 

The other arm that the Tigers will be watching is left-handed reliever Justin LeGuernic. The Dix Hills, N.Y., native was arguably one of Bakich’s most trusted arms in 2026. He had the most relief innings out of the bullpen with 40.1.

Finishing up the season with a 4.69 ERA, LeGuernic had four wins in relief last season, which was also one of the best in the program in 2026. If he were to return for his senior season, it would be a major improvement to the team’s bullpen, which has already seen some help on the mound through the portal. 

LeGuernic is the No. 220 player in the player pool, according to the MLB. 

However, there is a key omission that was not on this list, who was one of Clemson’s best players over the last three seasons: infielder Jarren Purify. 

Purify recorded team-highs in batting average (.344) and on-base percentage (.454) across his 40 games played with the Tigers. He missed a chunk of March and April due to a broken hand, and his presence was missed inside the infield during Clemson’s disappointing season. 

Bakich spoke about the importance of bringing the Detroit native back to Tigertown this fall, and the lack of recognition in the database could mean that Purify is leaning towards coming back to Clemson for his senior season. However, over the next 48 hours, we should find out if a team decides to take a late flyer on the speedy right-hander.

The MLB Draft begins coverage at 1 p.m. on Saturday on NBC, and those interested in watching after the top picks can tune into the MLB Network for the remainder of the weekend.