Duke Baseball Pitcher Selected in MLB Draft's Eighth Round

The Duke Blue Devils didn’t have any luck on Day 1 of the MLB Draft, but one of their own heard his name called in the later round on the event’s second day.

Duke was just 26-31 last season and struggled throughout its first year under head coach Cory Mascara. After winning 41 games the season before and getting to the Durham Super Regionals, the 2026 season was one full of disappointment and underwhelming performances across the board.

Jun 9, 2025; Durham, NC, USA; Duke bench reacts the seventh inning of the Durham Super Regional against Murray State at Jack Coombs Field. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s been quite a long time since any Duke baseball player has been drafted in the first round. In fact, it’s only happened twice in the program’s history. Marcus Stroman was drafted in the first round in 2012, and most recently, Bryce Jarvis was chosen in the first round back in the 2020 MLB Draft.

While football and men’s basketball often are littered with draft-caliber talent year in and year out, some of whom are generational prospects in their respective sports, baseball hasn’t had quite the same luxury, and that trend continued this year. No Blue Devil heard his name called on Day 1, and only one member of last season’s team was drafted at all.

Jun 9, 2025; Durham, NC, USA; Duke pitcher Reid Easterly (24) pitches the ball the seventh inning of the Durham Super Regional against Murray State at Jack Coombs Field. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Weaver Chosen in Eighth Round

Despite the lack of representation throughout the event, Duke saw right-handed pitcher Aidan Weaver selected in the eighth round, the 231st overall pick, by the Athletics. Throughout his time with Duke, he posted a 10-13 record and a 6.43 ERA over four seasons, striking out 144 batters across 120.1 innings of work.

His numbers don’t exactly pop off the page, but Weaver will look to have some of his raw skills translate to the professional game now that he has been drafted.

Former Players Selected

While only one current player was selected, three former standouts heard their names called throughout the draft. Former star outfielder AJ Gracia was called upon on Day 1. He spent two seasons with Duke from 2024 to 2025 before finishing his college career with Virginia. Gracia smashed 29 home runs over that span and hit for an OPS over 1.000 in both seasons. He was chosen with the ninth overall pick by the Atlanta Braves.

On Day 2, catcher Macon Winslow — who played two seasons with Duke before finishing with North Carolina — was drafted in the sixth round by the Philadelphia Phillies, and two-way player Kyle Johnson was also chosen in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Rays.

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