MLB Draft: Oregon State Pitcher Kellan Oakes Selected by Houston Astros in Round 9
OSU right-hander Kellan Oakes was taken 276th overall by the Houston Astros on Monday just before noon pacific time. MLB.com estimates the value of the pick at about $200K.
The Canby, OR native is the fourth Beaver selected in this year's draft, and the second pitcher after Nelson Keljo.
Oakes has posted an 8-2 record in his two seasons with Oregon State. In 2025, Kellan posted a 3.68 ERA in 20 appearances(which included four starts), and struck out 47 batters compared to just 18 walks. Though his fastball only sits at about 93-94, Oakes' slider generates a lot of swings and misses, and is considered to be his best pitch.
It's unknown whether Oakes will sign or stay in college for one more year. It's worth noting that his signing bonus would likely be more than he'd get paid ia NIL money at Oregon State, but it's also possible that he could choose to stick around for one more year to improve his draft stock for the 2026 draft.
Oakes is the first Beaver to be drafted by Houston since Jacob Melton, who made his MLB debut on June 1 of 2025.
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Ben Pahl is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in Portland, Oregon. His work covering college and professional sports has been featured by the Orange Media Network at Oregon State University as well as KBVR.fm. His other career stops in sports include the Portland Pickles baseball club and the NBA G-League's Rip City Remix.