USC Catcher Augie Lopez's Southern California Ties on Display in MLB Draft

USC Trojans catcher Augie Lopez was selected in the 10th round of the 2026 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres.

May 31, 2025; Corvallis, OR, USA; USC head coach Andy Stankiewicz takes questions after a game against Saint Mary's at the NCAA Corvallis Regional at Goss Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

USC Trojans catcher Augie Lopez has been selected with the 22nd pick in the 10th round of the 2026 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. Lopez spent the past two seasons with the Trojans.

Augie Lopez Drafted by San Diego Padres 

Jun 5, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; USC Trojans catcher Augie Lopez (24) puts the ball in play during the seventh inning against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 21-year-old Augie Lopez played for USC in 2025 and 2026. As a freshman in 2025, Lopez had a batting average of .284 with three home runs, and 14 runs batted in. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. 

As a sophomore in 2026, Lopez hit .278 with 19 home runs and 57 runs batted in. His power was on full display and it’s probably a big reason why he was selected in the draft when he was. 

Congrats to @AugieLopez7 on being drafted by the @Padres! ✌️#FightOn x #USCtotheMLB pic.twitter.com/mgO39o05sa

— USC Baseball (@USC_Baseball) July 12, 2026

If Lopez opts to play for the Padres and forgo his remaining eligibility in college, he’ll be staying close to home. Lopez’s hometown is Hermosa Beach, California and he went to Loyola High School. The Padres current Single-A affiliate is located in Lake Elsinore, which is in the Los Angeles area.

Jul 12, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Mason Miller (22) celebrates after the Padres beat the Toronto Blue Jays at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If he were to get promoted in the Padres system, their Advanced-A, Double-A, and Triple-A teams are all located out of California, so for the first time in his career, his home team would be outside of his Southern California backyard. If Lopez were to make it all the way to the major league level with the Padres, he’d be back in So-Cal, in San Diego this time. 

The Padres have been one of the better teams in baseball over the past six seasons, making the playoffs in four of the past six seasons. This hasn't led to deep playoff runs as they have only made the NLCS one time in this span and have yet to make a world series since 1998. 2026 is not going the way they had hoped. The Padres are entering the All-Star-Break with a 48-48 record and 3.5 games out of a playoff spot.

If Lopez being gone from USC will be a big loss at catcher for the Trojans. USC has made the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons. In 2025, they snapped their decade long tournament drought, eventually getting bounced in the regional championship.

June 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels outfielder Owen Hull (8) celebrates during the eighth inning against the USC Trojans at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In 2026, USC went 48-18. They made the NCAA Tournament and this time, won the regional to advance to the Super Regionals. They faced off against the North Carolina Tar Heels. USC won game one of the best-of-three series to put them just one win away from making it to the College World Series for the first time since 2001.

USC lost game two to set up a winner-take-all game three. The Trojans found themselves ahead in this game 3-1 heading into the eighth inning. Their bullpen was not able to hold the lead and North Carolina ended up walking them off in the bottom of the ninth inning to win by a final score of 4-3.

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