Virginia's Kyle Johnson selected by Tampa Bay Rays in 2026 MLB Draft

Virginia’s do-it-all utilityman is the program’s third draft pick this year

Kyle Johnson winds up and delivers against Wake Forest. | Courtesy Virginia Athletics

After Virginia stalwarts AJ Gracia and Eric Becker were drafted Saturday, another one joined the brotherhood of Cavaliers in the professional ranks Sunday. Kyle Johnson was selected No. 174 overall in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Rays. 

When his draft announcement was made, Johnson was announced as a left-handed pitcher, not as a two-way player. At Virginia, the junior utilityman split time as a starting pitcher, designated hitter and right fielder — contributing in various ways.

On the mound, Johnson went 1-3 with a 6.87 ERA and in 11 appearances (10 starts). While he was occasionally shelled by opposing lineups, Johnson flashed elite potential with 45 strikeouts in 38 innings — only walking 23 batters all season. Unfortunately for Johnson, he dealt with a kinetic chain concern in his left arm, which delayed his pitching debut. He eventually fought through it and played most of the season. If fully healthy, perhaps Johnson would have produced superior statistics.

At the plate, Johnson produced a career-best .889 OPS in his only season with Virginia. He started 33 games as a batter — slashing .241/.389/.500. Johnson clubbed seven home runs, six doubles and one triple along with 29 RBI. He performed well on the ACC stage, which Tampa Bay could still consider as it develops Johnson.

In one of Virginia’s signature wins (NCAA Tournament victory over No. 9 Southern Miss), Johnson produced a pair of RBI off of a double and home run. He also scored three runs. The versatile contributor started that game on the mound, producing five strikeout strikeouts and battling through 2.2 innings. 

Johnson joins a Tampa Bay organization known for player development, especially on the pitching side. It is possible that Johnson exceeds his draft slot value of $386.50k. That information remains to be seen.

Looking ahead, the Rays do not have a single left-handed pitcher ranked among their top 30 prospects. Tampa Bay only has four southpaws on its 40-man roster. Johnson was the first one the Rays selected in this year’s draft. This could be an ideal player-organization pair for both sides.

The only other Virginia picks by Tampa Bay are pitcher Matt Wyatt (No. 614 overall in 2022), RF Joe McCarthy (No. 148, 2015) and pitcher Jeff Kamrath (No. 328, 2005). Johnson expands that relatively short list — but it is possible for other Cavaliers to join him, as the draft has 20 rounds this year.