What to know about MLB Draft Combine for Virginia’s Gracia, Becker, Johnson and Tiroly

Four Virginia baseball players were invited to the 2026 MLB Draft Combine — AJ Gracia, Eric Becker, Kyle Johnson and Joe Tiroly. The combine will be held in Phoenix, at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The hosting club could be a potential fit for some Cavaliers.

The 2026 Combine will begin Tuesday and end Friday. It will be broadcast exclusively on MLB Network.

According to MLB, combine invitations are chosen by a committee of scouting executives from MLB, USA Baseball and input from all 30 MLB organizations. This year, the committee invited 195 collegiate baseball players, in addition to 140 high school talents.

Unlike other professional sports leagues, MLB instituted its combine fairly recently. It began the pre-draft event back in 2021, with the goal of centralizing the scouting process and connecting draft-eligible players with professional clubs. Participants work out, showcase their skills, engage in interviews with clubs and MLB Network and can participate in medical examinations.

Last year, nearly 83 percent of combine participants went on to be selected in the 2025 MLB Draft. Many of those who were not drafted were high school talents who went on to honor their commitment to a college program. On the other hand, many players who were chosen in the 2025 Draft did not participate in the combine.

As part of MLB Network’s combine coverage, personalities scheduled to appear during programming include Greg Armsinger, Mike Lowell, Dan O’Dowd, Lance Brozdowski, Jared Carrabis, Harold Reynolds, Dan Plesac, Xavier Scruggs and MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis. MLB Network coverage will also feature interviews with the players and club personnel — such as this segment that Gracia starred in Monday:

AJ Gracia appears on MLB Network: pic.twitter.com/K2LXjdlos0
— Xander (@xandertilock) June 22, 2026

Potentially relevant for Virginia’s hopeful draft picks — players who participate in a combine medical exam are guaranteed at least 75 percent of the value allotted to their draft pick, whenever they are selected. Becker suffered hand injuries and missed several games in the 2026 campaign. Gracia, Tiroly and Johnson were also affected by injuries this season, although Tiroly did not miss any games.

Here is MLB’s schedule for the four-day event, excluding high school programming:

Tuesday

11:30-6:00 — On-field workouts

12:00-5:00 — MLB Network Showcase

Wednesday

12:30-7:30 — On-field workouts

Thursday

12:00-8:00 — Strength and conditioning testing

Friday

12:00-6:00 — Strength and conditioning testing

Following the combine, the next major step for Virginia baseball alumni is the MLB Draft, which runs July 11 to July 12 in Philadelphia. Several Cavaliers are projected to be selected.

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