News

OTTAWA – The 2026 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft is set to begin Saturday, July 11, with hopeful Canadian players including current and former Junior National Team members looking to hear their names called over the two-day event.

The Chicago White Sox hold the first overall selection on opening day as part of a busy four-round slate to begin the draft.

Baseball Canada will provide live updates each time a Canadian player is selected via X, with additional coverage planned on Instagram and Facebook and daily recaps available on baseball.ca.

WHAT/WHEN:
The annual Major League Baseball Draft, also known as the Rule 4 Draft, will take place July 11–12 in Philadelphia as part of MLB All-Star Week. Day 1 coverage begins Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET and will feature rounds one through four, including compensatory selections, competitive balance rounds and prospect promotion incentive picks.

Day 2 of the Draft, featuring rounds five through 20, will take place Sunday, July 12, beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET.

WHERE:
The draft will be held in Philadelphia, with coverage available across NBC, Peacock, MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV and MLB+ throughout the two-day event.

WHO:
There are generally three groups of players eligible for the MLB First-Year Player Draft:

High School — High school students in the United States, Puerto Rico or Canada who have completed their fourth school year following the date their class entered its freshman year of high school.

College — Players at four-year colleges are generally eligible after completing their junior year or if they are at least 21 years old.

Junior College — All junior college players are eligible for selection.

Draft-eligible regions include Canada, Puerto Rico, the United States and U.S. territories. Players from other countries are generally considered international free agents and must follow MLB’s international signing rules.

CANADIAN MLB DRAFT FACTS:

Canada has been a draft region since 1991. Prior to that, Canadians playing in Canada were free agents, while Canadians playing at U.S. colleges or universities were eligible for the draft.

The first player drafted out of Canada was Jason Wuersch from Leamington, Ontario, when the New York Yankees selected the outfielder in the 11th round, 282nd overall, in 1991.

A record 48 Canadians were selected in the 2002 MLB First-Year Player Draft, marking the highest total since Canadians became eligible for the draft in 1991.

One year ago, the 2025 MLB Draft featured a strong Canadian presence, led by Charles Davalan and Will Hynes, who were both selected on opening night. Seventeen Canucks were selected in last year’s MLB Draft, with two additional dual citizens also hearing their names called over the two-day event.

2026 NAMES TO WATCH:

The 2026 class once again features several players with Canadian ties, including a strong group of Junior National Team alumni who have represented Canada on the international stage and through the MLB Draft League International Series.

Canadians on MLB Pipeline’s Draft rankings include:

#67 LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC)

#159 INF Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, ON)

#208 INF Robert Omidi (Mississauga, ON)

Canadian Baseball Network Top 10 Canadians:

#1 LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC)

#2 SS Taj Marchand (Canadian-citizen)

#3 INF Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, ON)

#4 OF Carter Beck (Carnduff, SK)

#5 C Deiten Lachance (Sherbrooke, QC)

#6 INF PJ Moutzouridis (Canadian-citizen)

#7 INF Robert Omidi (Mississauga, ON)

#8 INF Justin Rompré (Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, QC)

#9 OF/INF Easton Kitura (Spruce Grove, AB)

#10 RHP Cole Dorland (Langley, BC)

Several of those names have recent ties to the Junior National Team program, including Duncan, Lascelles, Omidi, Rompré, Kitura and Dorland. The group represents another wave of Canadian talent that has developed through club, provincial, collegiate and national team pathways.

Canada’s Junior National Team also received added exposure in 2026 through its expanded MLB Draft League International Series schedule, playing nine games against the Aberdeen IronBirds, State College Spikes and Mahoning Valley Scrappers. The series provided Canadian draft-eligible players with another opportunity to compete against high-level opposition in front of professional and collegiate scouts ahead of the draft.

Baseball Canada will track Canadian selections throughout the 2026 MLB Draft on baseball.ca and across its social media channels.