Tucson and the surrounding Southern Arizona region saw three of its baseball standouts hear their names called in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft, a reminder of the area’s steady contribution to the professional ranks. The group includes two right-handed pitchers who were recently associated with the University of Arizona program and a high school catcher from Oro Valley who had been slated to join the Wildcats. Each player landed with a major league organization over the course of the draft and will now begin the next phase of their baseball careers under professional contracts or in talks to sign.
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Owen Kramkowski was the highest-picked of the local prospects, going in the fifth round at No. 145 overall to the Tampa Bay Rays. The right-handed pitcher, listed as an incoming freshman to the University of Arizona, was assigned a slot value of approximately $506,100. That figure reflects the draft’s financial benchmarking for his selection and the Rays’ valuation of the 2026 pick. Kramkowski’s draft position marks him as the most prominent Wildcat-affiliated player taken from the region in this year’s draft, and the selection was noted for the arm talent and upside he brings as he transitions from amateur ranks to a professional organization.
A right-handed pitcher throws from the Arizona bullpen; the local prospect was one of three Southern Arizona players selected in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Joining Kramkowski among the draftees was another right-handed arm, Collin McKinney, who was selected in the ninth round by the Baltimore Orioles. McKinney’s selection adds to a continuing narrative in Tucson and on the University of Arizona roster of attracting and developing pitchers who draw professional interest. While the Wildcats endured a challenging season in recent months, the fact that multiple pitchers tied to the program were picked illustrates its ongoing role as a source of high-upside talent. Specifics about contract status for both pitchers were not disclosed beyond their draft placements and, in Kramkowski’s case, the associated slot value.
The draft’s local contingent was rounded out by a position player from Southern Arizona high school baseball. Francisco Rivero Jr., a catcher from Canyon del Oro High School in Oro Valley, was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 15th round at No. 436 overall. Rivero had been a signee to the University of Arizona but has elected to forgo that college commitment and turn professional with the Nationals. The choice to sign a professional contract rather than enroll in college is a significant decision for any high school draftee, and Rivero’s selection and subsequent plan to turn pro underscore his readiness to begin his career in the Nationals’ organization.
A draft prospect poses in front of the MLB Draft Combine backdrop after being selected in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Rivero entered the draft after a standout senior season at Canyon del Oro. He finished the year with a .463 batting average, showcasing both contact ability and power along with a high number of extra-base hits. Defensively, he drew attention for his work behind the plate, and his offensive profile was bolstered by exceptional plate discipline; he struck out only eight times over the course of the season. Born in Venezuela, Rivero was also ranked by Perfect Game as the top catcher prospect in the state, a designation that likely contributed to his draft-day selection and to the Nationals’ decision to bring him into their system.
Taken together, the three picks emphasize the depth of talent across different levels of the Southern Arizona baseball landscape. From a high school program recognized among the state’s best to a major college program that continues to draw arm talent, the selections illustrate multiple pathways to professional baseball. Tucson and the broader Southern Arizona region have a history of producing major league players, and this year’s draftees join a lineage that includes past big-league contributors from the area. The incoming professional players will now enter the Nationals’, Rays’ and Orioles’ pipelines, respectively, and begin adaptation to the minor leagues and professional development systems maintained by each club.
As the 2026 draftees move into the next stage of their careers, local observers and supporters will be following their progress through the professional ranks. Kramkowski, McKinney and Rivero represent different points along the development arc—college-bound arms and a high school catcher choosing to sign immediately—yet all share the common outcome of being selected in the MLB Draft. Their transitions will be tracked by fans and talent evaluators alike as they begin assignments, workouts and the formal process of signing and reporting to professional clubs. For now, the selections stand as a clear signal that Southern Arizona remains a productive region for baseball talent, with multiple players advancing into Major League Baseball organizations during the 2026 draft cycle.
Local journalist Javier Morales highlighted that Kramkowski and Rivero will bring the total of Southern Arizona high school alumni in MLB organizations to 14, emphasizing the region's elite baseball pipeline and its growing list of professional contributors.
Owen Kramkowski is a Sahuarita native who prepped at Walden Grove High School; he spent the past two seasons at Arizona, where he served in the weekend rotation and posted a 9-6 record with a 5.48 ERA, 90 strikeouts and 92 innings in 2025, and recorded a career-high 12 strikeouts across six scoreless innings against Fresno State on March 7, 2026.
Collin McKinney is listed at 6'5", about 217 pounds, and prepped at Clear Creek High School in Texas before spending two years at Baylor and then transferring to Arizona; McKinney posted a 3.98 ERA across 54.1 innings for Arizona in 2026, did not allow a home run all season, and scouts note a mid-90s fastball with a mid-80s slider and additional offspeed offerings.
Francisco Rivero Jr. spent several years training in Venezuela and had been expected to sign as an international prospect in 2025 but was ruled ineligible to sign internationally, which led him to return to Arizona, re-enter the domestic draft pool and sign with the University of Arizona in November 2025 before opting to turn professional after being selected by the Nationals.
For context on signing leverage: under MLB rules, players taken in the 11th round or later can sign for up to $150,000 without that amount counting against a team's bonus pool, a detail that commonly shapes negotiations for mid- and late-round high school signees like Rivero.