The 2026 season concluded for Sun Devil Baseball on May 31, with a second consecutive regional exit. However, ASU continues to make headlines with 10 draft picks in the 2026 MLB draft. This marks the third most by any school this draft class and the most in one draft under head coach Willie Bloomquist.
Round 1 - Pick 39
Leading off the class for the Sun Devils is junior left-handed pitcher and two-time All-American Cole Carlon. Selected by the Toronto Blue Jays, Carlon is the first first-round pick since Spencer Torkelson went No. 1 overall and Alika Williams went 37th in 2020. The Tempe native already inked his deal with the Canadian organization, worth $2.4 million.
Round 6 - Pick 186
Nearly 150 picks later, fellow All-American Nu'u Contrades joined his teammate on the long list of Sun Devils drafted, joining the San Diego Padres' farm system. Contrades had a massive leap in production this past season, notching career highs in home runs, hits, RBI's, batting average and OPS.
Round 7 - Pick 204
Junior right-handed pitcher Derek Schaefer joins the St. Louis Cardinals following his junior season with the Sun Devils. The Cave Creek, Arizona, native spent his first season at Tennessee before returning home to pitch for ASU, mostly in relief. Schaefer recorded nine saves in 31 appearances this season.
Round 8 - Pick 228
Alex Overbay was the next name called, as the Pittsburgh Pirates selected the junior right-handed pitcher. Overbay played just one season for ASU, transferring in after two seasons at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He went 1-3 over twenty appearances and recorded an ERA of 5.79.
Round 8 - Pick 245
Sean Fitzpatrick joins Contrades in San Diego, being selected by the Padres in the 8th round. In 31 appearances last season, Fitzpatrick recorded a 3.12 ERA and a 4-1 record. He consistently found his way out of tough situations for the Sun Devils, inheriting 36 baserunners over the course of his relief season yet giving up only 11 runs.
Round 10 - Pick 287
The Minnesota Twins take the fifth Sun Devil pitcher, Kole Klecker, in the 10th. The senior right-handed pitcher joined from Texas Christian University this season and jumped right into the starting rotation. Klecker made 13 starts, going 7-2, including an 8-inning shutout against South Dakota State in the NCAA regionals. Klecker is also the third Arizona native taken in this Sun Devil class.
Round 14 - Pick 414
Another junior, right-handed pitcher, goes from Tempe to St. Louis as the Cardinals select teammate Jaden Alba 210 picks after Schaefer. Alba spent all three years as a Sun Devil, finishing with a 6.52 ERA over 37 career appearances.
Round 15 - Pick 445
Colin Linder was the next Sun Devil off the board, taking his talents to the Miami Marlins' farm system. The redshirt junior is the final pitcher taken from ASU, which was his third stop following time at Northwest Florida State College and Texas A&M. Linder made 20 appearances and had seven starts, going 4-2.
Round 19 - Pick 557
PJ Moutzouridis goes to the Minnesota Twins following his lone season at ASU. The junior shortstop was previously at the University of California. Moutzouridis showed consistent numbers across all three seasons. His hitting dipped slightly in his sophomore campaign before bumping back up with the Sun Devils.
Round 20 - Pick 608
The final player drafted from the Sun Devils, Dean Toigo, joins the New York Yankees. The fifth-year outfielder transferred in from UNLV this season for his final year of eligibility. He averaged 3.21 with 20 home runs and had an OPS of 1.072. Toigo started in all 60 games for ASU this season.
Getting drafted in the MLB doesn't mean a starting spot or even a roster spot on a team. The MLB has a deep "farm system", with Triple-A all the way to rookie ball for newly drafted players. These teams are all affiliated with an MLB team, and players must work their way up to reach the highest level of competition.
This takes players years, so names seen on draft day are often not heard from again for seasons to come. The most recent Sun Devil to make it to the MLB is Luke Keaschall, who was drafted by the Twins in the second round in 2023.
Edited by Mia Sweador, Natalia Jarrett and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at aldeutsc@asu.edu and follow @AlanDeutschend3 on X.
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Alan Deutschendorf is a sports editor in his fourth semester with State Press. He was previously a sports reporter, covering volleyball, softball and a variety of other sports. Alan also works as an Event Assistant in the Edson Events office and is on the Sun Devils Roundnet club team.
