Between former and current Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox players, 22 were selected in the 2026 MLB Draft — matching Y-D’s total from the 2025 draft. Here’s a look at each player’s path to professional baseball.
Drew Burress (OF) — Athletics, Round 1, No. 8 overall
Chris Hacopian (INF) — Washington Nationals, Round 1, No. 11 overall
Chase Brunson (OF) — Washington Nationals, Round 2, No. 42 overall
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound center fielder has an ideal frame for professional baseball, and Brunson’s well-rounded game projects well at the next level. He played seven games for Y-D in 2025, batting .231. Brunson spent all three seasons at TCU, posting a career .936 OPS.
Although there’s some swing-and-miss in his offensive profile, Brunson’s smooth right-handed swing offers plenty of power potential. He could reunite with 2025 Y-D alum Chris Hacopian in Washington, giving the Nationals another pair of former Red Sox.
Jake Brown (OF) — Seattle Mariners, Round 2, No. 65 overall
Originally selected by the Rangers in 2023, he climbed 14 rounds before hearing his name called by Seattle. A Louisiana native, Brown transitioned to the outfield after arriving at LSU despite being the top-ranked left-handed pitcher in his home state. He played the best season of his college career this spring, posting a 1.057 OPS and a career-high 16 home runs. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound athlete displayed his tools during an eight-game stint with Y-D in 2024, batting .320 in 25 at-bats.
Brown improved his draft stock dramatically after arriving in Baton Rouge. His speed and range should eventually play well in the spacious outfield at T-Mobile Park.
Brayden Dowd (OF) — Arizona Diamondbacks, Round 3, No. 88 overall
After spending two seasons at USC, Dowd transferred to Florida State for his final collegiate season where he showed elite plate discipline, drawing a team-high 51 walks in 51 games, tied for sixth-most in the ACC.
The Diamondbacks have found success with athletic outfielders who can hit for power, and Dowd fits that mold. He excels against fastballs, especially those above 93 mph, per his 96% contact rate. During the summer of 2025 with Y-D, he batted .219 while stealing seven bases in 33 games.
Alex Hernandez (INF/OF) — Athletics, Round 5, No. 143 overall
The 2025 ACC Freshman of the Year has all the tools to become part of the Athletics’ future. After an outstanding freshman season at Georgia Tech, Hernandez posted an .820 OPS in 31 at-bats for Y-D. This spring, the Atlanta native batted .343 with 13 home runs on a loaded Yellow Jackets squad. He was one of eight Georgia Tech players selected in this year’s draft.
Hernandez possesses a powerful right-handed swing and elite arm strength. After moving around the diamond throughout college, he’ll look to settle into a permanent defensive home in professional baseball.
Will Gasparino (OF) — Philadelphia Phillies, Round 5, No. 161 overall
Gasparino and Roch Cholowsky, the No. 1 overall pick, were teammates at UCLA this spring. Their fathers also worked together as MLB scouts on Cape Cod years ago. Now, both sons have a chance to reach the major leagues.
After two inconsistent seasons at Texas, Gasparino broke out with UCLA, posting a career-best 1.071 OPS while patrolling center field. The Phillies could use more athleticism throughout their system, and the 6-foot-6, 230-pound outfielder provides that.
Y-D manager Scott Pickler has assembled impressive outfield talent in recent years, as five of the first seven former Red Sox drafted this year were outfielders. Gasparino batted .195 over 16 games for Y-D in 2025.
Derek Schaefer (RHP) — St. Louis Cardinals, Round 7, No. 204 overall
Y-D’s first pitcher came off the board Sunday when the Cardinals selected Schaefer, whose high-leverage experience stood out to St. Louis. After transferring from Tennessee, Schaefer spent his final two seasons at Arizona State and emerged as the Sun Devils’ closer. His likely professional role is in the late innings, where his ability to generate swings and misses should translate well. He recorded 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings during his final season.
Schaefer logged the second-most innings for Y-D in 2025, throwing 28 1/3 innings with a 3.86 ERA and 23 strikeouts. He also made four starts.
Dylan Vigue (RHP) — Kansas City Royals, Round 7, No. 209 overall
Vigue spent two seasons at Michigan before transferring to Georgia for his junior year. His summer with Y-D in 2024 showed he could thrive against hitters using wooden bats. His sinker-slider combination produced a 3.86 ERA over 23 innings and struck out 26 batters.
If Vigue can continue attacking the strike zone while cutting down on the walks that plagued him in college — 6.2 per nine innings — he could move quickly through the Royals’ system.
Bo Rhudy (RHP) — Philadelphia Phillies, Round 7, No. 219 overall
Rhudy’s high-spin fastball helped earn him a draft selection. His heater reaches 96 mph and pairs well with a sharp slider in the low 80s.
After transferring from Kennesaw State to Tennessee, Rhudy posted 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings across 33 innings this spring. During his stint with Y-D in 2025, he recorded a 2.45 ERA and 0.727 WHIP over 11 innings.
Alex Overbay (RHP) — Pittsburgh Pirates, Round 8, No. 228 overall
Overbay is another hard-throwing right-hander capable of missing bats. His fastball reaches 98 mph, and his low-90s cutter gives him another quality weapon.
He struck out 50 batters over 42 innings at Arizona State this spring and consistently attacked hitters. Overbay made only one appearance with Y-D in 2025, allowing three earned runs over 3 and 1/3 innings.
Garrett Wright (C/OF) — Los Angeles Angels, Round 8, No. 229 overall
Wright gave Pickler remarkable defensive versatility in 2025, seeing time behind the plate and at all three outfield positions. On the offensive side, he posted a .330 on-base percentage in 26 games for Y-D.
After transferring from Bowling Green to Tennessee, Wright immediately became one of the Volunteers’ top hitters, slashing .348/.439/.594 during his junior season. Whether he sticks to the catcher role or eventually shifts to the outfield, his athleticism and solid right-handed bat made him an attractive pick for the Angels.
Brady Neal (C) — Cincinnati Reds, Round 8, No. 242 overall
Neal entered college as one of the nation’s top catching prospects. After being selected by Milwaukee in the 17th round of the 2022 draft, he chose to attend LSU instead. Neal did not find consistent success with the Tigers and transferred to Alabama for his final two seasons, earning All-SEC Second Team honors this spring.
Although Neal also has outfield experience, Cincinnati drafted him as a catcher. He also batted .194 with one home run in 31 at-bats for Y-D in 2024 and became the first former Y-D player selected this year to complete all four years of college baseball.
Nate Isler (RHP) — New York Mets, Round 10, No. 300 overall
Isler was the first drafted member of Y-D’s 2026 roster. His pitch mix has always been intriguing, but his strikeout numbers took a major leap at Dartmouth this spring, nearly doubling his strikeouts per nine innings from a year ago.
He threw five scoreless innings to begin his Cape season before command issues surfaced in his final outing. Isler finished with a 4.26 ERA across 6 and 1/3 innings.
Cody New (LHP) — Los Angeles Dodgers, Round 11, No. 343 overall
New impressed during the 2025 college season at Cal Baptist, posting a 3.49 ERA as one of the Lancers’ top starters. His Cape stint with Y-D was brief, as he recorded a 14.00 ERA over nine innings.
His 2026 season ended after he underwent Tommy John surgery following just two innings, but his pitch mix and ability to induce ground balls still convinced the Dodgers to select him.
Brady Hamilton (RHP) — Atlanta Braves, Round 14, No. 412 overall
Outside of 2025 Cape League Pitcher of the Year Tyler Pitzer, Hamilton was Y-D’s most reliable pitcher last summer. He led the team with 30 1/3 innings and posted a 1.48 ERA, the fourth-lowest among qualified Cape League pitchers.
Hamilton issued just five walks all summer, continuing the strong command he displayed at Wichita State. If he develops more swing-and-miss stuff, the Braves’ pitching development system could help him unlock another level.
Ryan Niedzwiedz (INF) — Colorado Rockies, Round 15, No. 434 overall
Niedzwiedz enjoyed a breakout junior season at Southern Illinois, with a .768 slug, the second-best mark in the Ohio Valley Conference. His conference-leading 27 home runs make Coors Field an intriguing long-term fit.
He appeared in one game for Y-D in 2025.
Ethan Sutton (RHP) — Los Angeles Dodgers, Round 16, No. 493 overall
Sutton became the second player from Y-D’s 2026 roster selected after boosting his stock with several impressive relief appearances this summer. He posted a 3.00 ERA with 12 strikeouts over nine innings.
The right-hander now faces a difficult decision between signing with the Dodgers and playing his senior season at South Carolina, where he recently transferred after a strong spring at South Florida.
Avery Ortiz (INF) — Washington Nationals, Round 18, No. 526 overall
Ryder Brooks (LHP) — San Francisco Giants, Round 18, No. 538 overall
Brooks spent three productive seasons at UC Irvine, finishing with a 2.7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. During Y-D’s 2025 championship season, he posted a 4.00 ERA with 12 strikeouts in nine innings.
Chris Downs (LHP) — San Diego Padres, Round 19, No. 575 overall
Downs was another key arm for Y-D in 2025, posting a 1.83 ERA across more than 19 innings. After three seasons at Cal Poly, he’ll attempt to climb through a Padres system looking for quality left-handed pitching.
Justin Lee (RHP) — Philadelphia Phillies, Round 20, No. 609 overall
Lee posted a 3.26 ERA in 19 and 1/3 innings for the nation’s top-ranked UCLA Bruins this spring and recorded three saves for Y-D in 2025. He finished his Cape season with a 7.30 ERA over 12 innings.
Andrew Wright (LHP) — San Diego Padres, Undrafted Free Agent
Wright had a superb 2026 on the mound so far. In his senior season with Cal State Fullerton, Wright struck out 50 batters in 35 1/3 innings as the Titans closer.
Pickler used him in the same role at Y-D this summer, and Wright was on track to be a CCBL Pitcher of the Year candidate before signing with the Padres. In 15 innings, Wright didn’t allow an earned run, striking out 21 Cape league batters. To top all of that, he didn’t walk a single batter, and was even the first Y-D pitcher in 2026 to appear in back-to-back games. San Diego got themselves a steal.
