Kansas Baseball Makes More History With Two More MLB Draft Picks
· Yahoo Sports
Kansas baseball added two more players to its growing list of professional talent on Sunday as Brady Ballinger and Mathis Nayral were selected on the final day of the 2026 MLB Draft.
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Ballinger was taken by the Detroit Tigers in the seventh round with the No. 216 overall pick, while Nayral went to the Toronto Blue Jays in the 13th round at No. 402 overall. Combined with Tyson LeBlanc and Dominic Voegele being drafted Saturday, the Jayhawks finished with four selections in this year's draft.
The 2026 class also made program history.
LeBlanc, Voegele and Ballinger were all selected within the first 10 rounds, marking the first time Kansas has had three players drafted in the top 10 rounds of the same MLB Draft.
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— MLBDevelops (@MLBDevelops) July 13, 2026
Congratulations to @MathisNayr31958 for being selected as the 402nd overall pick by the @BlueJays in the #MLBDraft ! pic.twitter.com/9cLkPMg2ZB
"We're proud of all four guys who were drafted," head coach Dan Fitzgerald said in a press release. "We have a number of returners who we anticipated getting drafted. It just shows that this is truly the deepest that college baseball has ever been and spots in professional baseball are becoming more and more rare."
Fitzgerald said each player earned the opportunity through both performance and long-term potential.
"For Tyson, Dom, Brady and Mathis to get these opportunities, it's a real tip of the cap to their ability and their projection as professionals," Fitzgerald said. "We're really looking forward to watching them in the next stage of their career."
Ballinger spent two seasons in Lawrence and became one of the program's most consistent offensive contributors. An All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection in 2026, he tied for the conference lead with nine sacrifice flies while posting a .993 fielding percentage after transitioning from first base to left field.
"Brady had a great two-year run for us," Fitzgerald said. "He was a key piece of both our NCAA Tournament teams."
Nayral, meanwhile, made an immediate impact during his lone season at Kansas, posting a 4.96 ERA with 71 strikeouts in 69 innings while helping the Jayhawks capture the Big 12 Tournament title.
With four more players entering professional baseball, Fitzgerald's program continues to build on one of the most successful stretches in Kansas baseball history.
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