(Photo: Connor Gleason/WCSN)
PHOENIX – When Arizona State’s season came to an end, many of the Sun Devils players sank to the floor. They had crashed out in the regional round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. However, it came with a sense of how close the team was to breaking through and returning to the historic heights the program once held.
As they gathered on the field for one last team talk, it would be some of those players’ last college baseball experience.
After the loss, many of those players began to focus on their next journey. Ten of those players’ next steps led toward the pro level, as ASU saw 10 of its players drafted in the 2026 MLB Draft.
The 10 draftees put ASU as having the third-most 2026 selections behind College World Series-appearing Georgia, along with Arkansas. It also added to the Sun Devils’ standing record of most players selected in the MLB draft, putting their total at 496.
Here are the 10 players who heard their name called in 2026:
Left-handed Pitcher Cole Carlon- Toronto Blue Jays, Pick 39
Cole Carlon came to ASU as one of Arizona’s top prospects out of Corona del Sol High School in Tempe. Perfect Game had Carlon as high as the 12th-ranked Arizona player in the Class of 2023, and the second-best AZ left-handed pitcher.
Carlon began his career in the bullpen for Bloomquist, where he utilized his mid-90s fastball and elite slider to become the Sun Devils’ best reliever in his sophomore season, throwing 54 innings with a 3.33 ERA. While Carlon’s second season in Phoenix showcased his talent, Bloomquist banked on Carlon taking major steps forward.
Carlon not only moved forward in his development but also leaped into the national spotlight.
Carlon’s junior campaign consisted of him becoming the Sun Devils’ Friday night starter, a role in which he saw major success. Carlon finished 2026 with a 5-2 record, 83.2 innings pitched and a 3.87 ERA. The junior’s breakout season included dominant outings against top-ranked postseason teams in West Virginia and Mississippi State.
After preseason questions on his ability to lengthen out his game, Carlon showed his ability to be dominant for a lengthy period, including throwing seven innings against BYU and 6.2 against Ole Miss in the Lincoln Regional.
The southpaw will now take his talents up north to the Toronto Blue Jays organization, which is coming off a World Series loss. With a high-90s fastball that can reach 100 MPH and a well-controlled slider, many scouts believe Carlon has the tools to be big-league ready sooner rather than later.
Shortstop Nu’u Contrades – San Diego Padres, Pick 186
When Nu’u Contrades came to ASU as part of the Class of 2022, the program was in a very different state. The Sun Devils had just moved on from their previous head coach, Tracy Smith, and hired former player Willie Bloomquist to replace him. Coming out of high school, the Hawaii native was highly touted, having won the Gatorade Player of the Year and was the second-ranked shortstop from the Aloha State, per Perfect Game.
Contrades came to ASU and immediately made a huge impact, hitting for a .309 average with eight home runs and 40 RBIs his freshman season. Unfortunately for Contrades, his sophomore season would be halted by a back injury that limited him to only five games.
In his junior and senior seasons, Contrades became a veteran leader for the Sun Devils, even becoming a captain his senior year. While he was still able to show the talent and impact that Bloomquist brought him on for, Contrades continued to battle injuries in both of his last two seasons in college.
Despite his ailments, Contrades saw a breakout senior season, in which he made the All-Big 12 first team, hitting 20 home runs with a .366 average. His commanding final college campaign allowed the San Diego Padres organization to look past his injury history and select Contrades in the sixth round of the MLB Draft. As he heads to San Diego, his experience on both sides of the ball could allow Contrades to have a speedy path to the majors. Although that path could include a move elsewhere, as the Padres tend to move top prospects.
Right-Handed Pitcher Derek Schaefer – St. Louis Cardinals, Pick 204
Derek Schaefer found himself off the draft board a little earlier than anticipated, as the St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the seventh round of the MLB Draft, about 200 spots higher than his Baseball America prospect ranking.
Schaefer was a hometown kid for ASU, attending Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek. However, he started his college career down south at Tennessee on the Volunteers’ 2024 National Championship-winning team. After just one season in the SEC, Schaefer decided to make the move back home.
The Arizona native has shown his ability to use his fastball to get batters out in his two seasons with the Sun Devil bullpen. In his junior season, Schaefer pushed an average velocity of about 95.5 MPH, helping him strike out 42 batters.
Serving as the Sun Devils’ closer, Schaefer struggled at times, giving up hard contact. In particular, in two separate outings against Utah and Oklahoma State, Schaefer allowed six runs, skewing his ERA up to 5.88.
If the Cardinals can help Schaefer work through his struggles with contact and continue to develop his fastball, he could work his way into becoming a solid professional reliever. On the bright side for Schaefer, the Cardinals have begun to use a more analytical organizational approach, something that could help develop his pitching arsenal.
Right-Handed Pitcher Alex Overbay – Pittsburgh Pirates, Pick 228
Alex Overbay comes from an MLB family. His dad, Lyle, played 13 seasons in the show, including for his son Alex’s new home in Pittsburgh. Growing up around the league, Overbay had aspirations to follow in his dad’s footsteps.
On Sunday, that dream started to become realized.
Overbay was selected by the Pirates in the eighth round on Sunday’s MLB Draft, despite some struggles in his final college season. The junior came to ASU after spending his first two years at UNLV.
With the Rebels, Overbay became a reliable closer with a 5.14 ERA in 28 innings in his sophomore season. Starting his Sun Devil career, Overbay was a bridge bullpen arm, often coming in after Carlon. Due to his hot start, allowing just one run in five appearances, Overbay was transitioned into a starter.
Although he picked up a win in his first start, a string of poor outings, allowing 19 runs in three games, saw Overbay moved back into a bullpen role. A large part of Overbay’s struggles was his inability to stay ahead of batters, as he walked eight in those three games – also conceding hard contact when behind in the count.
Overbay will walk into an advantageous situation in Pittsburgh, as it’s the same organization that developed the likes of Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes among other young talent. If he is able to utilize the fastball that made him a star reliever, he could prove to be a consistent major league pitcher.
Left-Handed Pitcher Sean Fitzpatrick – San Diego Padres, Pick 245
The second Sun Devil who will head to the San Diego Padres organization is ASU’s other captain, Sean Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick began his career in the SEC with Arkansas, but only threw 2.2 innings as a freshman, leading him to transfer to the Copper State.
After a solid sophomore season, in which he threw 29 innings with a 6.52 ERA, Fitzpatrick hit a bump in the road. His junior campaign showcased major issues with walking batters, along with runs allowed, leading to the southpaw pitching only 14 innings with an 11.57 ERA.
Following his sluggish third season, Fitzpatrick worked in the offseason to develop into a key leader and reliever for the Sun Devils, coming into games when teams had multiple runners on, helping ASU avoid major damage.
His dominant senior performance, which saw Fitzpatrick strike out 45 batters in 26 innings with a 3.12 ERA, allowed him to move up draft boards and into the eighth round. He will now join Contrades as part of the Padres system, and good performances could see him moved as a piece in a trade or on a path to the majors.
Right-Handed Pitcher Kole Klecker – Minnesota Twins, Pick 287
Kole Klecker became the third Arizona-based Sun Devil to hear his name called in the MLB Draft on Sunday as he was selected in the 10th round. Klecker came from the 2022 state championship-winning Hamilton High School team and was one of the first players that Bloomquist attempted to lure to ASU when he took over.
Rather than stay home, however, Klecker elected to begin his career at TCU and found early success. Klecker threw 96.2 innings with a 10-4 record and 3.72 ERA in a freshman season that included pitching multiple College World Series games. However, Klecker struggled in his next two seasons in Texas, with a combined 67.2 innings and a 5.31 ERA.
Then the hometown kid returned to the valley.
Klecker began his Sun Devil career as a midweek starter, but quickly worked his way into being the Sunday guy. The Chandler native finished the season with a career-high 74 strikeouts, including 13 in his final game in the Lincoln Regional.
While Klecker does possess a relatively good fastball, his stuff doesn’t jump off the charts. If Klecker is to make it to the big leagues, the Twins organization will likely try to increase velocity along with adding movement to his pitches.
Right-Handed Pitcher Jaden Alba – St. Louis Cardinals, Pick 414
Jaden Alba, like Carlon and Contrades, spent his entire collegiate career with the Maroon and Gold.
Alba didn’t see the field much in his first season with the Sun Devils, only appearing for 7.1 innings.
By his senior season, Alba had grown into the role of one of Bloomquist’s most trusted relief pitchers, coming out of the bullpen to give ASU length when its starter had a poor game. With Alba’s ability to lengthen out performances, he was allowed to change his role to a starting pitcher.
The move brought about a roller coaster of performances, with a few tough outings against BYU and Oklahoma State, conceding 16 runs. However, Alba finished the season with his two strongest performances, giving 5.2 and 4.0 innings of one-run baseball against Houston and Ole Miss in the postseason.
Alba will now join his fellow pitcher Derek Schaefer in the Cardinals organization. If Alba is able to increase his stuff with an already well-rounded arsenal of three pitches (fastball, slider and changeup), he could present himself with a chance to move through the Cardinals system.
Right-Handed Pitcher Colin Linder – Miami Marlins, Pick 445
Colin Linder came to Arizona State from Texas A&M, where he didn’t pitch after spending two seasons at Northwest Florida State College. Unfortunately for the Sun Devils and Linder, he did not play any of his junior season as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery.
When his senior season rolled around, Linder was announced as the opening weekend Saturday starter for ASU. After walking three batters in each of his first three starts and conceding four runs against Tennessee, Linder found himself moved to the bullpen.
Out of the pen, Linder was able to give the Sun Devils length from his experience as a starter. Linder did struggle with his command throughout the season, walking 36 batters, which could likely be traced to his ongoing recovery from Tommy John.
If Linder is able to continue to get his command back on track and limit walks, he will give himself a chance to work his way through a Marlins organization that has had some recent success with young pitchers, including Max Meyer.
Shortstop PJ Moutzouridis – Minnesota Twins, Pick 557
When PJ Moutzouridis made the transfer from California to ASU, he came with an already polished defensive game. The shortstop continued his defensive prowess as a Sun Devil, helping lead the ASU infield.
The question mark on Moutzouridis’ game was and still is his offensive ability. Moutzouridis’ freshman season at Cal saw him bat .299 with six home runs before he dipped to .270 his sophomore year. Moutzouridis returned to form as a junior, slugging four home runs with a .286 batting average.
Due to a flawed offensive journey, Moutzouridis fell all the way to the 19th round of the MLB Draft. Positively for Moutzouridis, he still has eligibility left to return to college. So, whether the shortstop decides to join his teammate Kole Klecker in the Twin Cities is still undecided. If he were to return to college, it would signal that he believes in his ability to raise his draft stock for 2027.
Outfielder Dean Toigo – New York Yankees, Pick 608
As the MLB Draft headed toward the end of the final round, many Sun Devils were left wondering if they would hear the name of their beloved right fielder, Dean Toigo. While it was late, Toigo was selected by the New York Yankees in the 20th and final round of the draft.
Toigo has played at three different levels of college baseball, starting with JUCO, followed by NAIA and finishing his career in the NCAA with UNLV and ASU. Toigo came to the Sun Devils with high expectations, as the slugger was named Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year.
The fifth-year senior met those expectations, as he mashed 20 home runs with a .321 average and helped lead the Sun Devil offense in their regional win over Nebraska. If it weren’t for Toigo’s age, he would’ve likely been drafted significantly higher.
Toigo does step into a situation that benefits him, as the Yankees organization only has three outfield prospects in their top 30, according to Baseball America. If the Yankees can keep Toigo’s hitting progressing, he could be seen wearing the pinstripes sooner rather than later.
While the Sun Devils will be losing the 10 players who were drafted, they also lost a potential transfer in RHP Chase Meyer. Meyer committed to ASU from West Virginia after being dismissed from the Mountaineers. However, after being selected in the ninth round, Meyer is expected to sign with the Chicago Cubs.
On the flip side, one of ASU’s top commits, infielder Jet Berry, was not selected and will likely head to Bloomquist’s roster. Berry, among other commits, will attempt to fill the shoes and keep the momentum going for the Sun Devils.
