Several Mississippi prospects selected on opening day of MLB Draft

Written on 07/12/2026
J.T. Mitchell

Day one of the MLB Draft is in the books, and it was a historic one for Mississippi.

Oak Grove’s Eric Booth being selected No. 7 overall by the Baltimore Orioles marked the third year in a row a prep prospect from the Magnolia State was taken in the top 10. Ace Reese going off the board at No. 24 to the Seattle Mariners made for the first time a Bulldog third baseman was selected in the first round. And then, Ole Miss had two first-round picks for the first time in program history with pitchers Cade Townsend (No. 23 overall, Chicago Cubs) and Taylor Rabe (No. 30 overall, Kansas City Royals).

Here’s a rundown of all the Mississippi prospects drafted on Saturday.

Rd. 1 No. 7 overall: Eric Booth Jr., OF, Oak Grove HS (Orioles)

Booth joins Jackson Prep’s Konnor Griffin in 2024 (No. 9 overall, Pittsburgh Pirates) and Purvis High School’s JoJo Parker in 2025 (No. 8 overall, Toronto Blue Jays) in hearing his name called in the draft’s top 10 – and for good reason, too.

Booth has “serious tools,” according to MLB.com draft analysts, such as raw athleticism, speed, and being able to hit for contact. The 6-foot, 198-pound outfielder has not hit below .400 since he was a freshman at Oak Grove. As a senior, he batted .481 with five home runs, four triples, and 31 RBI. He also stole 23 bases.

Rd. 1, No. 23 overall: Cade Townsend, RHP, Ole Miss (Cubs)

Townsend may not have had the most eye-popping college stats, but his upside is why plenty of teams were high on him. The Chicago Cubs were the first to bite, though, making him the sixth pitcher selected in Saturday’s opening round.

This past season, Townsend started 14 games, compiling a 5-3 record with a 3.94 ERA and 88 strikeouts. His five-pitch arsenal is what makes him stand out, including a fastball that peaks around 98 mph and a tight-break cutter.

Rd. 1, No. 24 overall: Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State (Mariners)

Reese dropped a bit, with some draft analysts predicting him to be a top-10 pick. However, landing at No. 24 with the Seattle Mariners was still history made for the Mississippi State third baseman, being the first Bulldog at his position to be selected in the opening round.

This past season, Reese batted .336 – compared to his .352 average in 2025 – while hitting 24 home runs and raking in 74 RBI. Including his 21 long balls in 2025, Reese became the third Mississippi State player to hit 20+ home runs in back-to-back seasons, joining eventual MLB standouts Rafael Palmeiro and Will Clark. Reese is a steady fielder, too, only making a couple errors in his time with the maroon and white.

Rd. 1, No. 30 overall: Taylor Rabe, RHP, Ole Miss (Royals)

Technically, Rabe was drafted in the competitive balance round, but by all accounts, it’s still a first-round selection. The MLB moves from its traditional worst-to-first style to save picks at the end of each round for small-market or low-revenue teams. The Royals, in one of the MLB’s smallest markets, decided to use its first supplemental pick on the Ole Miss pitcher.

Rabe became somewhat of a hero in the Rebels’ run to the College World Series this past season, becoming arguably the team’s most reliable arm. He’s a 6-foot-5 right-hander with a fastball that tops out at 100, and he went 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 2026.

With the 30th pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, we have selected Taylor Rabe from Mississippi. pic.twitter.com/C56J99yNhF

Other Mississippi players selected on Day 1 of MLB Draft

  • Rd. 2, No. 41 overall: Cole Prosek, 3B/C, Magnolia Heights HS (Chicago White Sox)
  • Rd. 4, No. 104 overall: Ben Davis, RHP, Mississippi State (Colorado Rockies)
  • Rd. 4, No. 110 overall: Kevin Roberts Jr., OF, Jackson Prep HS (Baltimore Orioles)
  • Rd. 4, No. 117: Hudson Calhoun, RHP, Ole Miss (Texas Rangers)