CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — Five Virginia baseball players were selected in the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday and Sunday. Four of the five participated in the MLB Draft combine earlier this month.

First off of the board was centerfielder AJ Gracia. Though the Duke transfer was ranked No. 19 by MLB Pipeline, several prominent analysts predicted that his tools were enough for him to be taken in the top ten. This proved to be correct, as the Atlanta Braves took him ninth overall in the first round. 

Gracia’s path to MLB may be a long one, as Atlanta has seven outfielders in its top 30 prospects, two of whom, speedster Eric Hartman in A+ ball, and Cuban standout Diego Tornes, in rookie ball, are in the top ten.

Still, Gracia’s power tool is graded higher than both Tornes and Hartman and shares the exact same overall mark by MLB evaluators as Hartman, with both graded at 55 out of a possible 80.

“Team USA guy, Cape Cod. He hit everywhere he’s gone,” Ronit Shah, Braves Vice President of Amateur Scouting, told MLB.com. “This time a year ago, our scouts were telling me, ‘This should be our guy next year.’” 

For Virginia’s starting shortstop from the 2026 season, Eric Becker, his final season on Grounds was a difficult pill to swallow. Becker spent a crucial portion of the season injured, given him fewer opportunities than expected to showcase his skills to scouts. Despite limited action in 2026, Becker showed well and did enough to earn a day one selection in the second round by the Cincinnati Reds. 

“To the University of Virginia, thank you for the best three years of my life,” Becker said in an Instagram post one week ago. 

“He’s a very well-rounded baseball player. I think people sleep on some of his tools a little bit because of how even it is across the board, but he can really hit,” Joe Katuska, Reds Amateur Scouting Director, told MLB.com. 

Like Gracia, Becker’s path to the Majors does have quite a few obstacles in his way. Cincinnati has six players who play shortstop in their top 30 prospects, with Steele Hall, Edwin Arroyo and Tyson Lewis in the top five. Arroyo is at the major league level currently, Hall in rookie ball and Lewis in A+ ball. The Reds’ starting shortstop, Elly De La Cruz, is a marquee player across the league. The Reds also drafted Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron with their round one selection.

Two-way star Kyle Johnson went to the Tampa Bay Rays in the sixth round. It’s unclear whether Johnson will remain a two-way player in the minors, with most college players choosing the mound or the plate throughout their journey. But Johnson got a great deal of attention from scouts as a left-handed pitcher during limited action this year, with his slider and changeup impressing as standout pitches.

There are no left-handers in Tampa Bay’s top 30 prospects. Hitting the ground running could pay dividends for Johnson. 

Joe Tiroly led Virginia in home runs, impressing the San Diego Padres, who took him in the seventh round. Only Jhoan De La Cruz plays the same position as Tiroly in the Padres’ top 30 prospects.

Virginia closer Tyler Kapa, who played his final year in college baseball in Charlottesville, was taken by the Miami Marlins in the 14th round. Relievers can be tricky to predict in the minor leagues, but as proven by Thomas White, Robby Snelling and Eury Perez, Kapa’s in the right place to develop as a pitcher. 

Tennis 

NCAA singles No. 1 Dylan Dietrich, coming off a title-winning season for Virginia, will be making his ATP debut Monday at the ATP 250 EFG Swiss Open Gstaad. He qualified as a wildcard, beating world No. 140 Otto Virtanen then the world No, 292 Thiago Monteiro to reach the main draw. In his ATP World Tour debut, he will face Jerome Kym of Switzerland. 

Meanwhile. rising junior Keegan Rice was in Laval, Canada, last week competing in the ITF World Tennis Tour M25. Rice participated in both the singles and doubles draws. Alongside TCU senior Duncan Chan, Rice made the doubles final against Jay Friend, ITA No.3 and recently graduated Arizona Wildcat, as well as Alexander Rozin. Friend and Rozin took the final victory by a score of 7-6 (2), 6-7 (4), 10-4. Rice also made the singles final but was taken down by 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year and recent Illinois graduate Kenta Miyoshi of Japan.