Six native Iowans were selected in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft, which was held July 11-12.
Of those six, two came from the University of Iowa, one was taken right out of the Iowa high school baseball ranks, and the other three were native Iowans selected from out-of-state colleges.
Here’s a look at the six who made their professional dreams a reality.
Athletes are listed in the order they were drafted.
Gable Mitchell, SS, University of Iowa/Iowa City High
Mitchell was the highest-drafted Iowan of the group. He is the grandson of Olympic gold medalist and wrestling legend Dan Gable. After a successful athletic career at Iowa City High, he went on to play baseball for the Hawkeyes, where his most recent season concluded with a .360 batting average, five home runs and 43 RBIs.
Kaleb LaFavor, P, Bishop Heelan
LaFavor was the lone Iowan taken out of high school. He currently holds a 0.79 earned run average and a 3-1 record across six games played. In just 17.2 innings pitched, he has tallied 40 strikeouts.
Caleb Klein, OF, Southeast Missouri State/Western Dubuque
After helping his high school win a pair of Class 3A state titles in 2022 and 2023, Klien went on to Southwestern Community College in West Burlington. In two seasons, he owned a .315 batting average and 10 home runs. In one year with Southeast Missouri State, Klien racked up a .316 batting average, eight home runs and 40 RBIs.
Nate Smithburg, P, Oklahoma/Fairfield
Following his high school career, Smithburg spent two seasons at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, where he made 40 appearances with an ERA of 3.58 and 78 total strikeouts. After transferring to Oklahoma, his 2026 campaign was successful behind a 3.79 ERA, 18 strikeouts and a 2-0 record in 19 innings pitched.
Sam George, P, Minnesota State Mankato
After helping Pleasant Valley to a state title as a sophomore, George went on to Minnesota State Mankato, where he had a 7-3 record, 3.53 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 2026. In his college career, George has a 3.53 ERA, a 17-5 record and 167 strikeouts.
Kooper Schulte, SS, University of Iowa/New London
Schulte, the second Hawkeye in the group, began his baseball career by taking New London to a state title in 2022. After spending 2023 with Central Arizona Community College and 2024 with Southeastern Community College, Schutlte found his way to the Hawkeyes for the 2025 season. In two years with Iowa, Schulte owned a .271 batting average, 12 home runs and 64 RBIs.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: See the 6 Iowans chosen in the 2026 MLB Draft
Reporting by Eli McKown, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Eli McKown, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
