Several Iowa High School Baseball Standouts Selected In MLB Draft

A number of Iowa high school baseball standouts were selected during the 2026 Major League Baseball draft. The amateur draft was conducted July 11-12, 2026 from the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Gable Mitchell, Kaleb LaFavor, Caleb Klein, Sam George, Nate Smithburg and Kooper Schulte each heard their names called during the draft.

Gable Mitchell Was Two-Way Star For Iowa City High

Mitchell, an Iowa City High grad, was picked in the eighth round with the 193rd overall pick by the Toronto Blue Jays. He played his collegiate baseball at the University of Iowa after batting .466 with 12 extra-base hits, 55 runs scored, 29 RBI and 25 steals, going 5-0 with a 0.95 earned run average and 18 strikeouts as a senior.

In high school, Mitchell was an all-stater in baseball and earned all-conference honors on the football field. His grandfather is Dan Gable, an Olympic wrestling gold medalist who led the Hawkeyes to 15 NCAA championships.

Kaleb LaFavor Lone Current Iowa High School Baseball Player Selected

LaFavor, currently a senior at Sioux City Bishop Heelan High School, was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 10th round with the 304th pick. He has gone 3-1 with 40 strikeouts and a 0.79 earned run average in just under 18 innings on the mound this summer.

Klein, a Western Dubuque High School prep, played at Southeastern Community College and Southeast Missouri. He helped lead the Bobcats to back-to-back Class 3A Iowa High School Athletic Association State Baseball Tournament championships.

During his senior season at Western Dubuque, Klein hit .414 with nine doubles, seven triples, 49 runs scored and 30 RBI, stealing 20 bases. He went to the Atlanta Braves with the 442nd pick in the 15th round.

Several Former Iowa High School Baseball Players Hear Their Names Called

George, a former Pleasant Valley High School standout, played for Minnesota State University this past spring and was picked by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 19th round with the No. 581 overall selection.

In his final high school season with the Spartans, he struck out 62 batters in 44 innings, putting together a 2.07 earned run average.

Smithburg was picked by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 18th round with the 533rd pick after playing at Fairfield High School and for the Oklahoma Sooners.

As a senior, Smithburg went 6-1 with 83 strikeouts and a 0.43 earned run average in 47 innings pitched on the mound.

Schulte, who played at New London High School, played collegiately at Central Arizona, Southeastern Community College and for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was selected by the New York Mets in the 20th round with the 600th pick overall.

He was an all-stater for New London in 2022, helping lead them to a state baseball championship that same season. As a senior, Schulte hit .444 with six home runs, 13 doubles, 50 runs scored, 44 RBI and nine steals, recording three saves and 29 strikeouts in just over 14 innings pitched.