Macon baseball players selected in 2026 MLB Draft

Macon had an impressive showing in MLB’s 2026 Draft last weekend, with several players with Bibb County connections getting selected by Major League squads in the league’s 20-round draft.

An FPD baseball star, a former Tattnall pitcher, a trio of Mercer players and multiple Macon Bacon players were selected. 

FPD shortstop Keon Johnson, who has long been a top prospect for the Vikings and attracted attention for his entire high school career, was the 93rd overall pick in the third round of the draft by the Houston Astros.

Johnson’s senior year was just his latest masterpiece. The Vanderbilt commit hit .540 with 63 runs, 38 RBIs, 13 doubles, 11 home runs and three triples as a senior, according to MLB.com. Astros amateur scoring director Cam Pendino told MLB.com that Houston expects to sign Johnson and also commented on the Macon native’s prodigious bat-to-ball skills.

“When you have a guy who’s a special blend of bat-to-ball and approach and pitch recognition as an 18-year-old kid with really good actions in the middle of the diamond, it’s an awesome repertoire,” Pendino said.

Johnson helped FPD win the GIAA Class 4A state championship in his final season with the Vikings. 

While his prospect status has been notable for years now — he was the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year in 2025 as a junior — Johnson’s evaluation on MLB.com does note that some scouts “like the player more than his tools and his profile.” Johnson was also reported to have regressed during high school showcases last year.

Regardless, one of Macon’s best high school baseball players in a long time will get a shot to climb through the minors and eventually play with a big league club. His contact skills, which were far better than the average high school hitter, should serve him well as the Astros attempt to develop him.

Former Tattnall standout Benjamin Stubbs was another Macon native who had his name called. Stubbs, who was a standout pitcher for Troy this year and helped the Trojans — the same mascot as his high school alma mater — go on an impressive run in the College World Series, was taken in the ninth round by the San Diego Padres with the 275th pick.

Stubbs was a stellar southpaw at Tattnall and pitched at Flagler in Florida before moving to Troy. He finished with a 5.12 ERA as one of Troy’s busiest arms with 95 innings pitched. He also played for the Macon Bacon in 2024.

Mercer stars get selected

Mercer had three players drafted, including the reigning Southern Conference Player of the Year and a member of the Freshman All-American team.

Garrett Lambert, a redshirt freshman pitcher, was the earliest Bear selected, going to the Colorado Rockies in the third round at pick 165. 

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound righty had a serious injury in his first campaign with Mercer back in 2024 but was fully recovered this season, posting a 4.31 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 71 innings. Before getting drafted, Lambert announced that he would transfer to Alabama for the 2027 baseball season, so it remains to be seen if he will sign with Colorado.

Mercer head coach Craig Gibson and the Bears’ coaching staff were aware of Lambert’s skill when they started recruiting him and took pride in it.

“Garrett is another example of what we can give players. These guys can do this from our university,” Gibson said. “They don’t need to go to an SEC school or ACC school to get drafted.”

An even more impressive example of Mercer’s player development came in the form of Chris Katz, who was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the ninth round at pick 266.

Katz, a North Carolina native, originally played at Wake Forest for four seasons before transferring to Mercer for the 2026 campaign. Aside from some solid numbers as a freshman, the outfielder struggled through poor play and injuries as a Demon Deacon.

“I don’t really think (Katz) had a career at Wake Forest, to be honest with you. I don’t want to devalue it, but coming here changed everything,” Gibson said. “He put in so much hard work. When we put him in our system, I think it brought out the best in him.”

Katz broke out, to put it simply. The outfielder became a key piece of Mercer’s offense, which was one of the best in the country last season. He slugged 23 homers, notched an eye-popping .389 batting average and recorded an OPS of 1.301.

Gibson was not surprised when the Diamondbacks called and drafted Katz, the SoCon Player of the Year.

“He’s just a special human,” the head coach said. “We’re glad he could reach that point.”

The third Mercer player drafted was Miguel Hugas, the Bears’ Saturday starter who transferred from Chipola Community
College in Florida for the 2026 season. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound southpaw from Venezuela was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 14th round with the 410th overall pick.

Hugas struggled at times for Mercer in the SoCon’s high-scoring run environments, but his athletic frame and competitiveness made him a force on the mound. He finished the season with a 6.17 ERA in 77.1 innings pitched.

“Baltimore was pretty stoked to get Hugas,” Gibson said. “We’re trying to do what’s best for our players, and I think (Mercer’s) ability for talent development was shown in this draft.”

Gibson credited Mercer’s successful track record of developing MLB talent — the best example of which is former Seattle Mariner and MLB AL Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis — and the school’s commitment to resources for helping the team develop players.

Bacon players sizzle to the top

The Macon Bacon had four players — some current, some former — selected in the draft, starting with 2024 team member Sherman Johnson. 

The Cincinnati Reds selected Johnson, a shortstop, in the seventh round with the 212th pick. Johnson hit extremely well for the Bacon two seasons ago, finishing with a .320 average and .863 OPS in the wooden-bat CPL. Johnson played at NC State this year and excelled there as well.

Stubbs was the next Bacon player off the board, followed by the first 2026 Bacon player, Isaiah Galason. A product of nearby Houston County High School, Galason is playing with the Bacon this year after finishing his senior season with the Bears. He is committed to play with Georgia Tech in the 2027 season.

Ben Tryon was the final Bacon player selected in the draft, as the Astros picked up the outfielder in the 17th round with the 511th pick. Tryon, who hit .372 with the Bacon in 2024, played at Dallas Baptist University this season, where he had a .966 OPS.