Right-handed pitcher Gavin Eddy of the California baseball team became the first Golden Bear to be selected in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft when he was taken by the Houston Astros in the 5th round with the 153rd pick Sunday.
 
Eddy becomes the Bears' 242nd MLB selection as well as the fourth ever taken by the Astros and the first since Korey Lee (2019). There have now been 28 Cal student-athletes drafted under head coach Mike Neu and Cal has had at least one selection in 58 of the 62 drafts, which began in 1965.

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RHP Gavin Eddy is the first Bear off the board in 2026!#GoBears pic.twitter.com/WlG9Ap9qqk

— Cal Baseball (@CalBaseball) July 12, 2026

 
Eddy was the first Cal pitcher to be named to the All-ACC Second Team. The red-shirt sophomore was lights out for the Bears this year, leading the conference during the regular season with 84.2 innings pitched and ranking fourth amongst starters with a 2.87 ERA. His 94 strikeouts were good fourth in the ACC and he also ranked in the top 10 in wins (6), starts (14) and opposing batting average (.229).
 
The Claremont native turned in five straight quality starts to conclude his final collegiate season including a 14-strikeout performance on the road against No. 23 Virginia on May 9 that earned him Cal's first ACC Pitcher of the Week award. It was the most punchouts by a Bear since 2011. Eddy also consistently got it done in the classroom as a 2026 ACC All-Academic selection and one of the only pitchers in the country to have a higher GPA (3.846) than ERA.
 
The big righty standing at 6' 5" and weighing in at 225 lbs will take his 94-mph fastball, four-pitch mix (fastball, changeup, slider, curveball), and incredible competitive nature to the Houston organization that has won two World Series championships and four American League pennants in the last nine years.
 
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