2026 MLB Draft: McCarthy’s Reclassification Boosts Strong Prep Pitching Class
Kaiden McCarthy has reclassified and will now be eligible for the upcoming MLB Draft, boosting what is already a strong prep class.
On Tuesday night, it was reported that the 2026 class would be getting another significant upgrade, as highly-touted RHP Kaiden McCarthy has reclassified and will be eligible this July.
The Vermont native will join a robust prep pitching class that looks to be one of the strongest in recent years. Ben Badler of Baseball America was the first to break the news.
Vermont is an atypical state when it comes to baseball talent. Only two players from the state have been drafted since 2010: Rayne Supple (38th round in 2015, unsigned by the Cubs) and Owen Kellington (4th round in 2021, signed by the Pirates).
There’s a legitimate chance that McCarthy gets drafted higher than Kellington did in 2021.
McCarthy is lauded for his athleticism, clean operation, and dynamic arsenal. He repeats his mechanics very well, which features absurd arm speed from his three-quarters arm slot.
McCarthy generates excellent hip/shoulder separation at foot plant, keeps his arm on time, and features significant scapular retraction. It’s as good as it gets when it comes to pitching mechanics, especially from someone this young.
The fastball jumps out of his hand, getting on hitters quickly and hammering the strike zone with it. To date, McCarthy has already run his heater up to 97 MPH, generating significant tailing life during its life. He’ll generate carry when he commands it on the upper third of the zone.
His best secondary is a parachute-esque cambio in the upper-70s that features significant velocity separation and tumbling action.
The pitch hammers the brake pedal viciously on its way to the plate, falling off the table in the process. He has the confidence and conviction to throw it to batters of either handedness, giving him an advanced feel for the offering already.
There’s a breaking ball with traits to like in the same velocity band as the change-up, too. He’ll generate good vertical depth out of the hand and features a slight tilt.
Overall, McCarthy has everything you would want to see in a young starting pitching prospect.
When talking to a scout, he mentioned average or better potential with all three offerings in his repertoire, including a plus grade on the change-up. As a result, McCarthy has Day 1 upside and will be graded highly when we release our expanded prep rankings.
For a recent video of McCarthy in action, please consider checking out Brian Recca’s film from the Junior Subway Series.
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