Two Hoos Tabbed First Round Picks in Way Too-Early 2026 MLB Draft

With the MLB Draft officially over, it's time to turn our attention to next year, with current Hoos Eric Becker and AJ Gracia tabbed as first-round draft picks in Perfect Game USA's way-too-early mock 2026 MLB Draft. 

This past weekend, seven Hoos had their names called, the most since 2015, with Henry Godbout being selected on day one and Chris Arroyo, Jack O'Connor, Jay Woolfolk, Luke Hanson, Matt Lazendorfer, and Ryan Osinki having their names called on day two. 

That said, here's a breakdown of Becker and Gracia and why they are so highly touted for next year's draft: 

Eric Becker

Becker, who started his collegiate career in 2024, appeared in 45 games his first year on grounds, starting in 39. During that season, Becker batted .362 while recording nine doubles, three triples, eight home runs, and 46 RBIs in the process. 

Becker also proved clutch in the postseason, hitting a game-high four RBIs during the 2024 Charlottesville Regional. The impressive first season earned him a spot on the All-ACC freshman team. 

In 2025, despite a struggling team, Becker was a bright spot for the Cavaliers, starting in all 50 games at shortstop and batting .368 with 21 doubles, one triple, nine home runs, and 52 RBIs. Becker led the team in batting average, slugging percentage (.617), runs scored (54), RBIs, doubles, total bases (124), and multiple-RBI games (13). His batting average was also the sixth-highest in the ACC. Becker also ended the season with a 13-game on-base streak.

After the season ended, Becker entered the transfer portal after the departure of head coach Brian O'Connor, but was lured back to Charlottesville after the announcement of Chris Pollard. Baseball America rated Becker as the top transfer this past cycle alongside now teammate AJ Gracia. 

AJ Gracia 

As mentioned, with Becker returning to UVA, Gracia was tabbed the No. 1 transfer to leave his school, according to On3, as Gracia followed Pollard north from Durham to Charlottesville. 

In 2024, Gracia was named a first-team freshman All-American by Perfect Game and NCBWA, along with third-team All-ACC. The outfielder, who arrived at Duke as the No. 5 prospect from New Jersey, broke the Duke freshman home run record with 14 and the freshman RBI record with 58. To total his stats, Gracia finished the year with 67 hits and 56 runs, with an on-base percentage of 44% and a 55.9 slugging percentage. 

This past year, Gracia only improved as he was named second-team All-ACC. He also started in 60 games, drilling 15 home runs, 63 hits, 57 runs, and 54 RBIs. Gracia also recorded an on-base percentage of 44.9% as he drew 57 walks up from a team-leading 48 in 2024. As a consistent hitter and strong fielder, the Hoos have themselves a star in the making who is more than ready for the MLB. 

The two were recently teammates for Team USA at the Collegiate All-Star series in Japan from July 8th-13th.  

Expect Gracia and Becker to be a dynamic duo for Pollard and the Cavaliers this spring. 

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