Auburn Pitcher Alex Petrovic Selected in 2026 MLB Draft

Petrovic was Auburn’s Sunday starter down the stretch of the season, and it’s not hard to see why. After having to deal with the likes of Jake Marciano and Andreas Alvarez on the previous two days, the Cypress, Tx., native was the final piece of the weekend trio that most SEC teams had to deal with. 

His numbers jumped in his third season with the program, going from seven appearances in each of his first two seasons to 17 in 2026. Each season, his ERA was better, finishing last season with a 3.21 ERA and 10 wins as a pitcher. He finished tied for third in the SEC in earned run average. 

The pitcher is the second Auburn player off the board during the MLB Draft, the first to be selected on Sunday. He joins second baseman Chris Rembert as the second Tiger to potentially head to the Big Leagues. Rembert was selected in the second round by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Of course, he has the option to not sign, meaning he would return to the Plains next season. There is an argument for him to leave the program, but the decision to invest time in a professional staff, or to make a College World Series run once again with the Tigers in 2027. 

Petrovic finishes his Auburn career with a 3.60 ERA, playing in 31 games and 22 starts. The righty recorded 134 strikeouts, allowed 98 hits and 16 home runs in 122.1 innings pitched. Most of it occurred in 2026, with him redshirting in 2024 and being injured for a chunk of 2025. 

For head coach Butch Thompson, he returns some of his best pitchers in Marciano and Alvarez, but he will need to fill the void of Petrovic if he decides to reside in the Big Apple for years to come. 

Auburn Tigers on SI will remain updated with the remainder of the potential Tigers who could hear their names called throughout the event.