Diamondbacks Select Cal Poly Pitcher in MLB Draft

The Arizona Diamondbacks have taken their third straight college pitcher on day two of the 2026 MLB Draft.

With their seventh-round pick, Arizona selected right-hander Carson Turnquist out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, another large-framed hurler with strong velocity potential.

Follow along with the Diamondbacks' draft live on Arizona Diamondbacks On SI's Draft tracker.

Diamondbacks draft Carson Turnquist

Turnquist threw to a 4.01 ERA in his 2026 season, which was the longest season of his college career. He made 14 appearances (12 starts). Turnquist began his career with Oklahoma, but only pitched five innings there.

He underwent Tommy John surgery, which held him out of action for all of 2024 and a large chunk of 2025. The right-hander has a strong fastball, with a changeup, slider and cutter to go along with it. The fastball sits in the mid-90s, but can climb up to the 98 MPH range with a decent amount of swing-and-miss.

At 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, Turnquist is another imposing arm, and likely profiles more as a reliever down the road unless he is able to hone his command. He walked 40 batters in 76.1 innings during the 2026 season, and is noted as having below-average strike-throwing capability.

Arizona's run on college pitchers continues. They drafted right-hander LJ Mercurius (Oklahoma) and southpaw Micah Worley (Stony Brook) with their fifth- and sixth-round picks. The Diamondbacks seem to be prioritizing plus stuff and velocity in this draft, which aligns with their organizational philosophy shift as they look for answers in the pitching development department.