One of Columbia’s own hopes to hear name called in 2026 MLB Draft

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

When the 2026 MLB Draft gets going on Saturday afternoon, one of Columbia's brightest stars will hope to be one of the 615 names that gets called over the course of two days.

The Mid-Missouri baseball scene has grown accustomed to seeing pitcher Tyler Putnam light up opposing batters for Battle High School, but now he hopes to bring those talents to the next level. Putnam, a Tennessee commit, has given himself a true shot at being a Day 1 pick in the 2026 Draft, after a standout performance at the MLB Combine.

At the Combine, down in Arizona, Putnam managed to turn some heads, even throwing a fastball that topped off at 99.3 mph.

"[For me it was] really about showcasing a complete pitch mix that I've been working on over the last couple of years, but especially more this this year in this offseason," Putnam told ABC 17 Sports Director Nathalie Jones in a one-on-one interview, ahead of the MLB Draft. "I worked hard on developing some breaking balls over the offseason. I really took those out to me to to Phoenix and really tried to showcase to them that they were at their best and threw some really good sliders out there and, you know, wow'd some scouts and some teams. I'm happy with that. I just really wanted to go out there and showcase some good pitch shapes and, you know, a really complete pitch mix that I've been been needing in terms of, you know, where I'm going to be at draft wise on the team's board."

The 6-foot-5, 200-pound talent was rated as the No. 139 overall prospect available by the MLB and the No. 112 overall prospect by ESPN, after being given an overall draft grade of 45 by league scouts. That puts the pitcher at just about the MLB average, as draft grade scale ranges from 20 to 80, with 20 being well below-average and 80 being considered elite. Although Putnam was quite the hitter in high school, he entered the Draft as a pitcher, exclusively, which means scouts graded him based on his pitch arsenal, control and command.

Putnam said one of the biggest positives that he's been hearing the most from teams, is just how much they think his frame can make an impact.

"[I'm a] tall, lengthy right-handed pitcher and I think, you know, teams really view like my explosiveness and my athleticism as a key factor in decision-making. I can attribute a lot of that to basketball and my success on the court and just the ability to stay athletic, year round. I think those things stand out, for sure, but then also just the explosive fastball, the ability to use that in any count, against any hitter and use it at the top of the zone for swings and misses. My fastball has a lot of ride to it, and so it plays really well at the top of the zone and teams love that out of me."

However, whenever Putnam does get drafted, that won't be the end of his decision-making process. Once a Major League team decides to select him, he will be left with a major decision: head to the MLB now, or wait and play college ball at Tennessee, instead.

"It's a big decision, for sure and one that I never thought my 18-year-old self would would have to make, but I'm excited for it," Putnam said. "You know, whatever it is, I think I've got two really good options. You know, the plan B that comes from this is is going to be really good, whatever it is. So, I can't be too worried or nervous about it because I know whatever way I go, you know, I'm going to be in a really good position and being a position that's going to help me succeed and so it's really just a waiting game now."

Whatever he ends up deciding, the right-handed pitcher has already left quite a legacy in Columbia. In his senior season, alone, Putnam recorded 81 strikeouts over the course of about 40 innings, with a 1.38 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP.

However, it won't be the stats that the baseball and basketball star said he will remember most about his time as a Spartan, but how well he was treated in his four years.

"Obviously, being a high-level athlete...I think, for me, everybody looked up to me and hopefully I set a good example and carried myself with the way that, you know, kids can look forward to and hopefully take something with them," he said. "As far as the baseball program goes, I hope I left it in good hands and continue to mentor those kids all throughout my four years. I viewed myself as another coach during my time there and I think that really helped me develop, you know, like that maturity level as far as on the field goes and just the ability to touch, you know, kids lives and make sure I left a good impact."

Day 1 of the MLB Draft will begin a 12 p.m. CT on Saturday for Rounds 1 through 4. Then, Rounds 5 through 20 will all finished out on Sunday, beginning at 10:30 a.m. CT.