ARLINGTON -- The Astros spent the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft loading up on talent up the middle, and they did it with a clear pattern: college arms, athletic shortstops and a high-upside prep bat they expect to sign.
Houston’s Day 1 haul included Texas Tech outfielder Logan Hughes at No. 17 overall and Notre Dame right-hander Jack Radel at No. 28 overall, but the most obvious theme came in the middle rounds. The Astros used two of their first six picks on shortstops, grabbing Georgia high school standout Keon Johnson in the third round at No. 93 and Missouri shortstop Kam Durnin in the fourth round at No. 121.
That approach fits a system that already has Xavier Neyens, the high school shortstop Houston took in the first round of the 2025 Draft. Neyens has been seeing more time at third base this season at Single-A Fayetteville, and the Astros still pounced when Durnin slid to them in the fourth.
“We were really, really surprised that he was available for us to select in the fourth round,” Astros amateur scoring director Cam Pendino said. “He came to Chicago [pre-Draft workout] and put on a show.
He’s athletic. We view him as a real shortstop, like a real Major League shortstop.
We put a high bar internally on how we grade out shortstops, and we give that kid a very good chance to be a really quality Major League shortstop.”
Johnson, a right-handed hitter from First Presbyterian High School in Macon, Ga., brought a different profile. He posted a huge senior season, batting .540 with 63 runs, 38 RBIs, 13 doubles, 11 home runs and three triples. Pendino pointed to the combination of contact skills, strike-zone feel and infield actions as the reason Houston was willing to take him where it did.
“When you have a guy who’s a special blend of bat-to-ball and approach and pitch recognition as an 18-year-old kid with really good actions in the middle of the diamond, it’s an awesome repertoire,” Pendino said.
The Astros also expect to sign Johnson, who is committed to Vanderbilt, along with fourth-round compensation pick Beau Peterson, a high school third baseman from Mill Valley, Kansas, who has committed to Texas.
Peterson came off the board at No. 133 overall after Houston received the pick as compensation for losing Framber Valdez in free agency. The left-handed hitter has been viewed as one of the better prep power bats in the class and won the High School Home Run Derby during All-Star Week. He also earned Gatorade’s Kansas high school player of the year award, though his spring didn’t feature the same consistent authority he showed on the showcase circuit last summer.
Pendino made clear the organization sees a bat worth betting on.
“We view him as a left-handed premium bat who’s got power. He’s got a really good approach, makes contact and performed over the summer.
He’s a power-hitting third baseman who’s got a nice feel to hit, and not to mention he’s an absolute ace. He works his tail off.
We believe in the player, we believe in the person and we expect him to be a Houston Astro shortly [in terms of signing a contract].” -- Pedino
Houston’s pitching focus started with Wes Mendes, the Florida State left-hander taken in the second round at No. 57.
Mendes, a 6-foot-1 southpaw, emerged as the Seminoles’ Friday night starter and led the team in innings last season. He went 9-3 with a 2.90 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and .207 opponents’ batting average, striking out 125 and walking 25 over 93 innings.
His mix includes five pitches, and his fastball has reached 96 mph, with the changeup standing out as his best secondary offering.
“Really exciting combination of strikes, fastball and changeup quality, execution to both sides and he really took a step forward this year. From the left side, we think he’s got a chance to be a rotation piece. We think he’s going to move relatively quickly.” -- Pendino
Durnin, meanwhile, arrived as one of the more surprising values of the day. The right-handed hitter transferred from Wichita State and immediately became a force for Missouri, leading the Tigers in nearly every offensive category in his first season there. He hit .329 with a .570 slugging percentage and a .438 on-base percentage, and the Astros believe he has the tools to stay at shortstop in the majors.
“Transferring from Wichita State, he performed in the SEC. His SEC Tournament was excellent.
He’s got a really good approach and swing decisions, and he’s got burgeoning power. He’s a real shortstop with some feel to hit.
We were really taken aback he was there in the fourth round and we were really excited to take him.” -- Pedino
Day 2 of the Draft begins Sunday at 10:30 a.m. CT and runs through the end of the event, covering Rounds 5-20. It will be streamed live on MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+ and the MLB App.
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