North Carolina’s run to the College World Series Finals didn’t end with a trophy, but it did leave behind something else: a long list of players ready for the next level. On Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft, several Tar Heels came off the board, a clear sign of just how loaded that UNC roster was.
The biggest surprise came early. Boston grabbed Schaffner with the 20th overall pick in the first round, even though most outlets had him projected much later. The Red Sox clearly saw enough to move aggressively, and they’re getting a player who hit .356 last season with six home runs, 50 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.
Boston doubled down on UNC talent in the second round, taking Hull with the 67th overall pick. The former Tar Heel outfielder was one of the driving forces behind the offense, putting together a huge season with a .393 average, nine home runs and 87 RBIs while earning First Team All-ACC honors. Along with Schaffner, he helped power the Tar Heels through their deep postseason run.
The pitching side of the draft brought more UNC names off the board. DeCaro went to the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 80th overall pick in the third round after another strong season as the ace of the staff. He finished 11-3 with a 2.87 ERA and 99 strikeouts, adding another line to a résumé that already included two-time All-ACC recognition and a spot as a Golden Spikes Award finalist.
Lynch also heard his name called in the third round, going 97th overall to the San Diego Padres. He spent two seasons at UNC from 2025 to 2026, and after a strong freshman year, his numbers dipped a bit last season. Even so, he still posted a 5-4 record with a 4.21 ERA and 89 strikeouts, enough for San Diego to make the pick.
There may still be more Tar Heels on the way. Gavin Gallaher and Erik Paulsen are among the players who could be selected in the later rounds. However the rest of the draft unfolds, UNC’s 2026 season already looks like one of the program’s best ever, and the number of professionals coming out of it only reinforces that.
In Other News...
Caleb Wilson Just Reopened A Painful Hubert Davis Debate At UNC
Caleb Wilsons Summer League debut gave the Bulls a glimpse of why they took the 6-foot-10 forward fourth overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, and it also revived an old North Carolina question about what he might have been in Chapel Hill. Wilson knocked down seven three-pointers, matching the total he had in college, a sharp reminder of how much his game has changed since leaving UNC. The perimeter touch was never the biggest part of his profile there, but it has quickly become one of the reasons Chicago sees a far wider path for him at the next level.
Wilson has said his shooting growth came after he left college and could devote far more time to repetition, building a routine that has transformed his range. For UNC fans, the awkward part is obvious: if this version of Wilson had shown up sooner, the Tar Heels might have been able to use him in a very different way. Instead, his breakout only deepens the debate over how much of his college usage was a product of fit, and how much was a missed opportunity for a team that could have used more spacing around its guards. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Summer League Is Raising One Big Concern About The Pipeline
Las Vegas Summer League has given UNC fans a little of everything from the programs recent pipeline, from promising flashes to the kind of uneven stretches that make this stage so revealing. Henri Veesaar opened with a productive night, Drake Powell has been trying to find his footing, Caleb Wilson has been working through a spotlight that follows every top prospect, and former Tar Heels like Cormac Ryan, Pete Nance, Tyler Nickel and RJ Davis have each had their own moments in the mix.
What makes the whole exercise worth watching is how quickly the performances can sharpen the conversation around where UNC is sending players next. Some of these outings have looked encouraging enough to reinforce the Tar Heels development track, while others have raised questions about how ready certain pieces are for the next level. With more games still on the schedule in Las Vegas, there is still time for the picture to change, but the early returns have already made one part of the pipeline look a lot more uncertain than the rest. [Read more 🡒]