The Athletics used the back half of their first day in the 2026 MLB draft to add two very different kinds of talent: a power arm in Jacob Dudan at No. 83 and a polished college bat in Roman Martin at No. 111.
Dudan is the longer wait, and the A’s know it. The right-hander recently had Tommy John surgery and won’t pitch this year, so this is a pick built for later rather than sooner.
Still, there’s plenty to like once he gets back on the mound. The 21-year-old NC State product has a fastball that can reach triple digits and a wipeout slider that gives him the kind of late-inning profile teams dream on.
He had been working as a starter for the first time this spring after spending his first two college seasons as a high-leverage reliever for North Carolina State and Team USA, and the stuff held up in longer outings. His control also took a big step forward, which is part of why he had pushed himself into first-round consideration before the elbow injury.
MLB Pipeline gave Dudan a scouting line of 60 on the fastball, 65 on the slider, 50 on the changeup, 50 on control and 50 overall. The report noted that he averaged 96 mph and touched 99 with his fastball as a junior, and that his slider produced a 41 percent chase rate and a 48 percent swing-and-miss rate this spring.
He also showed some feel for an upper-80s changeup, though he didn’t use it much. Scouts, however, still see a reliever more than a starter because of his delivery, long arm action and low slot.
He’s not expected back on a mound until late 2027.
Martin gives the A’s a different look. The UCLA infielder spent this past season at third base after deferring to #1 pick Cholowsky, but shortstop remains in play, and Oakland will get a chance to test him there.
The appeal starts with the bat. Martin works counts, sees a lot of pitches and has enough raw power to run into the occasional homer.
The questions are about how much he’ll hit against better pitching and whether he’ll be able to make the adjustments needed at the next level.
MLB Pipeline pointed out that Martin was once a Top 100 prospect as a California prep infielder before heading to UCLA, and that he would have been the second-highest ranked player to go undrafted had he not removed his name from consideration. He’s a 6-foot-2, 208-pound right-handed hitter who has put together strong college production, including a .952 OPS as a sophomore and Los Angeles Regional Most Outstanding Player honors as the Bruins reached Omaha. This season, he’s continued to build on that momentum with the best team in college baseball watching him closely.
There’s a clear offensive foundation here: patience, walks and enough strength to get to solid raw power. The concern is whether he’ll be aggressive enough and whether the hit tool plays consistently, since some scouts aren’t sold on his ability to handle premium velocity and note that he can get under the ball too often.
Defensively, he has the arm, hands and instincts to handle shortstop for some evaluators, even if his lack of speed could make that difficult to sustain. At the very least, he’s viewed as an excellent third baseman and a player who could move around the infield as a pro.
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