Rutgers pitcher Zack Konstantinovsky heard his name called in the 2026 MLB Draft on Sunday, going to the Washington Nationals with the 406th overall pick in the 14th round.
He became one of two Scarlet Knights selected this year, joining Peyton Bonds, who went to the Giants in the third round. That keeps Rutgers’ draft streak alive at five straight years with at least two players taken.
For Konstantinovsky, the pick also marked a first for the program: he is the first Rutgers player ever drafted by the Nationals. The franchise has selected five Scarlet Knights before, though all came back when the team was the Montreal Expos.
The most recent Rutgers players taken by the organization were Jason Bergmann in the 11th round and Tim Sweeney in the 20th round in 2002. Bergmann later spent six seasons with the Nationals, from their first year in 2005 through 2010.
Konstantinovsky’s path to the draft was built on a strong 2026 season after he missed all of 2025 because of injury. He stepped in as Rutgers’ ace and opened the year with a career-best nine strikeouts in his first start at Charleston, a total he matched three times overall.
He finished 4-5 with a 5.48 ERA, along with 83 strikeouts and just 21 walks in 70.2 innings. Those 83 strikeouts ranked sixth in a single season in program history.
One of his top outings came in a seven-inning win over Western Carolina, when he allowed no runs, one hit and one walk while striking out six.
His Rutgers career began with eight starts as a true freshman in 2024 before another injury ended his season early. In that span, he logged a 5.29 ERA with 37 strikeouts and eight walks over 34 innings. His final two full starts that year were his sharpest, as he threw six scoreless innings at Michigan State and then went 5.1 innings against UConn, allowing one run with six strikeouts and no walks.
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