The San Diego Padres opened the 2026 MLB Draft by leaning into the high school market, and the move that really turned heads came in the second round.
After taking 6-foot-6 prep pitcher Coleman Borthwick with the 21st overall pick, AJ Preller stayed on the same path and used the 60th pick on Elliot Lascelles, a shortstop from Upper Canada College High School in Ontario, Canada. MLB.com had Lascelles ranked 158th overall, so San Diego grabbed him nearly 100 spots earlier than expected.
That was the biggest reach of the Padres’ first day, even if there’s a clear reason the club liked him. Lascelles, a Yale commit, showed he could handle quality pitching over the past year with the Toronto Mets in the Canadian Premier Baseball League and with the Canadian Junior National Team.
He then earned an invitation to the MLB Draft League in early 2026 and hit .389 there, which helped him land a 55-grade hit tool. His background in track and field also shows up in the scouting report, where he carries a 55-grade run tool.
The selection still qualified as a surprise, especially with the next 11 players taken after Lascelles all ranked ahead of him by MLB.com, including two infielders.
San Diego finished Day 1 by adding more talent at several spots. The Padres took UNC right-hander Ryan Lynch in the third round at No. 97 overall, George Washington catcher Robbie Lavey in the fourth round at No. 124, and Oklahoma State outfielder Alex Conover in the compensation fourth round at No.
- Each of those picks came in ahead of their MLB.com ranking, but none drew as much attention as Lascelles.
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