DBL News: First-Year Player Draft: The 2026 DELMARVA Baseball League amateur draft will be conducted today. The cream of the crop in amateur baseball circles will be plucked by the baseball hierarchy. Diamond journalists and experts say these ten names are at the top of the first-year player shopping list:
1. Mark Meaden, 17 year-old starting pitcher out of high-school.
2. Ray Nikkola, 20 year-old catcher out of college.
3. Pancho Sánchez, 18 year-old center fielder out of high-school.
4. Luis Rodríguez, 22 year-old center fielder out of college.
5. Allen Graves, 21 year-old first baseman out of college.
6. José García, 21 year-old shortstop out of college.
7. Dave Smith, 21 year-old shortstop out of college.
8. Joey Bradley, 18 year-old shortstop out of high-school.
9. Jimmy Moore, 22 year-old first baseman out of college.
10. Bob McCulloch, 21 year-old starting pitcher out of college.
Richmond, Newark, Annapolis, Baltimore and Georgetown have the top five picks and hope to cash in this year.
Here is a look at the all-time #1 picks in the DBL... 11 of the 13 #1 picks are still active, 5 have made the All-Star game, 3 have won Championships, 1 has one the Golden Arm (CY) and 1 the Silver Slugger (MVP). An accomplished group of players and possibly a Hall-of-Famer or 2. From the stars to the busts here are the 13 #1-Overall Picks in DBL history:
2013 - Jorge Moran (SP), Chesapeake Blue Crabs, Columbia University
Debut: 2013
Current Team: Chesapeake Blue Crabs
Awards: Golden Arm 2019, All-Star 2016, 2019, 2020
Championshps: 3 (Lewes Braves - 2020, 2023, 2024)
Career: 174-109 3.30, 1 SV (402 G, 383 GS)
2014 - Gabriel Santos (SP), Norfolk Cavaliers, High School
Debut: 2019
Current Team: retired 2026
Career: 6-8 3.70, 31 SV (208 G)
2015 - Phil Carlson (SP), Lewes Braves, High School
Debut: n/a, pitched 2 years in AAA
Current Team: retired 2023
Career: 70-56 4.62, 2 SV (209 G, 189 GS)
2016 - Will Riley (C), Ellicott City Express out of Vanderbilt U
Debut: 2017
Current Team: Annapolis Admirals
Awards: Newcomer of the Year 2017, Silver Slugger 2021, All-Star 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Career: .316-269-907 (1321 G)
2017 - Cornell Pearson (SP) Seaford Blue Jays out of Creighton
Debut: 2018
Current Team: Norfolk Cavaliers
Awards: All-Star 2021, 2023
Championships: 1 (Norfolk Cavaliers - 2025)
Career: 110-68 3.24 (247 G / 235 GS)
2018 - Pablo Garcia (SP), Salisbury Ports, Oral Roberts University
Debut: 2019
Current Team: New Castle Colonials
Awards: All-Star 2021, 2024, 2025
Championships: 1 (Norfolk Cavaliers - 2025)
Career: 105-67 3.16 (243G/GS)
2019 - Shunen Koyama (SS), Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, U of New Mexico
Debut: 2020
Current Team: Viriginia Beach Surf Dawgs
Awards: All-Star 2023, 2024, 2025
Career: .290-32-108
2020 - Will Hayes (3B), Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, Farleigh Dickinson College
Debut: 2022
Current Team: Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs (AAA)
Career: .235-21-82 (248 G)
2021 - Steve Cole (SP), Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, High School
Debut: 2024
Current Team: Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs
Career: 25-19 3.78 (58 G/GS)
2022 - Brooks Carlson (SP), Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, High Shcool
Debut: n/a
Current Team: Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs (AAA-Ball)
Career: 3-5 3.10 / 17 SV (38 G / 3 GS)
Propsect: #16 VB
2023 - Ryan McCoy (SP), Ellicott City Express, TCU
Debut: 2025
Current Team: Ellicott City Express
Career: 7-4 3.65 / 4 SV (56 G / 6 GS)
2024 - Ernie Kennedy (SP), Ellicott City Express, HS
Debut: n/a
Current Team: Norfolk Cavaliers (AA-ball)
Career: (AA) 4-2 3.14 (11 G/11 GS)
Prospect: #3 DBL / #1 Norfolk
2025 - Mike Johnson (OF), Milton Brewers, U of Miami
Debut: 2025
Current Team: Milton Brewers
Career: .268-4-31 (61 G, 50 G in 2026)
Prospect: # 5 DBL
2026 - Richmond Cardinals hold the 1st pick in 2026