July 8, 2026 — For diehard baseball fans, early July typically features Major League Baseball’s (MLB) All-Star Break. Since 2021, the MLB Draft has been included among the festivities. In 2026, there is a possibility of two more Cobb graduates getting the thrill of hearing their names called by a major league franchise. Georgia Tech infielder and Pope graduate Carson Kerce and Harrison pitcher Colin White have both landed on various MLB Mock Draft boards and prospect lists.

The MLB Draft – formerly known as the Amateur Draft – was established in 1965. In its 62-year history, Cobb Schools has seen 128 of its players drafted. The first was Campbell High School third baseman Clifford Lee, selected by Cleveland in the 11th round of the 1966 MLB Draft. North Cobb’s John Jiles was drafted by the Dodgers in the 21st round that same year. The most recent Cobb Schools graduates drafted were selected in the 2025 MLB draft. Jared Jones, who played his high school ball for the Walton Raiders, was taken in the ninth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Cincinnati Reds drafted McEachern’s Bryce Archie in the 14th round of the 2025 draft.

Cobb Schools has produced 15 first-round selections over the years and 24 more who have been chosen in the first five rounds of the draft. Thirty-five former Cobb Schools baseball players have made it to the major leagues – one of them, Jim Nash out of Sprayberry High School, made it to the majors after becoming a pro before the inception of the draft. Ten of the 35 are still on MLB 40-man rosters. 

Walton leads the district in former players drafted, with 25 former Raiders selected over the school’s 50-year history. Nine of them played in the majors. Jones is still in his first year as a professional and hopes to increase Walton’s list of alumni who have played in the big leagues.

Pope, too, has seen its fair share of alumni drafted, with 13 since the school opened almost 40 years ago. Greyhounds Nation hopes that Pope graduate Carson Kerce, a Georgia Tech infielder, makes it 14 in 2026. According to MLB.com scouting, Carson is “the most underrated player in Georgia Tech’s deep lineup,” and he “could fit in the top three or four rounds” of the 2026 draft. The draft-eligible junior had a .384 batting average with 11 home runs and a Yellow Jackets record 29 doubles this past season to help raise his draft stock.

“Carson was one of the most competitive players we have ever had at Pope,” recalled Pope baseball head coach Chris Turco proudly. “He just has that ‘it’ factor and his work ethic, coupled with his competitiveness, gave us hints that an MLB career could be in his future.”

Carson’s career numbers during his high school years were a glimpse of things to come. He batted .395 with 24 doubles, 19 triples, eight home runs, and 96 runs batted in (RBI). According to Coach Turco, Carson’s 19 triples rank second in Georgia high school baseball history.

“I was with Carson recently,” Coach Turco said, “and we spoke about how excited we both were to see his hard work pay off and how surreal the experience is now that he is living out something he has always dreamed of.”

Carson’s dreams surely include becoming the next Pope baseballer to reach “the show.” Five former Greyhounds have appeared in the major leagues. Brothers Nathaniel and Josh Lowe are currently the only ones still on active big league rosters, with the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels, respectively. Incidentally, they were both drafted in 2016 – Josh signed straight out of high school, while Nathaniel was drafted after playing three years in college. (As of this writing, Pope’s Ryan Webb and James Tibbs III are both on Triple-A rosters, putting them on the doorstep of an MLB call-up.)

The Harrison Hoyas baseball program has also been prolific in producing professional players. The school has seen 10 of its players drafted over its 36-year history. There’s a glimmer of hope that Class of 2026 graduate, pitcher Colin White, could be selected in 2026. Perfect Game, one of the nation’s preeminent amateur baseball scouting organizations, rates Colin a 9.5 on a 10-point scale, which suggests he could be picked in the top half of the draft. The website Prospect Porch, a site dedicated to MLB Draft coverage, noted that Colin “has been up to 96 mph with a fastball that explodes out of his hand,” and calls it “a whiff-getter at the top of the zone.”

Despite Colin’s obvious physical baseball skills, Harrison baseball coach Jake Storey feels that statistics might not be the most impressive aspect of his pitcher’s attributes. 

“Colin helped improve our program in a way that is just baseball," the Hoyas’ coach explained. “Battling through his arm issue in his junior year, Colin became a mentor to some of our younger guys. Once Colin had his surgery and knew he would lose his junior year, he continued to show up for our community service projects, our team competitions, everything. Colin, in some ways, took on somewhat of a ‘graduate assistant’ like role for pitching coach Chris Widing and the other POs (pitchers only).”

That kind of character is important to professional team scouts. It helps when the player has talent to match, and Colin’s ability is apparent. Prior to his senior season, despite returning from injury, Prep Baseball named Colin to Georgia’s 2026 Super 60 team and ranked him as the 9th-best prospect in the state. Colin is a University of Florida baseball commit, so he will be pitching on a bigger stage one way or another.

“Colin's future is all up to him and what he wants to make out of it,” Coach Storey said. “He grew up and matured as a young man a lot over the last two years. I believe he developed the skills he will need to be successful at the next level, whatever level that ends up being. We are very proud of him.”

Whether Colin or Carson is drafted in 2026 or not, the MLB Draft has long been a reminder of Cobb Schools’ baseball talent and the athletes who are Built for Beyond the classroom, the field and the next level of competition. With even more future stars waiting in the wings, that affirmation is sure to repeat again and again in the years to come.

h/t Draft history information found at Baseball-Reference.com, Kerce photos from Carson Kerce IG, White photos courtesy Harrison HS

Cobb Schools’ MLB Draft History