N.C. State pitcher selected on first day of MLB Draft, despite injury issues
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- Jacob Dudan was selected by the A’s with the No. 83 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.
- Dudan slipped from a projected No. 78 and his selection comes with a $988,700 bonus.
- Dudan missed the last two months after Tommy John surgery and won’t pitch until 2027.
An N.C. State pitcher heard his name called this weekend, despite being sidelined by a shoulder injury midway through the season.
Right-handed pitcher Jacob Dudan was selected by the A’s as the No. 83rd pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. He slipped slightly from his projected spot at No. 78 but still got picked in the third round. His selection position comes with a $988,700 signing bonus value.
Dudan is the second N.C. State player selected in the draft this year, following teammate Ty Head. Dudan joins N.C. State’s long history of pitchers drafted to the pros, which features more than five dozen pitchers selected.
Dudan missed the last two months of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Prior to his injury, Dudan held a career-best 3.60 ERA through 50 innings, throwing for seven or more innings on three different occasions. He allowed 20 runs and only gave up 12 extra base hits. The junior had a 5.2 strikeout-to-walk rate, recording 62 strikeouts, in his eight appearances.
This season, opposing batters hit .229 against Dudan. Meanwhile, he had double-digit strikeouts in half of his appearances.
Dudan was placed on the preseason College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year watch list.
The Huntersville, North Carolina, native served as a reliever in his first two seasons at N.C. State, and with Team USA, before moving into a starting role this season. Dudan saw increased control, limiting free passes and only threw one wild pitch.
He went 4-1 when the pitcher of record. During his career he is 10-5 with 11 saves.
As a freshman, Dudan earned All-America first team from DI Baseball and second team freshman All-America from Baseball America. Voters from the ACC selected Dudan an All-Freshman team pick.
According to MLB scouts, Dudan has the ability to develop into a starter, but they expect him to play as a reliever. Due to his ongoing rehabilitation, Dudan is not expected to see the mound until 2027.
This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 6:42 PM with the headline "N.C. State pitcher selected on first day of MLB Draft, despite injury issues."
