Arizona right fielder Brendan Summerhill was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays as the 42nd pick in the competitive-balance round (considered the first round) of the MLB Draft on Sunday.
The second round did not technically start until the No. 44 pick.
The Wildcats’ center fielder, Aaron Walton, was the No. 66 pick in the competitive-balance round between the second and third rounds by the Cleveland Guardians. He is considered a second-round pick.
Arizona is the only college program to have at least two outfielders drafted in the first two rounds this year.
The Wildcats now have 286 MLB Draft picks. Summerhill is the 14th player in Arizona history to be a first-rounder. The Wildcats boast four first-round selections in the last six drafts: Austin Wells (2020, New York Yankees), Daniel Susac (2022, Oakland Athletics), Chase Davis (2023, St. Louis Cardinals) and Summerhill.
Arizona has featured a player selected in the draft for 28 consecutive years, dating to 1998. The selection of Summerhill and Walton also means the Wildcats have multiple draft picks for the 15th straight year, since 2011.
Summerhill, a Chicago native, is the third player developed by head coach Chip Hale to be selected in the first round, joining Susac in 2022 and Davis in 2023. Hale and his staff have developed 13 MLB Draft selections.
Summerhill finished his Arizona career with a .323 batting average, .535 slugging percentage and.424 on-base percentage with 97 runs, 33 doubles, 12 triples, 14 home runs and 99 RBIs in three seasons.
He was named to the 2025 Big 12 All-Tournament Team, 2025 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, 2024 Pac-12 All-Tournament Team and 2024 Pac-12 All-Conference. He missed 22 games because of injuries in 2025, preventing him from earning more honors.
Walton transferred to Arizona after spending the first two years of his collegiate career at Samford.
Across 65 games, he posted a .320 batting average with 71 runs, 22 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs, 49 RBIs, a 1.026 OPS, and 19 stolen bases. His 71 runs, 22 doubles, and 19 stolen bases all led the team, with the his runs and doubles also leading the Big 12.
Walton, a Tennessee native, joins the Guardians system after earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and Eugene NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team selections in his breakout season.
The athletic Walton covered a lot of ground in center field. He posted an impressive .986 fielding percentage on 148 total chances.
Salpointe alum Mason White, a shortstop, is projected to be selected in the second day of the MLB draft Monday.
Adonys Guzman, a catcher, and relievers Collin McKinney, Casey Hintz, Tony Pluta, Hunter Alberini, Raul Garayzar, Garrett Hicks and Julian Tonghini could also be selected.
Tucson product Isaiah Jackson, a center fielder who completed his junior season at Arizona State this spring after graduating from Cienega, will also likely be drafted Monday.
The MLB Draft concludes with rounds 4–20 on Monday, beginning at 8:30 a.m. It can be viewed live on MLB.com.
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