Funny Names from the 2026 MLB Draft

What an embarrassment of riches – the NHL draft, the World Cup, Wimbledon, and now the MLB draft.

Ryan Niedzwiedz - #434, Rockies, SIU, 1B

• Spell check suggests "Netwide"
• School’s all-time HR leader, with 46

Hideki Prather - #497, Twins, Cal, C

• Nomo namesake?
• ACC Academic Honor Roll

Bane Barker – #355, Marlins, HS (Jacksonville), P

• Bane: n., "a person or thing that causes misery, distress, ruin, or death (e.g., the 'bane of my existence')"
• 6’8”

Jackson Flora - #4, Giants, UCSB, P

• Not to be confused with Jaxon Fauna
• Won the National Pitcher of the Year Award

Connor Comeau - #54, Rangers, HS (Texas), 3B

• Alliteration for the win
• Half-Canadian

Zach Crotchfelt - #420, Mets, Troy, P

• Name comes from old-timey words for “fork” (as in a river or a road) and “field”
• Has played college ball for Auburn, Texas Tech & Troy

Brendan Brock - #99, Yankees, Oklahoma, C

• Awesome alliteration
• Criminal justice major

Clayton Freshcorn - #564, Cards, Texas A&M, P

• Sounds like a farm stand
• 9.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2026

Crew McChesney - #495, White Sox, BYU, OF

• Here's hoping his nickname is "Cut"
• 2 brothers played Div I football

Here's hoping that pic was taken when he was 13

Dustin Dunwoody - #456, Tigers, HS (California), P

• Astounding alliteration
• 0.22 ERA with 115 K in 64 IP in 2006

Damarcus Rideout-Carter - #408, Pirates, HS (Canada), P

• Rideout is from "outrider," an "officer of a sheriff's court or monastery responsible for riding out to collect dues, supervise manors, and enforce orders" [familysearch.com]
• Just turned 18

Tazwell Butler - #301, Astros, KSU, P

• Goes by “Taz," though "Tazmanian Devil" would be even better
• Has not gotten a hit in 54 career at bats

Parker Dillhoff - #543, Guardians, UNLV, P

• Dilbert character?
• Grandfather played for the Green Bay Packers

Cashel Dugger - #256, Nats, UCLA, C

• Spell check wants "Digger" or "Dagger"
• “Left-handed hitter with an even base and hand set, late scap load with present hand speed” [perfectgame.com]

Maddox Molony - #187, Tigers, Oregon, SS

• Can't get enough of that alliteration
• High school valedictorian

Declan Dahl - #158, Tigers, Lou Tech, P

• Ditto
• Not to be confused with the wrestler of the same name

Savion Sims - #213, Guardians, HS (Louisiana), P

• Ditto ditto
• Has hit 100 on the radar gun

Selden Kolkebeck - #567, Rangers, HS (NJ), P

• Spell check wants "Kleeck" (?!?!)
• Commit to Columbia

Sawyer Strosnider - #66, Brewers, TCU, OF

• Weird last name, meet weird first name
• Led nation in triples as a freshman

Camden Wimbish - #523, Dodgers, Campbell, P

• Honestly, what's wrong with Jim?
• From the town of Locust (NC)

Banks Wickersham - #419, Royals, HS (SC), C

• "Translates roughly to the 'bushy copse of a man called Wine'" [myheritage.com] 
• “Sets up in a spread stance with a hanging inward timer” [perfectgame.com]

Kole Klecker - #287, Twins, Ariz State, C

• Alright, that's enough alliteration
• Freshman All-American 

Gavin Van Kempen - #373, Dodgers, ECU, P

• Positively patrician
• 6’7”

Drew Titsworth - #339, Phillies, Clemson, P

• I think the Phils are gonna sell a lot of this guy's jerseys
• Brother Parker plays D1 football

Ryder Helfrick - #15, D-backs, Arkansas, C

• Guess his parents were into rental trucks
• All-American

Ruger Riojas - #100, Phillies, Texas, P

• No truth to the rumor that he has an older brother named Glock
• An older prospect at age 23

Gabe Gaeckle - #73, A’s, Arkansas, P

• Enough with the alliteration already
• Had Tommy John surgery at age 15

Cameron Flukey - #22, Tigers, Coastal Carolina, P

• Spell check wants "Flunkey"
• Highest ever pick from CCU

Coleman Borthwick - #21, Padres, HS (San Diego), P

• British character actor from the 1930s?
• 6’6”, 245 lbs.

Roch Cholowsky - #1, White Sox, UCLA, SS

• Spell check suggests "Roach" (and just gives up on Cholowsky)
• Baseball America College Player of the Year for 2025

Caden Bogenpohl - #64, Phillies, Missouri State, OF

• How much bogen would a bogenpohl pohl, if a bogenpohl could pohl bogens?
• Formerly a Cotuit Kettleer

Bayram Hot - #33, Yankees, Louisville, SS

• "If you are looking for what makes a surname 'hot' in terms of current naming trends, short, one-syllable surnames (like Holt or Penn) and names ending in '-s' (like Hayes or Brooks) are currently the most popular" [geneanet.com]
• NYC native