America East Proving Ground: Three Standouts Selected in 2026 MLB Draft

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Major League Baseball held its annual entry-level draft in Philadelphia over the weekend. The 20-round process saw three standout players from America East Conference programs hear their names called: two from the championship-winning Binghamton Bearcats and one from the Maine Black Bears.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that at least three players from the conference have been taken in the draft. For Maine, it extends an impressive four-year streak of having a player chosen, while Binghamton has now produced a draft pick in three consecutive seasons.

2026 America East MLB Draft Picks at a Glance

Player	School	Round	MLB Team	Key Collegiate Note
Connor Griffin	Binghamton	10th	Cincinnati Reds	Second-highest draft pick in Binghamton program history
Jason Krieger	Maine	17th	New York Yankees	Battled back from Tommy John surgery to earn First-Team All-Conference
Jackson Mitchell	Binghamton	19th	Miami Marlins	Led the conference in saves; third all-time in program history

Maine Black Bears

Jason Krieger (RHP) — New York Yankees (Round 17, Pick 518)

The New York Yankees selected right-handed pitcher Jason Krieger in the 17th round. Krieger spent all three of his collegiate seasons in Orono, Maine, showing incredible resilience after missing his entire second season due to Tommy John surgery.

2026 Spring Stats: Krieger anchored the Black Bears’ rotation, leading the team with 88.2 innings pitched while racking up 55 strikeouts and a steady 1.48 WHIP.
Conference Excellence: In league play, he shrank his ERA to 3.42—the seventh-lowest mark in the America East—while chewing up 50.0 innings, the second-most in the conference.

Krieger’s dominant campaign earned him selections to both the All-Conference First Team and the All-Academic Team. He becomes the eighth Black Bear baseball player drafted during the Nick Derba coaching era.

Binghamton Bearcats

Championship Pedigree Makes Program History

After capturing both the America East regular-season and conference tournament championships in May, the Binghamton Bearcats carried that momentum right onto the draft board. With two pitchers selected, it marks the first time in program history that the Bearcats have had two players taken within the top 20 rounds of the modern draft. The university now boasts 20 overall draft picks in its history, with four coming in just the last three years.

Connor Griffin (RHP) — Cincinnati Reds (Round 10)

Connor Griffin was the first Bearcat off the board, taken by the Cincinnati Reds in the 10th round. He makes history as the first Bearcat ever drafted by the Reds organization and stands as the second-highest draft selection in school history.

Durability on the Bump: Griffin made 15 starts this spring, compiling a 3-4 record with a 5.22 overall ERA.
Lockdown Stuff: He elevated his game in conference play, posting a 3.93 ERA. Across 50.1 total innings, he struck out 65 hitters and held opposing batters to a meager .215 average, safely securing Second-Team All-Conference honors.

Jackson Mitchell (RHP) — Miami Marlins (Round 19, Pick 565)

The Miami Marlins added reinforcements to their system by selecting Jackson Mitchell in the 19th round. Mitchell was a versatile weapon for the Bearcats, making 16 appearances with six of them being starts.

The 2026 Campaign: Operating heavily as a late-innings weapon, Mitchell recorded a conference-leading four saves. He posted a 3-1 record with a 4.22 ERA, striking out 51 batters in 49.0 innings while holding opponents to a .206 batting average.
A Storied Career: In his three seasons with Binghamton, Mitchell went 6-1 and locked down nine career saves, the third-most in program history. He exits the program with 103 strikeouts over 92.2 collegiate innings.

Looking Ahead

The selections mark a major milestone for the growth of the conference’s baseball pipeline. Celebrating the historic day for the university’s baseball pipeline, Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki praised the hard work of his players: