Daniel Cuvet first of four Miami Hurricanes picked in 2026 MLB Draft
Daniel Cuvet’s junior season with the Miami Hurricanes ended with a whimper. The star third baseman was sidelined due to a stress fracture in his lower back, and the Hurricanes didn’t make it past the regional round of the NCAA tournament.
But Cuvet’s overall strong career with the Hurricanes — a large result of his power bat — has led to him being a high selection in the 2026 MLB Draft.
The Washington Nationals drafted Cuvet with the third pick in the fifth round, No. 138 overall, on Sunday. He was the first Hurricanes player selected in this year’s draft. The slot value of the 138th pick is $542,200.
Cuvet was the first of four Hurricanes players selected in the 20-round draft, with catcher Alex Sosa (Athletics), right-handed pitcher Ryan Bilka (Cleveland Guardians) and left-handed pitcher Rob Evans (San Diego Padres) following.
Cuvet finished his Hurricanes career with a .347 batting average, 1.143 on-base-plus-slugging mark, 49 doubles, 54 home runs, 204 RBI and 157 runs scored in 159 games. His 54 home runs are the third-most in Hurricanes history behind only Phil Lane (62) and Pat Burrell (61), while his 204 RBI are fourth behind only Mike Fiore (235), Randy Guerra (234) and Yonder Alonso (215).
Cuvet’s career .704 slugging mark was also fourth in school history, trailing only Burrell (.888), Jason Michaels (.744) and Aubrey Huff (.719) among hitters with at least 300 at-bats.
Baseball America ranked Cuvet as the No. 97 overall prospect in the draft. MLB Pipeline had him at No. 120.
While the power is undeniable, there are some concerns with Cuvet long-term when it comes to his hit tool as he is susceptible to high swing and miss rates and expanding the zone.
“Cuvet has established himself as a feared member of Miami’s lineup, with perhaps as much raw power as anyone in the class,” reads MLB Pipeline’s scouting report. “He can hit the ball out to all fields and even mis-hits balls over the fence. There are some holes in his swing, leading to some strikeout concerns, but he tends to cover the plate and has proven to be a decent two-strike hitter. If he can cut down the chase a bit, some feel he could approach being an average hitter, which means he might get to 70 in-game power.”
Meanwhile, where Cuvet will play defensively long-term is also a question mark. While he has the arm to play third base, a move to first base — or perhaps trying him in the outfield — wouldn’t be a surprise once he goes pro.
Sosa to Athletics
Sosa made the most of his one season at Miami and parlayed that into being a sixth-round draft pick.
The Athletics selected Sosa at No. 172 overall, making him the Hurricanes’ highest drafted catcher since Adrian Del Castillo was taken in the second round in 2021. The signing bonus slot value for the No. 172 pick is $393,100.
Sosa, who grew up going to UM baseball games as a kid, transferred to Miami after two seasons at NC State and became an immediate threat in the heart of Miami’s order. He hit .338 with a team-high 18 home runs, 16 doubles, 71 RBI and 63 runs scored.
“Scouts have some conviction his left-handed swing will play at the next level, with what is now a solid gap-to-gap approach,” MLB Pipeline’s scouting report said of the lefty-hitting Sosa. “He has very good raw power to his pull side that he’s been getting to in games, while also showing this season that he can handle left-handed pitching, cutting down his strikeout rate and drawing more walks. Sosa still has work to do in his overall defense behind the dish, but he has made strides in his blocking and does a good job of framing and stealing strikes. He has fringy arm strength which can play up as average at times because of his quick release. He has the floor of being a solid backup or platoon type, with the ceiling of being an every day, bat-first catcher.”
Bilka to Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians took right-handed relief pitcher Ryan Bilka with the No. 303 pick in the 10th round.
Bilka struggled in his lone season at Miami but had a strong college track record prior to his time in Coral Gables while playing for Wagner (2023-2024) and Richmond (2025).
The senior was projected to be Miami’s closer for the 2026 season but posted just a 5.10 ERA over 30 innings with 36 strikeouts against 24 walks. He had a 3.16 ERA in 55 appearances (13 starts) prior to joining the Hurricanes.
Rob Evans to the Padres
While Miami’s pitching overall struggled in 2026, Rob Evans was a steady presence, eventually becoming the ace of the Hurricanes’ rotation.
His success paid off, with the San Diego Padres drafting Evans with the No. 365 pick in the 12th round of the MLB Draft.
The southpaw went 10-3 and posted a 3.29 ERA across 16 games (15 starts) in 2026. He struck out 98 batters against 31 walks over 87 2/3 innings while holding opponents to a .210 batting average against.
This story was originally published July 12, 2026 at 11:36 AM.
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