Gio Rojas is Stoneman Douglas’ first-ever MLB first-round pick, taken No. 16 by Rangers
Gio Rojas, as he almost always does, had a smile on his face Saturday afternoon as so many people pivotal to his baseball career sung his raises ahead of the biggest moment yet in his young journey.
As the watch party for the 2026 MLB Draft moved inside, then came the waiting game for the star left-handed pitcher from Parkland Stoneman Douglas. The smile faded on occasion while the anticipation grew — “It was nerve wracking,” Rojas admitted — but the ear-to-ear grin quickly returned as friends and family cheered each time his name came up on the broadcast and gave him timely words of positivity.
Finally, the phone rang. The moment arrived. And the celebration commenced.
The Texas Rangers selected Rojas with the No. 16 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft on Sunday, making him the first-ever player from Stoneman Douglas to be selected in the first round. The pick comes with a bonus slot value of $5.05 million.
“A lot of emotions, a lot of happy people,” Rojas said. “I’m out here having fun, doing the thing I like the most, and I finally have that opportunity to make those dreams come true.”
Rojas, who was committed to the University of Miami, is also the first South Florida pitcher drafted in first round out of high school since Plantation American Heritage’s Brandon Barriera went No. 23 to the Blue Jays in 2022.
At least 150 family members, friends, teammates, coaches and mentors were on hand for the celebration in Coral Springs.
And the overall consensus from the group: This is just the beginning.
“I’m ready to go play ball,” Rojas said.
Rojas’ path to first-round pick
Originally from Colorado, Rojas and his family moved to South Florida when he was 16. His aunt lives about five minutes from Stoneman Douglas, which had just gone a perfect 29-0 on its way to its third consecutive state championship and was named the top high school team in the nation by both Baseball America and SB Live.
Rojas helped keep that standard alive during his three seasons with the Eagles.
He made five appearances as a sophomore, pitching to a 1.00 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 21 innings, before establishing himself as the team’s ace.
His combined stats in his junior and senior seasons: A 24-1 record, a 0.66 ERA and 243 strikeouts against 33 walks over 137 innings en route to being the Miami Herald’s Broward Class 7A-5A Pitcher of the Year both seasons.
Stoneman Douglas won state titles all three years, bringing the school’s run to six consecutive championships.
“I exceeded those limits,” Rojas said. “There were standards coming into into into Douglas, and I feel like those standards were met and exceeded.”
Beyond his time at Stoneman Douglas, Rojas was a standout at several summer showcase events and threw 11 shutout innings for Team USA at the WBSC U-18 World Cup in 2025 during its run to a gold medal.
MLB Pipeline called Rojas “one of the top lefties, and best arms overall, available in the class, high school or college.” His arsenal includes a fastball that touches 98 mph with “outstanding riding life,” a low-80s sweeping slider “that is a true out pitch” and a changeup that can evolve into an effective third offering over time.
“He has a clean delivery with a whip-fast arm that comes from a low three-quarters slot, and he finishes with solid balance, little effort and in a great fielding position,” Baseball America’s scouting report says.
But Stoneman Douglas coach Todd Fitz-Gerald perhaps summed up Rojas the best.
“Let me say this and be very emphatic: I’ve never had a better arm pitcher than Gio Rojas,” Fitz-Gerald said. “He is an outlier. Guys like Gio Rojas come once in a coach’s lifetime. ... What a special talent. What a special kid.”
Stoneman Douglas’ MLB history
Stoneman Douglas has had 12 alumni drafted since 2016 and has produced seven big-leaguers all-time, the majority of whom have come in the past decade.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo and left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo have been the most successful of the bunch so far. Rizzo, a sixth-round pick in 2007, played 14 seasons in the big leagues, winning the 2016 World Series with the Chicago Cubs and being a four-time Gold Glove winner. Luzardo, a third-round pick in 2016, is in his eighth season and was recently named a first-rime All-Star with the Philadelphia Phillies. Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony and Baltimore Orioles infielder Coby Mayo are a pair of recent Douglas alums beginning to make a name for themselves at the MLB level.
In time, Rojas hopes to join them.
“You’re gonna be a big-leaguer in two-and-a-half years; I fully believe that,” Fitz-Gerald told Rojas. “You’re gonna play the game for a long time. You’re gonna be an All-Star. ... I just truly believe that you’re built for this. You’re made for this.”
This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 3:03 PM.
.JPG)