Grayson Willoughby withdraws from 2026 MLB Draft and will play at Kentucky

· Yahoo Sports

After a season that left much to be desired for Kentucky Baseball, and primarily the pitching staff, all eyes were focused on the 2026 MLB Draft to see what would happen with Grayson Willoughby.

The star recruit has now decided to withdraw from the MLB Draft and head to Lexington for his collegiate career, UK has announced.

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Now that the news of the coveted right-handed pitcher heading to Kentucky for his college baseball career is official, he will have to spend two seasons in school before being eligible for the 2028 MLB Draft.

By way of Trinity High School (Louisville, Ky), the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Willoughby has been committed to Kentucky since August of 2024. Since then, Willoughby has had quite a high school career: Back-to-back state championships with his Trinity Shamrocks, being named Mr. Baseball, and being named the 2026 MaxPreps National Player of the Year.

His advanced mid-80s changeup is considered his best secondary pitch, while his slider continues to develop into another quality offering.

What separates Willoughby is his command. He repeats a clean three-quarters delivery, consistently throws strikes, and already shows the ability to locate all three pitches. Scouts also believe there is additional velocity to come as he continues to add strength.

Although Willoughby starred as a two-way player at Trinity, his future is on the mound. He capped his senior season by throwing a one-hit shutout in the Kentucky state championship game, helping Trinity secure another state title.

Willoughby is also ranked No. 31 in his class in Perfect Game rankings. On their site, they described him as “Polished starter package with three quality pitches including a 92-96 mph fastball, slider and changeup, dominated at PG national.”

This is a massive pickup for the Bat Cats, especially since they were in dire need of more pitching.

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