Texas Tech University Athletics
Thompson and Quintanar highlight Day Two of MLB Draft
July 12, 2026 | Baseball
Like Day One, Tech saw a pair of players drafted during the final day of the 2026 MLB Draft
PHILADELPHIA – One day after seeing two players drafted in Logan Hughes and Caden Ferraro, Texas Tech again saw a pair of players off its roster taken on Sunday afternoon, as Kyeler Thompson and Matt Quinatar were selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers (Thompson) and Philadelphia Phillies (Quintanar) during the second and final day of the 2026 MLB Draft in Philadelphia.
With final selection of the ninth round (Pick No. 283) Thompson was selected by the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, while Tech's starting catcher, Quintanar, was taken with the 489th overall selection midway through the 15th round by the Philadelphia Phillies.
A two-year Red Raider standout after spending his first season at Galveston College, Thompson turned in a career year in 2026, transforming himself into one of the nation's top and most prolific lead-off hitters.
After hitting just .257 with 11 extra-base hits in 2025, Thompson increased his average over 100 points in 2026, hitting .358 with three home runs, two triples and 15 doubles. One season after stealing all 29 bases he attempted, Thompson stole 26-of-32 bases he attempted in 2026.
Like his batting average, Thompson's on-base percentage and slugging also skyrocketed as the speedy outfielder slashed .358/.454/.491 this season. Thompson increased his on-base percentage by 96 points and his slugging percentage by nearly 150 points from the previous season.
Known also for his strong play in center, Thompson also tallied five outfield assists in 2026 and made just two errors, raising his fielding percentage from a solid .970 to .985 during the past season.
Appearing in 100 total games and making 99 career starts, Thompson hit .310 during his two seasons in Lubbock stealing 55 total bases and scoring 92 runs. Thompson had 125 hits, 22 of which were doubles.
The Red Raiders other rostered player to be drafted on Sunday, Quintanar, spent just one season in Lubbock after transferring to Texas Tech after singular seasons at Central Arizona College (2024) and Blinn College (2025).
One the nation's premiere defensive catchers, Quintanar saw action 54 games in 2026 and made 53 total starts. He hit .323 with six home runs and 46 RBIs. One of the toughest catchers and players in the country to strike out, Quintanar whiffed just 17 times and walked 20.
On the defensive end of things, Quintanar proved to be one of the nation's best "catch-and-throw" players, as he nabbed 22-of-49 runners attempting to steal. For comparison the MLB average is 29 percent. Only one MLB catcher so far in 2026 (Adley Rutschman, 41 percent) has thrown out 40 percent of would-be base stealers with a minimum of 30 attempts.
Day Two of the 2026 MLB Draft also saw a pair of Red Raider high school signees taken, as El Paso product Drew Gonzalez was taken in the sixth round by the New York Yankees (Pick No. 189) and fellow infielder Ryne Barker was taken by the Atlanta Braves midway through the 11th Round (No. 323).
Former Texas Tech two-way standout Connor Shouse was also drafted Sunday, as Shouse was a 20th-Round selection by the Seattle Mariners.
All selections during both Day One and Day Two of the 2026 MLB Draft have until Monday, July 27th at 5 p.m. (ET)/4 p.m. (CT) to sign with their respective clubs.
2026 MLB DRAFT PICKS:
OF/1B Logan Hughes (First Round, No. 17 Overall), Houston Astros
OF Caden Ferraro (Third Round, No. 86 Overall), St. Louis Cardinals
OF Kyeler Thompson (Ninth Round, No. 283 Overall), Los Angeles Dodgers
C Matt Quintanar (15th Round, No. 489), Philadelphia Phillies
With final selection of the ninth round (Pick No. 283) Thompson was selected by the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, while Tech's starting catcher, Quintanar, was taken with the 489th overall selection midway through the 15th round by the Philadelphia Phillies.
A two-year Red Raider standout after spending his first season at Galveston College, Thompson turned in a career year in 2026, transforming himself into one of the nation's top and most prolific lead-off hitters.
After hitting just .257 with 11 extra-base hits in 2025, Thompson increased his average over 100 points in 2026, hitting .358 with three home runs, two triples and 15 doubles. One season after stealing all 29 bases he attempted, Thompson stole 26-of-32 bases he attempted in 2026.
Like his batting average, Thompson's on-base percentage and slugging also skyrocketed as the speedy outfielder slashed .358/.454/.491 this season. Thompson increased his on-base percentage by 96 points and his slugging percentage by nearly 150 points from the previous season.
Known also for his strong play in center, Thompson also tallied five outfield assists in 2026 and made just two errors, raising his fielding percentage from a solid .970 to .985 during the past season.
Appearing in 100 total games and making 99 career starts, Thompson hit .310 during his two seasons in Lubbock stealing 55 total bases and scoring 92 runs. Thompson had 125 hits, 22 of which were doubles.
The Red Raiders other rostered player to be drafted on Sunday, Quintanar, spent just one season in Lubbock after transferring to Texas Tech after singular seasons at Central Arizona College (2024) and Blinn College (2025).
One the nation's premiere defensive catchers, Quintanar saw action 54 games in 2026 and made 53 total starts. He hit .323 with six home runs and 46 RBIs. One of the toughest catchers and players in the country to strike out, Quintanar whiffed just 17 times and walked 20.
On the defensive end of things, Quintanar proved to be one of the nation's best "catch-and-throw" players, as he nabbed 22-of-49 runners attempting to steal. For comparison the MLB average is 29 percent. Only one MLB catcher so far in 2026 (Adley Rutschman, 41 percent) has thrown out 40 percent of would-be base stealers with a minimum of 30 attempts.
Day Two of the 2026 MLB Draft also saw a pair of Red Raider high school signees taken, as El Paso product Drew Gonzalez was taken in the sixth round by the New York Yankees (Pick No. 189) and fellow infielder Ryne Barker was taken by the Atlanta Braves midway through the 11th Round (No. 323).
Former Texas Tech two-way standout Connor Shouse was also drafted Sunday, as Shouse was a 20th-Round selection by the Seattle Mariners.
All selections during both Day One and Day Two of the 2026 MLB Draft have until Monday, July 27th at 5 p.m. (ET)/4 p.m. (CT) to sign with their respective clubs.
2026 MLB DRAFT PICKS:
OF/1B Logan Hughes (First Round, No. 17 Overall), Houston Astros
OF Caden Ferraro (Third Round, No. 86 Overall), St. Louis Cardinals
OF Kyeler Thompson (Ninth Round, No. 283 Overall), Los Angeles Dodgers
C Matt Quintanar (15th Round, No. 489), Philadelphia Phillies
Players Mentioned
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