Jack Radel becomes Notre Dame’s highest MLB draft pick in more than a decade

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- Jack Radel becomes Notre Dame’s highest MLB draft pick in more than a decade.

Jack Radel has added his name to Notre Dame baseball history.

The right-handed pitcher was selected by the Houston Astros with the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft, becoming the Fighting Irish’s highest-drafted player since 2013 and highest-drafted pitcher since 2001.

For Notre Dame head coach Shawn Stiffler, the selection came after months of conversations with Major League Baseball organizations eager to learn more than just Radel’s pitching ability.

Stiffler said he received 10 to 12 phone calls each week from MLB clubs throughout the season, with the frequency increasing to one or two calls a day as the draft approached. Those conversations focused less on velocity and statistics and more on Radel’s character, leadership and personality away from the field.

“He has a great why, he has an unbelievable family, he is so grounded and he just does it for the right reasons,” Stiffler said. “He was always a team-first player. No matter when he took the ball, it wasn’t about Jack, it was about him going out and winning for Notre Dame.”

During the 2026 season, Radel went 8-2 with a 3.29 ERA while striking out 116 batters over 87 2/3 innings. Opponents hit just .222 against him as he established himself as one of the top power pitchers in college baseball, featuring a fastball that reached 98 mph.

His performance earned him first-team All-ACC honors and second-team All-America recognition from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Beyond the numbers, Stiffler said Radel’s leadership and personality will be difficult to replace.

"I’ll just miss him, his leadership, the person he was, and just seeing him goofing around,” Stiffler said. “And then every Friday night that’s for sure, to hand him the ball and say to bring it back with you when the game’s over with. You just miss those guys as people.”

As Radel begins his professional career, Stiffler said his message has remained simple: don’t try to become someone else.

Instead, he encouraged the first-round pick to stay committed to the routine that helped him reach this point, continue refining his strengths and trust the process as he works toward reaching the major leagues.