The Boston Red Sox selected UNC shortstop Jake Schaffner with the No. 20 overall pick in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft Saturday. He’s the first Diamond Heel to be selected in this year’s draft.

After spending his first two collegiate seasons at North Dakota State, Schaffner committed to Carolina out of the transfer portal and quickly became a stalwart both at shortstop and in the leadoff spot in the UNC batting order. He remained remarkably consistent throughout the 2026 season: across nearly 70 games, Schaffner’s batting average never dipped below .314. He finished the season batting .356, second on the team behind Owen Hull. Schaffner led all Carolina hitters in runs scored (85) and stolen bases (26), while his 32 strikeouts were the fewest among all hitters who started at least 60 games. Schaffner’s speed also helped him tie a UNC single-season program record with eight triples, including one in Game 2 of the national championship series against Oklahoma.

Schaffner remained reliable in Omaha, recording at least one hit and scoring at least one run in five of UNC’s six games at the Men’s College World Series. He scored three runs in Carolina’s 12-7 win against West Virginia in the national semifinals.

Schaffner committed only three fielding errors for the entire season and helped anchor a UNC defense which ranked eighth in the nation in fielding percentage. From his shortstop position, Schaffner also helped the Diamond Heels turn 63 double plays in 69 games, the most of any team in Division 1 baseball.

Schaffner was named first team All-ACC, a third team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and one of five finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, honoring the nation’s top shortstop.

This is the third consecutive season UNC has had a player selected in the first round of the MLB Draft, following Vance Honeycutt’s selection by the Baltimore Orioles in 2024 and Luke Stevenson’s selection by the Seattle Mariners in 2025. Schaffner is the highest-selected UNC player since J.B. Bukauskas went No. 15 overall in 2017, and the highest-selected hitter since Colin Moran went No. 6 overall in 2013.

The 2026 MLB Draft continues through Sunday in Philadelphia.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Vera Nieuwenhuis

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