If it wasn't for an injury that hampered him throughout the second half of the 2026 season, Macon Winslow was on pace to hear his name called much earlier in this year's MLB Draft.
The injury impacted him offensively and limited him mostly to serving as the Diamond Heels' designated hitter, but it shouldn't take away from just how good this guy was early on in the season.
Now, the Philadelphia Phillies are hoping that he will be their "steal" of the draft, using their sixth round pick to add the Tar Heels' catcher to their organization.
Macon Winslow selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2026 MLB Draft
With the No. 190 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Phillies took a chance on Winslow.
Get 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙞𝙜 𝙙𝙖𝙬𝙜 to the bank‼️@MaconWinslow has been drafted by the @Phillies!#ProHeels x #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/hwPDYdJ7Va
— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) July 12, 2026
After beginning his college baseball career at rival Duke, Winslow traded in his dark blue uniform for a much better looking Carolina blue one. Being tasked with filling the void left by Luke Stevenson's departure, Winslow showed early on that he was very capable of doing so.
However, the aforementioned injury hampered him down the stretch, one that he tried to play through but you could tell was impacting his game a ton. However, Winslow is a quality player who probably is a "steal" at the spot in the draft he was selected, given he likely would've been a higher selection had he played the full season healthy.
Overall, Winslow finished the 2026 campaign with a .282 batting average, 10 home runs and 57 RBIs. He, along with Colin Hynek, served as a formidable duo behind the plate, guiding the pitching staff to the College World Series Championship Series.
As is the case with all MLB Draft picks, players have the ability to sign with the team they were drafted by up until July 27. While earlier draft picks are more likely to sign professionally, the middle to late rounds of the draft leave some room for discussion, given the NIL factor in college athletics.
Winslow has eligiblity to return to Chapel Hill, but it's more likely that he will begin his professional baseball career in Philadelphia.
The Diamond Heels made program history during Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft
After four Tar Heels heard their name called on day one of the 2026 MLB Draft, Winslow was the first Tar Heel to hear his name called on day two of the event. Winslow shouldn't be the only Tar Heel to hear his name called on Sunday, as the likes of Gavin Gallaher, Erik Paulsen, and potentially others are still on the board as we get deeper into this year's draft.
A guy who can impact the game at the plate or behind the dish, Winslow was regarded by some draft analyst sites as a top-100 player in this MLB Draft class. This pick has the makings of being one of the hidden gems of this draft class, as the Phillies organization hope that Winslow can regain health and prove to the other teams in the league that they missed out on an absolute stud catcher.
Add us as a preferred source on Google