History (and a dream come true) for Hacopian.
On Saturday, Texas A&M’s Chris Hacopian became just the 16th Aggie to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft when the Washington Nationals took him with the 11th overall pick.
He becomes the highest-drafted position player in program history, surpassing the previous high set by Braden Montgomery, who was taken 12th overall by the Boston Red Sox in 2024.
Further, Hacopian is just the eighth A&M position player to become a first-rounder in the First-Year Player Draft.
For the first time in program history, the Aggies have produced first-rounders in three consecutive MLB Drafts as Hacopian joins Montgomery and Jace LaViolette (27th overall in 2025).
Entering this weekend’s draft, MLB.com listed the infielder as the No. 14 draft-eligible prospect. On a 20-80 scale, Hacopian was rated 55 overall, with his hit (60) and power (50) tools standing out the most.
If there were a rating for “grit,” the Maryland native would assuredly receive an 80 grade.
In 42 games as an Aggie in 2026, he slashed .319/.405/.578 with 10 doubles, 11 home runs and 41 RBI while battling various injuries ranging from back spasms to a fractured leg that limited him to a DH-only role late in the year.
Despite missing 15 games, Hacopian earned first-team All-SEC honors, which he added to a pair of second-team All-Big Ten selections earned at Maryland.
For his three-year collegiate career, he clubbed 40 home runs, legged out 32 doubles and drove in 144 runs while hitting .339 with a 1.053 OPS in 581 at-bats across 149 games.
Also, more Maroon could be taken later tonight.
With standouts Caden Sorrell (MLB.com’s No. 33 overall prospect) and Gavin Grahovac (No. 38) still on the board, A&M’s 2026 draft class could produce multiple first-rounders for just the third time in program history (Kelly Wunsch and Jeff Granger in 1993, Michael Wacha and Tyler Naquin in 2012).
Should Hacopian be joined by both Sorrell and Grahovac before pick No. 38, it will mark the first time ever that a trio of Aggies has been selected in the first round.
