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MANHATTAN — After a breakout season as Kansas State baseball's star shortstop, Dee Kennedy has heard his name called during the 2026 MLB Draft.
Kennedy was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals with the No. 114 overall pick in the fourth round of the MLB Draft. This marks the sixth consecutive season in which a Wildcats baseball player was selected.
Kennedy's selection carries an approximate $684,300 signing bonus. The Cardinals could pay more or less, depending on the funds available in their bonus pool.
A Fort Worth, Texas, native, the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder is coming off two seasons with the Wildcats after starting his career with two seasons at Texas. He was named a 2026 D1Baseball All-American Third Team performer and First Team All-Big 12.
Kennedy had one of the greatest individual offensive seasons in K-State history, batting .357 with a .461 on-base percentage and .733 slugging percentage. He hit a school-record 20 home runs with 69 RBI and 70 runs scored. He became the fifth player in Big 12 history to record a 20-home run and 20-stolen-base season.
"Kennedy may be the most improved player in NCAA Division I this season. After batting .209 as a freshman at Texas in 2024 and topping the Big 12 Conference with 79 strikeouts in 2025 at Kansas State, he had LASIK surgery. Better vision has led to increased frequency and quality of contact, allowing him to earn Cape Cod League all-star honors last summer and eclipse the Wildcats' single-season home run record of 20 this spring.
"Now that he's seeing the ball so much better, Kennedy is chasing fewer pitches and controlling the strike zone. While the right-handed hitter still will fish for some curveballs out of the zone, he has gone from being helpless against curves and sliders to crushing them. He's pulling balls in the air much more frequently than in the past, hitting them harder and generating plus raw power seemingly with just a flick of his wrist.
"Kennedy offers plenty of athleticism to go with his improved offensive profile. He shows solid speed out of the batter's box and even more quickness once he accelerates. A second baseman as a freshman and third baseman as a sophomore, he has upgraded his actions and lateral range at shortstop, where he displays solid arm strength."
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State baseball's Dee Kennedy picked by Cardinals in 2026 MLB Draft
Continue reading...
Kennedy was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals with the No. 114 overall pick in the fourth round of the MLB Draft. This marks the sixth consecutive season in which a Wildcats baseball player was selected.
Kennedy's selection carries an approximate $684,300 signing bonus. The Cardinals could pay more or less, depending on the funds available in their bonus pool.
A Fort Worth, Texas, native, the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder is coming off two seasons with the Wildcats after starting his career with two seasons at Texas. He was named a 2026 D1Baseball All-American Third Team performer and First Team All-Big 12.
Kennedy had one of the greatest individual offensive seasons in K-State history, batting .357 with a .461 on-base percentage and .733 slugging percentage. He hit a school-record 20 home runs with 69 RBI and 70 runs scored. He became the fifth player in Big 12 history to record a 20-home run and 20-stolen-base season.
Dee Kennedy MLB Pipeline scouting report
- Rank: 71st
- Age: 21
- Bats: R
- Throws: R
"Kennedy may be the most improved player in NCAA Division I this season. After batting .209 as a freshman at Texas in 2024 and topping the Big 12 Conference with 79 strikeouts in 2025 at Kansas State, he had LASIK surgery. Better vision has led to increased frequency and quality of contact, allowing him to earn Cape Cod League all-star honors last summer and eclipse the Wildcats' single-season home run record of 20 this spring.
"Now that he's seeing the ball so much better, Kennedy is chasing fewer pitches and controlling the strike zone. While the right-handed hitter still will fish for some curveballs out of the zone, he has gone from being helpless against curves and sliders to crushing them. He's pulling balls in the air much more frequently than in the past, hitting them harder and generating plus raw power seemingly with just a flick of his wrist.
"Kennedy offers plenty of athleticism to go with his improved offensive profile. He shows solid speed out of the batter's box and even more quickness once he accelerates. A second baseman as a freshman and third baseman as a sophomore, he has upgraded his actions and lateral range at shortstop, where he displays solid arm strength."
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State baseball's Dee Kennedy picked by Cardinals in 2026 MLB Draft
Continue reading...
