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UNC baseball’s Ryan Lynch was selected by the San Diego Padres with the 97th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday, July 11.
Lynch was the fourth Tar Heel to be selected on the opening day of the draft, joining pitcher Jason DeCaro, who was picked by the Pittsburgh Pirates, along with shortstop Jake Schaffner and outfielder Owen Hull, both of who were drafted by the Boston Red Sox.
A draft-eligible sophomore pitcher, Lynch was the No. 2 starter in his second season at UNC. His projected slot value at No. 97 in the draft is $808,100.
TOP TAR HEEL: What UNC baseball’s Jake Schaffner brings to Boston Red Sox
O ZONE: What UNC baseball’s Owen Hull brings to Boston Red Sox
TOP PITCHER: What UNC baseball’s Jason DeCaro brings to Pittsburgh Pirates
Here’s a breakdown of Ryan Lynch’s stats with the Tar Heels and what the Padres organization can expect from him.
DeCaro was the typical Friday starter, but Lynch logged the most innings for the Tar Heels in 2026. The righty had a 5-4 record, 4.21 ERA and 89 strikeouts across 98 ⅓ innings, including 18 starts. He opened the NCAA Tournament with seven scoreless innings in a two-hit shutout for the Tar Heels, but his final start was cut short by an oblique injury in the College World Series finals. He had a 2.93 ERA with 73 strikeouts as a freshman.
After starting his career in the bullpen, Lynch became a key part of the rotation in the postseason as a freshman before earning a spot as a starter in his sophomore year. He has plus-velocity that reaches the high 90s and some solid off-speed stuff. With his experience as a starter and reliever, Lynch is likely to experience both worlds as a long reliever with some spot starts at the next level.
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: What UNC baseball’s Ryan Lynch brings to San Diego Padres
Continue reading...
Lynch was the fourth Tar Heel to be selected on the opening day of the draft, joining pitcher Jason DeCaro, who was picked by the Pittsburgh Pirates, along with shortstop Jake Schaffner and outfielder Owen Hull, both of who were drafted by the Boston Red Sox.
A draft-eligible sophomore pitcher, Lynch was the No. 2 starter in his second season at UNC. His projected slot value at No. 97 in the draft is $808,100.
TOP TAR HEEL: What UNC baseball’s Jake Schaffner brings to Boston Red Sox
O ZONE: What UNC baseball’s Owen Hull brings to Boston Red Sox
TOP PITCHER: What UNC baseball’s Jason DeCaro brings to Pittsburgh Pirates
Here’s a breakdown of Ryan Lynch’s stats with the Tar Heels and what the Padres organization can expect from him.
Ryan Lynch stats at UNC
DeCaro was the typical Friday starter, but Lynch logged the most innings for the Tar Heels in 2026. The righty had a 5-4 record, 4.21 ERA and 89 strikeouts across 98 ⅓ innings, including 18 starts. He opened the NCAA Tournament with seven scoreless innings in a two-hit shutout for the Tar Heels, but his final start was cut short by an oblique injury in the College World Series finals. He had a 2.93 ERA with 73 strikeouts as a freshman.
What San Diego Padres can expect from Ryan Lynch
After starting his career in the bullpen, Lynch became a key part of the rotation in the postseason as a freshman before earning a spot as a starter in his sophomore year. He has plus-velocity that reaches the high 90s and some solid off-speed stuff. With his experience as a starter and reliever, Lynch is likely to experience both worlds as a long reliever with some spot starts at the next level.
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: What UNC baseball’s Ryan Lynch brings to San Diego Padres
Continue reading...
