Carson Wiggins spent this whole season on the sideline.
On Saturday that didn’t matter one bit.
The New York Mets grabbed the Arkansas right-hander with the 27th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.
An elbow injury kept Wiggins off the mound for the entire year. He got back to full health late in the season but never saw game action for the Hogs.
None of that scared teams away.
Wiggins carried plenty of hardware into draft day. He made the preseason All-American list from Baseball America and landed on the watch list for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award. He also picked up Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition.
A strong showing at last month’s MLB Combine helped keep his stock high.
Arkansas now has a streak worth bragging about.
Wiggins marks the third year running that a Razorbacks pitcher has come off the board in round one. Chicago took Hagen Smith in 2024 and the Dodgers grabbed Zach Root in 2025, setting the stage for Wiggins to keep the run going.
The Hogs got a second player picked Saturday too.
Infielder Camden Kozeal heard his name called by the Miami Marlins in round three, adding another name to Arkansas’ draft haul.
Roots trace back to Oklahoma
Long before Fayetteville, Wiggins built his reputation at Roland High School in Oklahoma.
His junior year turned heads when he touched 97 mph at a PBR Tournament in Atlanta. Perfect Game responded by ranking him the No. 5 overall prospect in the 2024 class.
Baseball runs in his family too. His brother Jaxon Wiggins went No. 68 overall to the Cubs.
As for the money, the slot value tied to pick 27 comes in at $3,466,500 and reports suggest Wiggins will sign for a touch below that figure.
Wiggins gave Arkansas fans a preview of his talent back in 2025. As a true freshman he logged 14 relief outings, going 1-1 with a 3.21 ERA and 20 strikeouts across 14 innings.
He also notched three saves and held hitters to a .152 average against him.
The season had plenty of highlights. He debuted against Washington State on Feb. 15 with a scoreless save.
More saves followed against Charlotte on March 1 and Portland on March 9.
His SEC debut at Ole Miss on March 16 brought his first career win, and he added strong outings against South Carolina, Georgia and Little Rock before the year wrapped up.
Key takeaways
- Carson Wiggins went No. 27 overall to the Mets despite sitting out the entire 2026 season with an elbow injury
- Arkansas has now sent a pitcher in round one for three straight years, following Hagen Smith and Zach Root
- Camden Kozeal joined Wiggins as a second Razorback drafted on Saturday
