Texas Rangers select Utah Valley Wolverine Kaden Carpenter in MLB Draft
Jul 12, 2026, 12:55 PM
The Texas Rangers selected Utah Valley outfielder Kaden Carpenter in the 9th round of the 2026 MLB Draft. (Photo courtesy Utah Valley baseball)
(Photo courtesy Utah Valley baseball)
SALT LAKE CITY – Kaden Carpenter‘s path from two-way prep star at American Fork High School to professional baseball became official Sunday when the Texas Rangers selected the Utah Valley outfielder in the ninth round of the 2026 MLB Draft.
Carpenter, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound left-handed hitter, was taken with the 267th overall pick during Day 2 of the draft in Philadelphia, becoming the first player with local ties selected in this year’s class.
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With the 267th pick of the 2026 #MLBDraft, the Texas Rangers select OF Kaden Carpenter from @UVUbsb. pic.twitter.com/ODzeA9YHuS
— Rangers Player Development (@TEXPlayerDev) July 12, 2026
Rounds 5-20 are streaming on MLB.com, MLB TV, and the MLB App.
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Who is Kaden Carpenter?
A two-time Perfect Game Preseason All-American at American Fork, Kaden Carpenter was named the 2022 All-Valley Pitcher of the Year as a senior.
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Ranked as the No. 1 left-handed pitcher in Utah and the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2022 class, he chose coach Gary Henderson and the Utah Utes in a heated recruiting battle — then made the full-time move from the mound to the batter’s box.
Carpenter appeared in 27 games as a true freshman, starting 16 and slashing .271/.400/.424.
🚨CARPENTER GOES YARD🚨
The Homer gives Utah a 9-5 lead🚀📺ESPN+#GoUtes x @KadenCarp14 pic.twitter.com/hcEdHq6puK
— Utah Baseball (@utahbaseball) April 12, 2025
The physique is impossible to miss.
Built more like a linebacker than an outfielder, Carpenter turned that frame into a powerful force in the middle of Utah’s lineup as a sophomore, hitting .278 with nine doubles, three triples, six home runs and 26 RBIs in 51 games. He tallied 11 multi-hit games and a career-high eight-game hitting streak.
Heading into his junior year, D1Baseball.com ranked Carpenter among the Big 12’s top prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft. He went on to start all 50 games — one of just two Utes to do so — and closed his three-year Utah career slashing .293/.398/.479, with 13 home runs, 28 doubles and 71 RBIs in 128 games.
Carpenter transferred to Utah Valley for his senior season and made an immediate impact, starting all 54 games and earning first-team All-WAC honors. The program named him its Newcomer of the Year.
The 2026 Male Newcomer of the Year is:
Kaden Carpenter, Baseball#GoUVU | #ValleyForged pic.twitter.com/D7PlI511zI
— UVU Wolverines (@GoUVU) July 6, 2026
His final college line told the story: a .338 average with 17 home runs, 21 doubles, and 58 RBIs. Carpenter led the Wolverines in runs, hits, doubles, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage, walks, on-base percentage, and stolen bases.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.
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