Bronco Baseball Stars Selected in the 2026 MLB Draft
From left to right: Ben Cleary (3) celebrates against Pepperdine at Stephen Schott Stadium on Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Nina Glick/The Santa Clara) Max Bayles (45) throws a pitch against San Francisco during the first round of the 2026 West Coast Conference Baseball Tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Courtesy of the West Coast Conference)
Two Broncos are headed to professional baseball. Right-handed pitcher Max Bayles was selected in the seventh round by the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, July 12, and shortstop Ben Cleary went in the 12th round to the Cleveland Guardians later the same day.
“When I first got the call, I was extremely grateful to God and excited for the future. It was a surreal moment,” Bayles said. He watched with family in the room and his girlfriend on FaceTime.
During his 3 years at Santa Clara, Bayles became known around the WCC as one of the best arms on the West Coast, making an immediate impact as a first-year and earning a spot on the WCC All-Freshman Team. A year later, he was named to the All-WCC second team. His junior campaign was his best: 5-4 with a 2.54 ERA across 71 innings, 104 strikeouts and a .190 opponent batting average in 15 starts. This performance earned him second in the conference in strikeouts, opponent average and starts, and 15th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings.
Bayles credits the people around him for his success. “I think the biggest factor in my development from freshman year to getting drafted was the coaching staff, and especially head coach Rusty Filter, and the players who came before me,” he said. “They all taught me what it means to work hard and how to go about things the right way, and this helped me succeed.”
Cleary wasted no time making an impact of his own, appearing in 51 games as a first-year. He climbed from a .681 OPS that first season to .807 as a sophomore and .952 as a junior. He entered the offseason as one of the most sought-after infielders in the transfer portal and committed to SEC powerhouse Arkansas before deciding to sign with Cleveland.
The pick came as a surprise. “Honestly, the Guardians were not heavily interested. It was a bit of a shock when they ended up picking me,” Cleary told Terry Bernal of the San Mateo Daily Journal.
The two were catalysts for a late-season push that carried Santa Clara into the WCC playoffs after an eight-game win streak salvaged a slow start.
When asked what he would tell younger Broncos chasing the same path, Bayles kept it practical. “Surround yourself with the right people and work hard at the right things,” he said. “Find your process that helps you succeed and stick to it.”
Leaving school early was not a hard call. “As much as I absolutely loved Santa Clara, it was not very tough. I have wanted to play professional baseball my whole life, so it was an easy decision,” Bayles said.
Bayles is now with the Twins’ rookie-level affiliate in Florida, and his goals for year one are simple. “I just want to be the best baseball player that I can be, and work to become a better person as well. I think if I do that, the results will follow.”
Cleary, fresh off a career year, heads to Arizona to join the Guardians’ rookie-level affiliate, leaving the Broncos with two significant holes to fill before spring.