Thirteen players, including 12 right-handed pitchers and one catcher, were selected in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday. These players, who became eligible due to the length of their careers and were not protected on 40-man rosters, now have an opportunity to join Major League teams. To remain with their new organizations, they must stay on a Major League roster for the 2026 season or be active for at least 90 days if placed on the injured list.
The Rule 5 Draft allows prospects previously blocked in the Minor Leagues to move directly into Major League Baseball. The selections impact MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 prospect lists for several organizations, leading to both additions and subtractions among ranked prospects.
For the Philadelphia Phillies, Zach McCambley was added as their No. 30 prospect after being selected from the Miami Marlins’ system. McCambley has been a full-time reliever since 2023 and recorded a 2.90 ERA with 83 strikeouts over 62 innings at Double-A and Triple-A in 2025. His slider is noted for significant gloveside movement, making it nearly a plus-plus pitch, while his cutter complements his arsenal. As a Rule 5 pick, McCambley will compete for a spot in Philadelphia’s bullpen.
The Phillies also saw former pitcher Griff McGarry selected by the Washington Nationals. Although McGarry struggled with control issues as a Triple-A reliever in 2024, he improved upon returning to a starting role in 2025. Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni said, “the organization hasn’t landed yet on whether they’ll look at McGarry as a starter or a reliever.”
Other notable changes include:
– The Boston Red Sox lost Jedixson Paez (No.19) but added Tyler Uberstine (No.30). Uberstine is recognized for his fastball velocity and unique delivery.
– The New York Yankees added Cade Winquest (No.30), marking their first Rule 5 selection since 2011.
– The Cleveland Guardians acquired Peyton Pallette (No.19), who recently transitioned to relief pitching.
– The Detroit Tigers lost RJ Petit (No.30) but replaced him with Eduardo Valencia (No.23), whose performance improved significantly during the past season.
– The Chicago White Sox made two additions: Jedixson Paez (No.15) and Alexander Alberto (No.21), while losing Peyton Pallette (No.14).
– The Oakland Athletics lost Daniel Susac (No.11) and added Darwing Ozuna (No.30).
– The San Francisco Giants acquired Daniel Susac after an initial selection by the Twins.
– The Colorado Rockies added RJ Petit (No.26).
These moves will prompt further updates to team prospect rankings before the start of the next season.
“the organization hasn’t landed yet on whether they’ll look at McGarry as a starter or a reliever.” — Paul Toboni
