Thirteen years.
That, Dylan Blomker said, is how long he’s had his eyes focused on this weekend.
“Can’t wait to see how it goes,” he said.
The La Cueva High School graduate is settling in as the 2026 Major League Baseball draft begins on Saturday (11 a.m. MDT), and, as most everyone expects, his name will be heard sometime before the 20-round draft concludes on Sunday.
“From what my agent has been telling me, it’s hard to predict what’s gonna happen,” said Blomker, a talented right-handed pitcher. “There’s a decent chance, but you don’t know until it actually happens.”
Either way, it’s a win-win for the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Blomker, the New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year. He’s already signed with national power LSU, an SEC program renowned for grooming its players for MLB service.
Albuquerque Academy product Alex Bregman played for the Tigers, and 2023 Centennial High graduate Steven Milam is still on the LSU roster. Milam is considered a draft prospect, but Milam recently said he plans to return to Baton Rouge for his senior year.
As with countless players who have come before him, so much about Blomker’s future depends on which team drafts him and in what round.
Blomker said he has worked out for three major league teams, though he declined to say which teams.
“I feel like I’m mature enough (to turn pro), this is what I’ve been waiting for,” he said. “If the team is right and the opportunity is right, I wouldn’t hesitate. … It’ll take a lot to bypass LSU.”
Blomker was 8-1 for the Bears last season; his only losing start was his final one, in the Class 5A quarterfinals to Carlsbad. He finished with a 1.95 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 53.2 innings.
Perfect Game rates Blomker as the No. 277 prospect in the draft, and the general consensus is that he will go somewhere in the middle rounds.
Former Sandia High pitchers, and current pros, Aiden May and Jacob Kmatz, have been outlets for Blomker as he ponders how to approach the draft.
“I’m trusting in the moment,” Blomker said. “If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”
And after all these years of dreaming about it, he’s trying to keep his emotions in check this week.
“Last couple of days,” he said, “I’ve been trying to get my mind off it as much as possible. … I’ve been working toward Saturday for 13 years.”
Who else could be drafted?
Blomker, whose lively fastball and sharp slider made him a nightmare at the prep level, is not the only New Mexico prep product from the Class of 2026 that could be drafted.
Cleveland’s versatile superstar, Anthony Del Angel, a 6-4, 195-pounder who can fill multiple positions, could be another.
“We’ll see what happens,” said Del Angel, who has signed with the University of Oklahoma. “My focus right now is to prepare for college. If I get picked up by a team, we’ll see.”
Del Angel is in the Dallas area this weekend competing for his club team, and he expects to be at next month’s Connie Mack World Series in Farmington if his name is not called. He has worked out for the Cincinnati Reds, he said.
“I’m excited for the draft,” he said, “but I’m also very excited to go to college.”
Artesia’s big righty Jack Byers, who has signed with Arizona and is in fact already in Tucson for early preparations for college, worked out for both the Padres and Tigers, and said San Diego’s scouting director has been in regular contact with his agent.
He described his prospects for being drafted as “a little bit of a chance. More of a chance I go to college.”
A long-shot draft prospect might be Eldorado outfielder Tim Kamphuis, who has worked out for the Marlins, Eagles coach Ambrose Romero said.
There are four rounds scheduled Saturday, and rounds 5-20 Sunday.
James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at jyodice@abqjournal.com or via X at @JamesDYodice.
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