Teagan Scott's 'heart was with Oregon State' through MLB Draft day
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Oregon's Gatorade Player of the Year and MLB Draft prospect Teagan Scott is staying home.
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The South Salem High School class of 2026 graduate had been an Oregon State baseball commit since August of 2022 and signed with the program in November 2025, but emerged as an 2026 MLB Draft prospect.
Scott held talks with nearly every single MLB team over the course of the last several months and was named the No. 183 prospect of the draft by MLB.com. But when it came time for the draft July 11-12, Scott's heart told him staying with Oregon State was the right decision.
“It was a pretty crazy week for me, the three days leading up to the draft I was pretty much on the phone nonstop. Once I figured out where I was sitting and what I wanted, and the path I wanted to take, I put my phone on silent for the rest of the day and just hung out with my family. I ultimately decided to go to Oregon State,” Scott said.
“I had some opportunities to go to the (MLB) draft and I turned them down,” he said. “Just because I knew Oregon State was my home. It’s been my home since I was 14 years old in eighth grade, so I really wanted to stay loyal to the coaches and the program.”
Scott played with South Salem for the last four years and helped the Saxons to a 96-19 overall record through his career. His senior season, Scott led all of Oregon with 11 home runs and was named Prep Baseball's Oregon Player of the Year, Central Valley Conference Player of the Year, Gatorade Player of the Year and ABCA/Rawlings second-team all-America.
'Follow your heart'
Scott tools as an elite catcher with enticing defensive instincts, a good arm and impactful plate presence. His last four years propelled him onto the national baseball scene with appearances with Team USA, national baseball showcases and the MLB Draft combine.
It all made for a challenging decision come draft day.
“There was quite a few teams that were really interested and I was interested in them as well," Scott said. "But ultimately my heart was with Oregon State, to be honest. I talked to my parents a lot, who are a big part of my life, and they just said to follow your heart. My heart was with Oregon State."
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One of the people who helped him realize that was OSU head coach Mitch Canham, Scott said.
The whole package in a key position
Canham, who played catcher for the 2006 and 2007 national-champion Beavers and has coached OSU since 2019, revered Scott as a prospect before, during and beyond the draft.
“From when he wakes up till when he goes to bed, he treats every day like it’s time to be a champion,” Canham said of Scott. “That’s the exciting thing; you don’t have to worry about what he’s doing with his free time. You know he’s being productive, you know he’s working his butt off for himself and those around him."
Canham said Scott's on-field tools are easy to spot: running, throwing, hitting and defending. Scott also possesses a social quality crucial to the catcher position, as the guy behind the dish maintains relationships with every pitcher on staff and often leads position player meetings.
And with Scott being from right down the road from Corvallis in Salem, his fit with the Beavers was always a shoo-in.
“You really got to find the whole package when you’re looking for a catcher,” Canham said. “Someone who’s tough enough to take on the position, someone who’s athletic enough to really thrive and someone who’s going to be willing to grow and work their tail off because that’s one of the hardest positions, the most demanding physically, mentally and socially."
Canham expressed that Scott fits that bill.
“He’s already got a strong base of tools on all sides of the field that are going to help him be successful, but it’s not just trying to be the best here," Canham said. "It’s trying to be the best in the country, it’s trying to be the best in the world at some point ... we bring in guys that are eager to be the best version of themselves, win national championships and go on and play a long, healthy career in professional baseball."
While juggling a life-changing decision of whether to go to college or join a professional organization, Scott said Canham was supportive and helpful throughout the entire process.
“He’s an amazing person so ultimately, he just supported me and wanted what’s best for me as a person and a player. I talked with him a lot throughout the process and he just kind of reminded me why Oregon State is what Oregon State is and reminded me why I committed," Scott said of Canham. "I committed for the family aspect and the culture and to play with my teammates and my coaches and my family and my state and not just go to minor leagues and play for myself."
Oregon State retains entire class of 2026 through draft
Every single Oregon State commit from the high school class of 2026 remained signed with the Beavers through the MLB Draft.
In addition to Scott, 12 future Beavers stuck with OSU through the draft, including California-based top prospect Blake Bowen. Bowen, a 6-foot-3 outfielder with high-end tools through every level of the game, was MLB's No. 63 prospect ahead of the draft. He was projected as high as the second round, but went in the 18th round to the Colorado Rockies.
Scott said he and Bowen were conversing throughout the entire draft process.
"We were texting every hour, pretty much, asking each other how it’s going, what it’s going to look like," Scott said. "Then when we both kind of figured out we were going to Oregon State, he texted me and said, ‘Let’s go win a natty.’”
“That’s when I got pretty hyped and actually pulled my name out of the draft," Scott said.
Bowen was the only Beaver in the recruiting class to get drafted, but several tested the waters of the MLB Draft process before sticking with Oregon State.
For Oregon State, this means all 13 players it recruited will be available come the school year. It's an uncommon feat to retain an entire class of high-end high school talent, especially for top NCAA programs.
“You want guys that you’re going to have to worry about when it comes to draft day,” Canham said. “But you want what’s best for the athletes. If signing a contract is what’s best for them, OK. That’s part of our mission, is just making sure these guys are in the best possible situation for themselves and for their families and their future."
Oregon State boasts the No. 20-ranked recruiting class in the nation, according to Perfect Game. Now all of them will make their way to campus in Corvallis come August.
“When you get all those guys showing up, it’s a ton of excitement because you get to spend the next several years with them, hopefully, helping them build out the vision that was already put in place. Become better men, become better student athletes, become better members of their communities," Canham said. “I think about what we can do to help them and in return, when you focus on people, the results tend to take care of themselves."
Landon Bartlett covers Oregon State University and high school sports for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X, TikTok or Instagram @bartlelo.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Teagan Scott's 'heart was with Oregon State' through MLB Draft day