Despite the Oklahoma Sooners being crowned national champions, most college baseball media and fans still swear they weren't actually the best team this past season. They chalk it up as a team that lacked championship-level talent but just got hot at the perfect time. MLB scouts just put that lazy narrative to rest, though.
The Sooners had eight players from that national championship roster selected during this past weekend's 2026 MLB Draft, including Brendan Brock, Jaxon Willits, LJ Mercurius, Deiten Lachance, Camden Johnson, Mason Bixby, Cameron Johnson and Nate Smithburg. That total was tied with Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, LSU and Texas A&M for the fifth-most draft picks this year from the same college baseball program.
Read more: Oklahoma continues impressive MLB Draft legacy with 8 more picks
Georgia led the way with 13 selections, followed by Arkansas (12), UCLA (10) and Arizona State (10). Obviously Oklahoma was not the most talented roster, but Skip Johnson's lineup certainly wasn't lacking and the Sooners didn't just luck into a magical Men's College World Series run despite a lackluster regular season that had everyone counting them out.
Skip Johnson propelled a Sooners lineup loaded with MLB talent to a championship level
Of the Sooners' eight draft picks, four were solidified starters during their postseason run, including Brock (OF/DH), Willits (SS), Lachance (C) and Camden Johnson (3B). That's half of a starting infield (minus the pitcher) that was MLB-level talent. That also doesn't include second baseman Kyle Branch, who wasn't draft eligible as a sophomore but will likely hear his name called one day. It was also a surprise that outfielders Jason Walk and Dasan Harris went undrafted, but that benefits the Sooners even more in 2027.
Then there's that elite starting rotation, which was made up entirely of freshmen and will all be back in Cord Rager, Xander Mercurius and Nick Wesloski. None were draft eligible while exploding onto the scene. But when either of those three couldn't finish things during the MCWS, LJ Mercurius, the older brother of Xander, was the most reliable arm out of the bullpen. He gave up just one run in 5.2 innings in Game 3 of the championship series against North Carolina to get the title-sealing W for the Sooners.
There's no denying talent wins, and the 2026 Oklahoma Sooners are no exception to that, no matter what others saw in their eye tests. However, the Sooners did prove it takes more than just talent to win it all. Of the nine talent-loaded rosters mentioned earlier, only two others (Georgia and Ole Miss) made it to Omaha for the MCWS.
There's also coaching as 2026 American Baseball Coaches Association National Coach of the Year Skip Johnson navigated a daunting SEC gauntlet that knocked his squad down but never out. This roster had known since February they were talented enough to win it all. That belief never changed, even with a losing record in SEC play.
Most of what the Sooners needed seemed to stem from their leader as he not only had the talent, but made the most of it, which none of those other programs can boast.
And, yes, luck is also part of the secret formula, especially in baseball, and Oklahoma benefitted from Sooner Magic.
But there's no denying the Sooners had everything needed to win a national title, including talent. If eight MLB Draft picks weren't enough evidence, then maybe that trophy is.
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