UC Santa Barbara right-handed starting pitcher Jackson Flora was selected fourth overall by the San Francisco Giants in the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday.
He was the first pitcher selected, marking the second straight year a UCSB pitcher was the top arm of the draft. Tyler Bremner went No. 2 overall to the Angels in 2025. In 2015, pitcher Dillon Tate of the Gauchos was the No. 4 pick.
Flora’s selection by the Giants will be a homecoming. He grew up in the Bay Area, attending Foothill High in Pleasanton.
“I was a Giants fan growing up,” Flora told former A’s left-hander Dallas Braden during a recent appearance on the Baseball Is Dead podcast. “My dad was a Giants fan. He took me to the Giants games all the time. We watched them win three World Series.”
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Flora is the ninth pitcher in San Francisco franchise history to be selected in the top 10, joining a club that most notably includes Tim Lincecum (No. 10, 2006), Madison Bumgarner (No. 10, 2007) and Zack Wheeler (No. 6, 2009).
Flora boasts an arsenal that features a fastball that has hit triple digits on the radar gun, a wipeout slider and a strong changeup.
Flora’s draft stock skyrocketed during his junior season this past spring, putting together a dazzling campaign that featured a nation-best ERA of 1.06, a single-season program record 133 strikeouts, a UCSB record 38 ⅓ innings scoreless streak and a 12-0 record.
His impressive numbers led to a plethora of accolades, including a sweep of All-American First Team Honors and College Pitcher of the Year awards from the College Baseball Hall of Fame and Perfect Game.
He was also named the Big West Pitcher of the Year, a member of the All-Big West First Team, an NCAA Austin Regional All-Tournament Team selection and a Big West Championship All-Tournament Team member.
Prior to his junior season, Flora served as a reliever for the Gauchos in his freshman season and made the jump into the rotation during his sophomore year.
He provided valuable innings for UCSB during that time, ending with a 3.83 ERA in 2024 and a 3.60 ERA in 2025. He also racked up 86 strikeouts in 75 innings as a sophomore.
Flora will look to make an impact in the minor leagues and eventually become the latest electric arm to rise the ranks quickly to the Major League level.
Flora is the 71st Gaucho drafted under head coach Andrew Checketts and the 14th ever selected by the Giants.
