TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State outfielder
Carter Beck was selected by the Atlanta Braves in Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) round at the end of the first round of the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft.
Beck was selected with the 26th overall pick in the MLB Draft awarded to the Atlanta Braves following Drake Baldwin's selection as the National League's Rookie of the Year. The Carnduff, Saskatchewan, Canada native
becomes just the third Indiana State player to be selected in the first round in program history joining Bill Hayes (Rd. 1, Pick 13 – 1978) and Sean Manaea (Rd. 1, Pick 34 – 2013).
Overall, Beck became the 94th Indiana State baseball player drafted since 1965 and fifth Sycamore selected in the MLB Draft since the 2023 season.
Beck recorded a historic campaign for the Sycamores in the 2026 season culminating in his becoming just the second Indiana State player in program history to receive the Joe Carter MVC Baseball Player of the Year Award.
The junior finished the season among the Missouri Valley leaders in batting average (.348), hits (82), RBIs (59), runs scored (62), doubles (17), home runs (16), on-base percentage (.446), slugging percentage (.637), and stolen bases (12). He also received American Baseball Coaches Association Midwest All-Region First Team honors for his 2026 campaign.
The Carnduff, Saskatchewan, Canada native recorded a team-high 28 multi-hit games and 16 multi-RBI contests over the 2026 season and has reached base safely in 55 of the team's 57 games played. Beck continued his success in the Missouri Valley tournament connecting on a two-homer game in an elimination contest against Southern Illinois.
Beck highlighted his season with an 11-game stretch where he recorded a .510 batting average with three doubles, a triple, five home runs, and 16 RBIs, while posting 11 consecutive multi-hit games from March 15-April 2. He added a trio of grand slams to his name going deep with the bases loaded against Miami (Ohio) (Feb. 20), Bradley (Mar. 20), and UIC (Apr. 3).
Beck's 16-homer, 12-steal campaign in 2026 gave him back-to-back seasons with at least 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases, making him just the third player in school history to achieve the feat in back-to-back years. He joined Tyler Thompson (1997 & 1998) and Paul Frye (1985 & 1986) to accomplish the mark.
In addition to the Joe Carter Award, Beck was recognized as a First Team College Sports Communicators Academic All-American boasting a 3.96 GPA while majoring in finance at Indiana State. He became just the fifth Sycamore in program history to receive the Academic All-American status and first since 2019.
Beck made his mark with the Sycamores over his two seasons with the programs, leading the team in hits, runs, RBI, and doubles in both the 2025 and 2026 years. He finishes among the Indiana State all-time leaders in career batting average (.342), on-base percentage (.432), slugging percentage (.601), and home runs (27).
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