Auburn second baseman Chris Rembert is headed to professional baseball.
Rembert was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 51st overall pick in the second round of the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft on Saturday. He is the first Tiger selected in this year's draft and becomes one of the highest draft picks of the Butch Thompson era.
The selection continues one of the nation's longest active draft streaks. Auburn has now had at least one player selected in the MLB Draft for 52 consecutive years, dating to 1975, tying the longest such streak in the Southeastern Conference. The Tigers have also produced at least one top-five-round selection in each of Thompson's 11 seasons as head coach.
The Pensacola, Florida, native made an immediate impact after arriving on the Plains in 2025, earning Freshman All-America honors before following with another standout season in 2026.
In two seasons at Auburn, Rembert hit .344 while collecting 152 hits, 27 doubles, 14 home runs and 92 RBIs in 115 games. He also scored 86 runs and developed into one of the SEC's most consistent hitters. During the 2026 season, he led the Tigers with a .343 batting average and 80 hits while earning first-team All-SEC honors.
Rembert entered the draft as one of the top college middle infielders available, drawing praise from scouts for his advanced bat-to-ball skills, consistent contact and ability to hit quality pitching.
The 2026 MLB Draft concludes Sunday with rounds 5-20.
