JT Keith
Draft day
On Sunday, the Detroit Tigers drafted Artesia right-handed pitcher Jack Byers in the 17th round of the 2026 MLB Draft. Byers went No. 516 overall, giving Artesia another reason to talk baseball in July.
Byers has signed with the University of Arizona and has been preparing to begin his college baseball career in Tucson this fall.
During his high school career, scouts clocked his fastball at 92-95 mph, putting him in the top tier of his recruiting class.
Multi-sport standout
Byers, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-handed pitcher and third baseman, helped Artesia win the Class 4A state baseball title in 2025. Artesia reached the 4A semifinals this year before losing to Goddard.
He was more than a baseball player for the Bulldogs. Byers was a multi-sport standout athlete at Artesia, competing in baseball, football, basketball, and golf. He was part of state championship teams in football, basketball, baseball, and boys’ golf, giving him one of the more complete athletic résumés to come through Artesia in recent years.
Bulldog résumé
Byers earned both the Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player honors. He also won the on-base percentage award with a .604 mark.
Byers threw four shutouts this season and finished his career with 10. He also threw a perfect game.
Byers guided the Bulldogs baseball team to a 47-15 overall record, a 17-1 district record and back-to-back district championships in his junior and senior years.
Byers helped lead the Bulldogs to their first state title since 2000, defeating Bloomfield 6-3 in 2025. The draft call added another chapter to a stretch that already made him one of Artesia’s most decorated young athletes.
Coaches react
“I could not be happier for Jack and his family,” Artesia baseball coach Gentry Doolittle said. “Jack is a special kid. Not only is he a great ballplayer, but he is also a great human being. He deserved every bit of this, and this is just the beginning.”
That respect stretched beyond Artesia. Goddard coach Gilbert Alvarado saw Byers often enough to know what the Bulldogs had on the mound and how much trouble he could cause opposing lineups.
“Jack was the best arm in 4A for the last two years,” Alvarado said. “He went about his business the right way, and his efforts have been rewarded. Now he has a tough decision to make. I have respected how he played the game since I first saw him as a freshman.”
For Artesia athletic director Jeremy Maupin, the moment was simple and personal. He saw a Bulldog earn a chance most players only talk about. “Proud of him,” Maupin said. “He has a really bright future ahead of him.”
“We are incredibly proud of Jack (Byers) being selected in the draft,” Artesia baseball coach Jackson Bickel said. “He is definitely a rare breed of athlete. Jack set a goal to be drafted and didn’t look back. There was some interest from several organizations. Phone calls came in all spring asking what could he do with just baseball alone? Is he the same kid we just zoomed with? They were all impressed with his maturity and intelligence. One of the Tigers scouts asked me once, How would Jack do with just baseball every day? Would he get tired of it? I told him without hesitation, “No, he will outwork the person you put next to him.” That is just who he (Jack) is, a hard-working, well-rounded young man on and off the field.”