Razorbacks lose two portal signees to MLB Draft on Sunday

Arkansas’s transfer portal class kept hearing its name called on Sunday.

The Razorbacks watched two portal signees come off the board during the MLB Draft, and both players now face a choice between pro ball and Fayetteville.

Wills Maginnis went first, taken by the Boston Red Sox in the 11th round.

The Newnan, Ga., native earned First Team All-Sun Belt honors this season after slashing .306/.404/.486 in 216 at-bats.

Maginnis piled up 66 hits with 13 doubles and a triple to go with eight home runs. He drove in 42 runs while drawing 31 walks against 36 strikeouts across 56 games.

He also stole 21 bases, a mix of pop and speed that scouts don’t often find in a middle infielder.

That complete line made him one of the more productive hitters in the Sun Belt this spring.

Between the average, the walk total and the stolen bases, evaluators saw a well rounded player instead of a one dimensional bat.

A family tie to Fayetteville remains

Even if Maginnis signs with Boston, the Maginnis name isn’t done with Arkansas baseball.

His brother Hayes Maginnis is already committed to the Hogs’ 2027 recruiting class. Dave Van Horn’s staff will get a shot at a Maginnis on campus one way or another.

Ben Cleary followed him off the board later Sunday when Cleveland picked the Santa Clara transfer in the 12th round.

Cleary was one of Arkansas’s top portal additions this offseason and was in line to compete for a starting job in the middle infield.

The Half Moon Bay California native earned Second Team All-WCC honors this year after slashing .358/.452/.500 in 176 at-bats.

He collected 63 hits including 10 doubles and five home runs while driving in 30 runs and drawing 24 walks against 24 strikeouts in 49 games.

Cleary built his case over two seasons at Santa Clara

His glove matched his bat this season.

Cleary posted a .952 fielding percentage with 62 putouts to go with nine errors, numbers that helped sell scouts on a player who can hold his own on both sides of the infield.

This year’s breakout didn’t come out of nowhere. Cleary earned all-WCC Honorable Mention as a sophomore in 2025 and made the WCC All-Freshman Team back in 2024.

Over those two seasons he played in 100 games with 99 starts split between shortstop and second base.

Across that stretch Cleary hit .284 with a .383 on base percentage and 20 doubles.

He scored 66 runs and drew 46 walks while swiping nine bases, a steady climb that led into the season that got him drafted.

MLB rules give teams financial flexibility with picks made after the 10th round.

Clubs can sign a player for up to $150,000 without it counting against the bonus pool, and anything beyond that figure does count.

That math could shape whether Maginnis and Cleary sign with their new clubs or still head to campus this fall.

Arkansas built its portal class around proven bats, and that talent is now drawing MLB attention on the same weekend.

Losing signees to the draft comes with the territory when a program adds players who can flat out play, and the Hogs now wait to see how many newcomers actually show up on campus.

Key takeaways

• Wills Maginnis went to the Boston Red Sox in the 11th round while Ben Cleary went to the Cleveland Guardians in the 12th round
• Maginnis hit .306 with eight home runs and Cleary hit .358 with five home runs this season
• MLB’s bonus pool rules leave room for either player to still sign with Arkansas instead of turning pro