Before the national rankings, radar guns and mock drafts, Eric “EJ” Booth Jr. was just a kid spending afternoons with his grandfather.
“I started playing baseball at 3,” said Booth. “I’d be outside hitting rocks with sticks all the time, and when I went by my Pawpaw’s house, he would always throw baseballs to me. I always hit. It just came natural. I just felt like that sport was the sport I wanted to do.”
On Saturday, the Oak Grove High School standout, could hear his name called among the first few picks of the 2026 MLB Draft.
MLB Pipeline ranks Booth as the No. 6 overall prospect in this year’s class, and nearly every major mock draft has him landing inside the top 10. Depending on where he’s selected, the recommended MLB slot value is expected to fall between roughly $7 million and $9 million, a life-changing signing bonus for an 18-year-old.
But those who know Booth best don’t start with the money or the draft projections.
They start with family.
Booth has often credited his grandparents for helping shape both the player and person he has become.
“My grandparents were just hardworking all the time,” Booth said. “They were loving and always giving. They would give you the clothes off their back if they needed to. Just staying with them all the time, working with my Pawpaw, just knowing that if you work hard, you can get what you want.”
His athletic ability also runs in the family. His dad, Eric Booth Sr., was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 34th round of the 1993 MLB Draft before going on to become a standout kick returner at Southern Miss.
Asked who’s the better athlete, Booth smiled.
“I would say I’m a little better than him,” he joked, “but he will probably disagree.”
Three decades after Booth Sr. heard his name called on draft day, his son is expected to do the same, only much earlier.
By the spring of his senior season, Oak Grove games had become regular stops for professional scouts. Coach Chris McCardle estimated that 30 to 40 scouts attended many Warriors games and practices.
“There’s 30-40 scouts here every day and every game,” McCardle said. “It’s a tough thing for a kid that’s 17-18 years old… but he’s handling it good.”
Booth embraced the attention instead of running from it.
“To me, it’s been a fun experience just getting to go through this,” he said. “It’s a dream come true, and I just want to continue to work hard and get to my dream.”
McCardle believes Booth never let the attention change who he was.
“It’s a blessing to have him on our team, and he’s done a really good job leading for us.”
Booth backed up the hype during his senior season, batting .481 with five home runs, 31 RBIs, 23 stolen bases and earning C Spire Class 7A Mr. Baseball honors. His athleticism has become one of the biggest reasons scouts are so intrigued.
Perfect Game clocked him in the 60-yard dash as fast as 6.27 seconds, while MLB Pipeline grades his speed as a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale, among the best in this draft class.
Booth, however, says his game isn’t built around individual accolades.
“I’m the type of player that wants to win,” Booth said. “I want to do everything in my might to be able to win. If that’s even by cheering my teammates on, or stealing a base, or getting a great hit, I like to win.”
Long before he became one of the country’s fastest-rising draft prospects, Booth had already secured one of college baseball’s most coveted opportunities.
He committed to Vanderbilt University, choosing the Commodores over offers from programs including Ole Miss and Mississippi State. For most high school players, signing with Vanderbilt would be the culmination of years of hard work.
Ironically, Booth’s talent may prevent him from ever playing a game in Nashville.
If Booth is selected in the top 10, he’ll become the latest Mississippi prep star to make a national impact.
In recent years, players such as Konnor Griffin, Cooper Pratt and JoJo Parker have shown that Mississippi can produce elite position-player talent capable of becoming first-round picks and top professional prospects.
Booth believes the state’s reputation is changing.
“Usually, back then, they didn’t think Mississippi could progress with the talent,” Booth said. “But now we’re starting to show them that Mississippi is gonna be one of the tops here sooner than later.”
Saturday could become another milestone in that growing legacy.
As draft day approached, Booth admitted he has spent time reflecting on how quickly everything has changed.
“It’s been a few nights, I just sit there and think about where I am now,” he said, “and think about all the hard work I have put in to get to this point.”
When his name is finally called, television viewers will hear about his speed, power and scouting grades.
Those close to Booth will remember something different.
They’ll remember the little boy swinging at rocks in his Pawpaw’s yard, the family that taught him the value of hard work, and the Oak Grove teammates who watched him grow from a talented freshman into one of the best high school baseball players in America.
On Saturday, Eric Booth Jr. may become a top-10 pick and sign a contract worth millions.
For South Mississippi, he’ll always be the Oak Grove kid who turned a childhood dream into reality.
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