Rutgers Baseball outfielder Peyton Bonds is among the players on show at the 2026 MLB Combine this week. Bonds is a strong candidate to be selected in the MLB Draft set to take place on July 11-13.
Peyton, who has been with the Scarlet Knights since transferring in from Campbell in 2025, impressed with his power at the combine on Tuesday. He hit seven balls over 100 mph, three greater than 110 during his batting practice.
Although Peyton struggled with a hamstring injury in his second season with the Knights, he finished with 50 hits, six home runs, 29 runs batted in and 13 stolen bases in 36 games. He posted an impressive .352 batting average, a .436 OBP and a .535 slugging percentage.
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Peyton has a well-documented connection with the major leagues as his father, Bobby Bonds II, played in the MLB for 11 years, while his grandfather, Bobby Bonds, earned three All-Star selections during his 14-year MLB career.
However, the strongest ties come with his uncle, Barry Bonds, MLB’s all-time home run leader, who is widely regarded as the greatest hitter of modern-era baseball. The young outfielder hopes to continue the legacy of his family.
Barry Bonds’ nephew Peyton makes strong case for draft selection next month
Peyton Bonds is ranked No. 74 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 200 Draft Prospects list and the 6-foot-5, 230 pound-slugger could be selected in the first round of this year’s draft.
72 Rutgers players have been previously selected by MLB teams and the nephew of the iconic San Francisco Giants slugger has a strong chance of becoming the 73rd player.
Edited by Chaitanya Prakash
