Just one day after the Seattle Mariners selected his cousin, former Ohio State catcher Mason Eckelman, in the eighth round of the 2026 MLB Draft, former Buckeye shortstop Henry Kaczmar has agreed to an undrafted free agent deal with the organization.
Kaczmar began his collegiate career with Ohio State in 2023, spending two seasons under former head coach Bill Mosiello. He took home Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors in 2023 and followed that up with a Second Team All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore in 2024.
The Bath, Ohio, native then transferred to South Carolina for his junior campaign, batting .315 with 57 hits, 28 RBIs, six home runs, and 33 runs scored in his lone season in the SEC.
Kaczmar’s decision to return to Ohio State for his final season proved worthwhile. He started all 55 games for the Buckeyes in 2026, batting .316 with 71 hits, 12 home runs, 47 RBIs, while going 7-of-8 in stolen attempts. He also broke the program’s single-season doubles record with 26, the most in the Big Ten during the regular season.
After the 2026 season, Kaczmar was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team, the Big Ten All-Tournament Team, and earned ABCA/Rawlings All-East Region Second Team honors.
Over his four-year collegiate career with the Buckeyes and Gamecocks, Kaczmar finished with a .313 batting average, adding 267 hits, 165 runs scored, 32 home runs and 166 RBIs.
The signing reunites Kaczmar and Eckelman, who were teammates for two seasons at Ohio State in 2024 and 2026 after previously starring together at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The cousins will now begin their professional careers in the same organization.
Image courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
