Sartell’s Kade Lewis Drafted by Cleveland Guardians

(KNSI) — A Sartell native has been drafted by a major league professional baseball team.

The Cleveland Guardians selected Kade Lewis in the fourth round of the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft with the 123rd overall pick on Saturday, July 11th, in Philadelphia.

The 6-foot-2 corner infielder spent the past two seasons at Wake Forest University after starting his college career at Butler, where he was named Big East Freshman of the Year in 2024 after leading the conference with a .377 batting average. As a junior this spring, he hit .354 with 13 home runs and 58 RBI for the Demon Deacons.

Lewis split time between first and third base at Wake Forest, and Guardians Senior Vice President of Scouting Paul Gillispie said the team will likely look at him at both positions.

Central Minnesota baseball fans got a preview of Lewis before his breakout, as he played for the St. Cloud Rox in the summer of 2024.

Kade Lewis’ solo home run in the third was the only scoring in a Sartell 1-0 victory in the nightcap of a doubleheader against the St. Cloud Crush. Jake Judd/KNSI News

At Sartell High School, Lewis set program records for batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs, home runs, RBI and total bases. As a senior, he hit .505 with 10 doubles, seven home runs and 35 RBI, earning Minnesota Class 4A State Player of the Year honors while leading the Sabres to the state tournament.

Lewis is the first Sartell player to be drafted since David Deminsky was taken by the Minnesota Twins in the 44th round in 2010.

Lewis wasn’t the only former Rox player selected on Day 1. Tyson LeBlanc, who played in St. Cloud in 2025 before setting the University of Kansas single-season home run record with 25, went to the Detroit Tigers with the 61st pick.

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