2026 MLB Draft: Bleacher Report releases mock 3.0 after first stretch of regular season

It’s been a good start to the season for Justin Lebron at Alabama, and he remains in serious contention to be the second player off the board. He’s currently hitting .313 with nine home runs and 22 RBI and a 1.134 OPS.

Now in his third season at Alabama, Lebron is a career .325 hitter with 39 homers and a 1.036 OPS. He’s cut down on his strikeouts so far, with 17 compared to 15 walks.

3. Minnesota Twins: Fort Worth Christian School HS (TX) SS Grady Emerson (Texas commit)

Viewed as the top high school prospect in this class, Grady Emerson is the first prep player off the board in this mock draft. The 6’2 shortstop is full of upside, and he’s already an impressive player as he stands today.

Emerson brings power and defense at shortstop, only adding to his outlook as a top prospect in 2026. He’s committed to play college ball at Texas.

4. San Francisco Giants: UC Santa Barbara RHP Jackson Flora

Now serving as UC Santa Barbara’s ace with Tyler Bremner being drafted last year, Jackson Flora is blossoming into potentially the top pitcher in the 2026 MLB Draft. He’s touched 100 mph with his fastball, with two plus offspeed pitches to go with it.

Through five starts in 2026, Flora is 5-0 with a 1.15 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. He’s struck out 39 batters with just eight walks.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates: Georgia Tech OF Drew Burress

Georgia Tech’s offense has put up crazy numbers to start the year, and Drew Burress is a big reason for it. He’s actually having the worst statistical year of his career so far, though still productive.

Burress is hitting .302 with five homers and 17 RBI with a 1.026 OPS through 21 games. In his three-year career, he’s a .348 hitter with 49 homers, 146 RBI and a 1.211 OPS.

6. Kansas City Royals: Mississippi State 3B Ace Reese

Ace Reese is one of the biggest risers in the 2026 MLB Draft so far, going No. 6 overall in this mock. He’s having a great year at Mississippi State, hitting .370 with six home runs and 31 RBI with a 1.181 OPS.

Reese hit .352 with 21 homers and 66 RBI and a 1.140 OPS last year, his first at Mississippi State. He started his career in 2024 at Houston.

7. Baltimore Orioles: Coastal Carolina RHP Cameron Flukey

Cameron Flukey has made just one start this season, going 5.2 innings and allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. He’s been sidelined since the first week of the season due to a stress fracture in his rib.

Still, the Coastal Carolina ace could still be the first pitcher off the board, even though he’s not in this mock. He helped lead the Chanticleers to being College World Series runners-up in 2025, with a 3.19 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 118 strikeouts compared to 24 walks.

8. Athletics: Stoneman Douglas HS (FL) LHP Gio Rojas (Miami commit)

When it comes to intriguing upside, there might not be anybody with more than Gio Rojas in the 2026 MLB Draft. He stands at 6’4, and has three good pitches with plus command.

If Rojas makes it to college at Miami, he’ll be a draft-eligible sophomore in the 2028 MLB Draft. Still, he might not get there if he’s taken this high.

9. Atlanta Braves: Virginia OF AJ Gracia

After starting his career with two seasons at Duke, AJ Gracia is now starring at Virginia in 2026. He’s hitting .351 through 21 games with eight home runs, 16 RBI and a 1.214 OPS.

Gracia’s shown an excellent eye at the plate, walking 19 times with 13 strikeouts. A season ago at Duke, he walked 57 times with 36 strikeouts. In his three-year collegiate career, Gracia is hitting .307 with 37 home runs.

10. Colorado Rockies: Georgia Tech C Vahn Lackey

Vahn Lackey is in his third season at Georgia Tech, and he’s been a key piece to their hot start on offense. He’s hitting .459 through 21 games with nine home runs and 31 RBI, boasting a 1.516 OPS with 20 walks to just 12 strikeouts.

Lackey’s athleticism really stands out behind the plate, and he made 13 appearances at third base in 2025. If he keeps adding to his career-best pace in 2026, he might be a lock for the top ten.

2026 MLB Mock Draft: Picks 11-40

11. Washington Nationals: Florida RHP Liam Peterson
12. Los Angeles Angels: LSU OF Derek Curiel
13. St. Louis Cardinals: Ole Miss RHP Cade Townsend
14. Miami Marlins: Gulliver Prep HS (FL) SS Jacob Lombard (Miami commit)
15. Arizona Diamondbacks: Virginia SS Eric Becker
16. Texas Rangers: Oak Grove HS (MS) OF Eric Booth Jr. ( Vanderbilt commit)
17. Houston Astros: De La Salle HS (CA) SS Tyler Spangler ( Stanford commit)
18. Cincinnati Reds: JSerra Catholic HS (CA) OF Blake Bowen ( Oregon State commit)
19. Cleveland Guardians: TCU OF Sawyer Strosnider
20. Boston Red Sox: St. John Bosco HS (CA) SS James Clark ( Duke commit)
21. San Diego Padres: Southside Christian School HS (SC) LHP Carson Bolemon ( Wake Forest commit)
22. Detroit Tigers: Jackson Prep HS (MS) OF Kevin Roberts Jr. (Florida commit)
23. Chicago Cubs: Texas A&M SS Chris Hacopian
24. Seattle Mariners: Arkansas RHP Gabe Gaeckle
25. Milwaukee Brewers: Tennessee RHP Tegan Kuhns
26. Atlanta Braves: Oxford HS (AL) SS Rocco Maniscalco (Mississippi State commit)
27. New York Mets: Huntington Beach HS (CA) LHP Jared Grindlinger (Uncommitted, reclassified from 2027 class)
28. Houston Astros: Arkansas C Ryder Helfrick
29. Cleveland Guardians: Texas A&M OF Caden Sorrell
30. Kansas City Royals: Auburn 2B Chris Rembert
31. Arizona Diamondbacks: Oklahoma LHP Cameron Johnson
32. St. Louis Cardinals: Etowah HS (GA) OF Trevor Condon (Tennessee commit)
33. Tampa Bay Rays: Ganesha HS (CA) LHP Logan Schmidt (LSU commit)
34. Pittsburgh Pirates: Georgia RHP Joey Volchko
35. New York Yankees: Kentucky SS Tyler Bell
36. Philadelphia Phillies: Christian Brothers HS (TN) C Will Brick (Mississippi State commit)
37. Colorado Rockies: Arizona State LHP Cole Carlon
38. Colorado Rockies: Georgia Tech OF Alex Hernandez
39. Toronto Blue Jays: The Stony Brook School HS (NY) SS Aiden Ruiz (Vanderbilt commit)
40. Los Angeles Dodgers: South Walton HS (FL) RHP Coleman Borthwick (Auburn commit)