MLB 2026 Mock Draft

The 2026 MLB Draft will take place this coming weekend. Rounds 1-4 will be on Saturday, with things kicking off at 1:00 PM EST and can be seen on NBC, Peacock, and MLB Network. The remaining rounds, consisting of 5-20, will be on Sunday at 11:30 AM EST on MLB.com and MLB TV. So how could the first round shake up?

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1.) Chicago White Sox: SS – Roch Cholowsky – UCLA

This was a slam dunk pick when the lottery concluded; now there’s been speculation, but it still seems to be Cholowsky. This season at UCLA, he hit .320 with a 1.088 OPS. He had ten doubles, 21 home runs, 60 RBI, and 73 runs scored.

2.) Tampa Bay Rays: SS – Grady Emerson – Fort Worth Christian HS (TX)

Emerson could be the first pick, and if he is, the Rays will take either one that Chicago doesn’t take. He hit .532 this season with a 1.661 OPS. Emerson had nine doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 42 RBI, and 39 runs scored.

3.) Minnesota Twins: C – Vahn Lackey – Georgia Tech

Lackey put his stamp this season that he’s now in the conversation for pick one or two, but ultimately he falls to the Twins at three. He hit .397 this season with a 1.291 OPS. He had 16 doubles, three triples, 20 home runs, 78 RBI, and 85 runs scored.

4.) San Francisco Giants: SS – Jacob Lombard – Gulliver Prep (FL)

The consensus is Lombard, but there are multiple names that pop up after the first three. He hit .477 with a 1.471 OPS. He had four doubles, ten home runs, 25 RBI, and 52 runs scored.

5.) Pittsburgh Pirates: OF – Eric Booth Jr. – Oak Grove (MS)

The Pirates are loaded with pitching. They will go with the best bat available at the fifth pick, so if the Giants pivot and go pitching, Lombard could be the pick here, but Booth is the best bat available the way things have shaped up. He hit .481 with a 1.591 OPS. He had 11 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 31 RBI, and 55 runs scored.

6.) Kansas City Royals: RHP – Jackson Flora – UC Santa Barbara

The best college arm on the market goes to Kansas City. Flora impressed, going 12-0 this season with a 1.06 ERA, a 0.85 WHIP, and 133 strikeouts in 102 innings. He led college baseball in ERA and was fifth in strikeouts.

7.) Baltimore Orioles: OF – Drew Burress – Georgia Tech

The Orioles taking a pitcher is certainly an option, but all indications are they want to go college bat in the first round, and with a lot of options, they ultimately decide on the best one available. He hit .358 with a 1.130 OPS. He had 22 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs, 60 RBI, and 82 runs scored.

8.) Athletics: C – Ryder Helfrick – Arkansas

The Athletics will look to take a college bat and someone who can spend less time in the minors for when they move to Vegas. Helfrick fits that and can be a part of the core with Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz. He hit .283 with a .979 OPS. He had seven doubles, a triple, 18 home runs, 53 RBI, and 56 runs scored.

9.) Atlanta Braves: LHP – Gio Rojas – Stoneham Douglas (FL)

The Braves drafting an arm that can be ready as a 1-2 punch with Cam Caminiti is the indication heading into Saturday. He went 11-1 with a 0.58 ERA, a 0.66 WHIP, and 124 strikeouts in 72.2 innings.

10.) Colorado Rockies: OF – AJ Garcia – Virginia

The Rockies need a spark in this draft: someone who can make an impact relatively soon, and that’s a college bat. He’s hitting .354 with a 1.121 OPS. He has 15 doubles, a triple, 14 home runs, 48 RBI, and 64 runs scored.

11.) Washington Nationals: 3B – Ace Reese – Mississippi State

Reese is an interesting bat and would solidify the Nationals’ right side of their infield if they held on to CJ Abrams. He hit .336 with a 1.152 OPS. He has 23 doubles, 24 home runs, 74 RBI, and 73 runs scored.

12.) Los Angeles Angels: RHP – Liam Peterson – Florida

The Angels like drafting pitchers, and Peterson is the best available at this pick. He did have a rough season at Florida, making 16 starts and going 3-6 with a 4.59 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP, and 111 strikeouts in 84.1 innings.

13.) St. Louis Cardinals: LHP – Cole Carlon – Arizona State

Chaim Bloom loves pitchers, so he’ll take what’s best available. If it’s Peterson, he’s likely the pick, but here it’s Carlon. In 16 starts at Arizona State, he went 5-2 with a 3.87 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and 133 strikeouts in 83.2 innings.

14.) Miami Marlins: SS – Tyler Bell – Kentucky

Bell is making his name rise up draft boards. He hit .343 with a 1.119 OPS. He had nine doubles, a triple, nine home runs, 29 RBI, and 49 runs scored.

15.) Arizona Diamondbacks: OF – Derek Curiel – LSU

The Diamondbacks always develop solid pitching, but this year it’s time to get it right at the bat. Curiel hit .353 with a .957 OPS. He had 18 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 46 RBI, and 64 runs scored.

16.) Texas Rangers: 2B – Chris Hacopian – Texas A&M

The Rangers spent money on their infield en route to their World Series a few years back. This time they’ll look to do it from their farm system, drafting a middle infielder. Hacopian hit .319 with a .983 OPS. He had ten doubles, 11 home runs, 41 RBI, and 34 runs scored.

17.) Houston Astros: SS – Justin LeBron – Alabama

The Astros could look to move Jeremy Pena if LeBron pans out how they expect him to. He hit .277 with a .920 OPS. He had 13 doubles, 16 home runs, 48 RBI, and 58 runs scored.

18.) Cincinnati Reds: OF – Trevor Condon – Etowah HS (GA)

The consensus on this pick is that the Reds are all in on Condon. He hit .500 with a 1.327 OPS. He had three doubles, a triple, seven RBI, and nine runs scored.

19.) Cleveland Guardians: OF/LHP – Jared Grindlinger – Huntington Beach (CA)

The Guardians get a player that likely will be an outfielder but could be a pitcher if needed. He hit .376 with a 1.000 OPS. He had ten doubles, two triples, two home runs, 22 RBI, and 26 runs scored. As a pitcher, he went 6-0 with a 0.85 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP, and 66 strikeouts in 57.1 innings.

20.) Boston Red Sox: RHP – Cameron Flukey – Coastal Carolina

The Red Sox regime loves pitching, even if Craig Breslow isn’t there; Andrew Bailey is, and with his work, Flukey makes sense at this pick. In seven starts this season, he went 0-2 with a 4.13 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts in 24 innings.

21.) San Diego Padres: RHP – Logan Reddemann – UCLA

San Diego getting a pitcher local to the area and close to the big leagues helps them. Reddemann, in ten starts, is 8-0 with a 2.87 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, and 84 strikeouts in 59.2 innings.

22.) Detroit Tigers: LHP – Brody Bumila – Bishop Feehan (MA)

The Tigers love pitching, and with the possibility of not having Tarik Skubal, this would give them an arm to look forward to.

23.) Chicago Cubs: LHP – Hunter Dietz – Arkansas

The Cubs add to their pitching prospects. In 16 starts, he went 7-4 with a 3.57 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and 131 strikeouts in 85.2 innings.

24.) Seattle Mariners: RHP – Tegan Kuhns – Tennessee

The Mariners love pitching, and it’s between Kuhns and Cade Townsend, but the Mariners ultimately go with Kuhns. He went 5-5 with a 3.56 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and 106 strikeouts in 81 innings.

25.) Milwaukee Brewers: RHP – Cade Townsend – Ole Miss

The Brewers will look to go pitching, and them being a playoff team having a starter with college experience could be a piece come the postseason. Townsend went 5-3 with a 3.94 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and 88 strikeouts in 64 innings.

Prospect Promotion Incentive Picks

26.) Atlanta Braves – OF – Zion Rose – Louisville

Received for Drake Baldwin winning NL ROY

The Braves add a bat to their outfield with a top prospect already being a shortstop; it sets up well for a powerful team’s future. Rose hit .417 with a 1.137 OPS. He had 13 doubles, a triple, six home runs, 47 RBI, and 44 runs scored.

27.) New York Mets: LHP – Logan Schmidt – Ganesha HS (CA)

10-pick penalty on their first pick for exceeding the second threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax.

The Mets will go for a high school arm in the first round, and they’ll look to build him up likely this season in rookie ball.

28.) Houston Astros: C – Daniel Jackson – Georgia

Received for Hunter Brown finishing in the top three for AL Cy Young

The Astros will get a gift falling right into their lap with the Golden Spikes Award winner after already taking a top college bat with their first pick. Jackson hit .379 with a 1.276 OPS. He had 32 home runs, 87 RBI, and 88 runs scored. He was second in the country in home runs, tied for second in RBI, and first in runs scored.

Competitive Balance Round A

29.) San Francisco Giants: LHP – Mason Edwards – USC

Received in Patrick Bailey trade

The Giants will get a solid lefty, and Buster Posey doesn’t miss the chance to draft a local California kid. Edwards, in 17 starts, went 8-0 with a 2.07 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and 169 strikeouts in 95.2 innings.

30.) Kansas City Royals: LHP – Carson Bolemon – Southside Christian HS (SC)

The Royals love drafting pitchers, and they go with a high school arm. He went 7-0 with a 0.17 ERA, a 0.58 WHIP, and 91 strikeouts in 41.1 innings.

31.) Arizona Diamondbacks: OF – Aiden Robbins – Texas

The Diamondbacks will likely look to the outfield to give a future piece alongside Corbin Carroll. Robbins hit .333 with a 1.122 OPS. He had 24 home runs, 64 RBI, and 68 runs scored.

32.) St. Louis Cardinals: OF – Sawyer Strosnider – TCU

Strosnider is a quiet piece to watch for a few picks before St. Louis, but after taking a pitcher with their pick earlier, they add a bat with this pick. Strosnider hit .273 with a 1.005 OPS. He had 11 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs, 47 RBI, and 54 runs scored.

33.) Tampa Bay Rays: RHP – Coleman Borthwick – South Walton HS (FL)

Received in Shane Baz Trade

The Rays are no strangers to high school arms, and they develop them nicely, and they’ll look to repeat history. He went 11-0 with a 0.21 ERA, a 0.38 WHIP, and 121 strikeouts in 65.2 innings.

34.) Pittsburgh Pirates: SS – Tyler Spangler – De La Salle HS (CA)

The Pirates, loaded with arm talent, will look to address their farm system with more bats after taking Booth Jr. earlier; now they’ll trade the top infielder available. Spangler hit .430 with a 1.470 OPS. He had ten home runs, 40 RBI, and 42 runs scored.

35.) New York Yankees: 3B – Cole Prosek – Magnolia Heights HS (MS)

10-pick penalty on their first pick for exceeding the second threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax.

The Yankees are loaded with pitching in the big leagues and in their farm system, they’ll look to go bat with their first pick of the draft. Prosek hit .585 with a 1.866 OPS. He had 18 home runs, 79 RBI, and 62 runs scored.

36.) Philadelphia Phillies: 1B – Gavin Grahovac – Texas A&M

10-pick penalty on their first pick for exceeding the second threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax.

The Phillies add a top college bat. Grahovac hit .339 with a 1.150 OPS. He had 22 home runs, 74 RBI, and 78 runs scored.

37.) Colorado Rockies: SS – Eric Becker – Virginia

The Rockies grab two college bats in the first round. Becker hit .317 with a .961 OPS. He had seven home runs, 42 RBI, and 52 runs scored.

Additional Notes

Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers also received a 10-pick penalty on their first pick for exceeding the second threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax. The Blue Jays will have the second pick of the second round, pick 39, while the Dodgers will have pick 40.