2026 MLB Mock Draft 1.0
As of yesterday (March 11th for those of you reading after the fact), the 2026 MLB Draft is four months out. With that being said, we are in the heat of the draft cycle and certain prospects are starting to catch some steam with different clubs. Leading up to draft day on July 11th, I’ll be releasing a monthly mock draft update, around the 11th of each month. The plan is for the first three mock drafts to feature just the first pick for each team before extending Mock Draft 4.0 out to three complete rounds, and then five complete rounds for Mock Draft 5.0 days prior to the real thing. Without further ado, welcome to Mock Draft 1.0
1. Chicago White Sox: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA
Let’s not overthink this pick. Roch Cholowsky is the best player in this draft, featuring four plus tools between the hit, power, glove, and arm. At this point, it would take either a serious injury or downturn from Cholowsky to pull him from this spot. It is important to understand though that the gap between Cholowsky and the rest of the field is not as far as it seems. The college shortstop demographic has not historically been one to produce superstars, and that’s typically what you’re shooting for with a first overall pick. It’s still a long shot, but it shouldn’t come as a huge shock if the White Sox were to pivot elsewhere.
2. Tampa Bay Rays: Grady Emerson, SS, Forth Worth Christian HS (TX)
It’s been a while since the Rays have had the luxury of drafting this high, so perhaps there’s a chance they switch up their recent strategy and target a fast-moving college prospect. There has yet to be reason to believe they could go that route though, so I see them sticking to their philosophy here. Emerson is probably the first overall pick in maybe ten of the last 20 drafts, so it’s hard to see the Rays passing up a talent that not only fits the athletic, up-the-middle prep they have targeted in recent draft classes, but he’s also the best player from that demographic that they’ve had the chance to take in a long time. Bonus pools have yet to be announced but the Rays are projected to have the highest bonus pool total at nearly $2.5 million more than the White Sox. With that being said, there could be a fun scenario in which there’s a bidding war for Roch Cholowsky. However, the Rays haven’t over-slotted a first round pick since 2020 due to their strategy in which they save money early and float prospects down the board on over-slot deals.
3. Minnesota Twins: Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
Given his current trajectory, it’s tough to see Lebron falling out of the top five and he fits what the Twins have targeted with their first selections in recent drafts. As long as his performance holds up in SEC play where it backed up last year, one of these top teams are going to end up with Lebron. This is also where the Jackson Flora and Cam Flukey market should begin while college bats such as Drew Burress and AJ Gracia start receiving some consideration.
4. San Francisco Giants: AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia
The Giants have taken high-level college bats with their first round picks in each of the last two seasons, and that could continue in Buster Posey’s second season at the helm of the Giants front office. Among a number of excellent college bats in this class, Gracia presents himself as perhaps the best due to the plus power and feel to hit, potentially making him a fast mover which is becoming more popular with top picks. Given his current trajectory and strong start to the 2026 season, it’s hard to see Gracia falling much further than this too.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates: Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
The uber-athletic, flame throwing Flora has separated himself as the best pitcher in this draft class, and is expected to join former teammate Tyler Bremner as a top-five pick in back-to-back drafts. The Pirates have done a good job with pitchers they’ve selected in recent drafts, so it would come as a surprise if they were to pass on him were he available here. If Cam Flukey returns to form when he comes back from injury, he could be in play here, while the market for a prep arms such as Carson Bolemon and Gio Rojas likely starts here as well.
6. Kansas City Royals: Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep HS (FL)
The Royals have leaned towards prep hitters in recent drafts, and Jacob Lombard, the second best player from that demographic, is likely available to them in this scenario. Tyler Spangler might be the only other prep hitter in this tier so he could potentially be in play. A large crop of college hitters are probably given strong consideration here as well.
7. Baltimore Orioles: Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech
Given the exciting crop of college bats expected to land somewhere in the first round of this draft, it would feel working to give the Orioles a player from a different demographic considering that has what they’ve targeted in recent years. Drew Burress is arguably the toolsiest of the remaining college bats and also has the highest floor given his extensive college track record.
8. Athletics: Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State
As was the case with the Orioles pick, it’s tough to see the Athletics going any other direction than the college bat demographic in which they have aced in recent drafts. Ace Reese continues to prove his standing as a top ten pick with a strong hit/power combo this spring. Likely to move over to first base in the pro ranks, Reese presents himself as a Nick Kurtz-lite in some ways.
9. Atlanta Braves: Carson Bolemon, LHP, Southside Christian HS (SC)
The Braves have proven if there’s one organization not afraid of prep pitchers, it’s them. This year’s class features one of the strongest crops of prep pitchers in a long time, and in this scenario, the top prep arm in Carson Bolemon will be available to them. The gap between Bolemon and Gio Rojas are very close, so he could be the pick here as well. Tyler Spangler is probably the only prep bat getting some consideration here right now but EJ Booth and Blake Bowen are two names that could emerge as options here with strong finishes to their respective seasons.
10. Colorado Rockies: Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU
Given the wide tool set of Strosnider, it’s hard to see the TCU outfielder falling out of the top ten especially if he continues to post throughout conference play. The Rockies don’t have much recent success with pitchers, so it feels like a college bat is the safe pick here. However, the Rockies have made some changes to their pitching development which could show up in their draft strategy. In recent drafts, it feels like Jackson Flora would be the only pitcher worth taking the Coors risk on, but with some new minds in the room, perhaps an arm is in play here. I don’t see them going the prep route regardless of the names at the top of the group, but a selection of a college arm such as Cam Flukey, Liam Peterson, or even Mason Edwards who is flying up boards right now shouldn't come as a surprise.
11. Washington Nationals: Cam Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina
The Rockies aren’t the only organization to have recently made some changes to their pitching department as the Nationals are another team that has done so. With that being said, there may be some incentive to select Cam Flukey if he’s available here. Before Flukey went down with an injury, this seemed highly unlikely as he was a projected top five pick early in the cycle, but now with up to eight weeks missing from his platform year, some uncertainty may slide him out of the top ten.
12. Los Angeles Angels: Chris Hacopian, SS, Texas A&M
The Angels certainly love their fast moving college players, and aside from the selection of Tyler Bremner a year ago, have targeted college bats in recent drafts. With a number of hitters that fit the Angels strategy still available on the board in this scenario, Chris Hacopian makes the most sense. He has an excellent hit tool with improving game power and sneaky plus raw power along with the defensive ability to play somewhere in the infield to at least a serviceable level. Add on the fact that he’s playing in the SEC and is on the older side of the college class, Hacopian checks all the boxes of a faster mover in a minor league system.
13. St. Louis Cardinals: Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky
As a second round pick to the Rays out of high school, Tyler Bell was the highest pick in the 2024 draft class to not sign, and now two years later has a clear shot at going even higher than he did in 2024. Given Bell’s youth as a draft-eligible sophomore, his current trajectory, and the annual gravitation towards college bats in the first round as draft cycles wind down, 15th overall feels like Bell’s floor and the Cardinals might be the best fit in this range considering their recent success with JJ Wetherholt, a similar profile to Tyler Bell.
14. Miami Marlins: Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS (FL)
If Gio Rojas is still on the board in this scenario, the south Florida native could be the Marlins next Thomas White. There are some evaluators that believe Rojas is the best prep arm in this class so a lot of mocks even have him landing within the top ten. Prep arms typically slide down boards throughout draft cycles just because of the risk of the demographic, but it’s hard to see Rojas sliding much further than this. Given the Marlins success with former prep lefty Thomas White, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s intrigue between both parties here.
15. Arizona Diamondbacks: Eric Booth Jr, OF, Oak Grove HS (MS)
The Diamondbacks have been very committed to their prep outfielders in recent draft, and EJ Booth might be the best one available to them since they selected Druw Jones second overall in 2022. Booth Jr has been one of the top risers in this year’s prep class and does a lot of things the Diamondbacks typically value in outfielders. He’s a plus-plus runner with an excellent hit tool and above-average defense in center field.
16. Texas Rangers: Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech
Vahn Lackey is experiencing a meteoric rise on draft boards right now due to his increase in power on top of the already advanced hit tool. He’s going to stick behind the plate as a solid defensive catcher where he has great athletic upside. He’s starting to gain some serious steam as a potential top ten pick, but just because of the risk that comes with catchers, this feels like a safe spot for him for the time being. If he continues to post throughout conference play, this probably ends up being his floor.
17. Houston Astros: Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M
The Astros value bats with loud tools in the draft, and Caden Sorrell certainly presents himself as such this year with plus power from the left side along with plus speed and a strong arm he has been given the chance to show off in center field for the first time in his collegiate career. There are some holes in the hit tool, but the Astros took a prep bat with some swing and miss last year in Xavier Neyens who they’ve received positive early returns on. If Sorrell is available here, it feels like the right fit.
18. Cincinnati Reds: Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
There’s still a lack of consensus on where Liam Peterson lands in this draft class, but this could be a safe spot for him considering his recent stretch of dominance at Florida. The Reds are no strangers to college arms as they selected both Rhett Lowder and Chase Burns out of Wake Forest in back-to-back drafts, and Peterson may end up being better than Lowder was at this point in his college career if he holds up in the SEC. The Reds have obviously done a decent job with Lowder and Burns at the pro level, so there shouldn’t be much pause on Peterson if he’s available here.
19. Cleveland Guardians: Logan Hughes, OF, Texas Tech
The Guardians have recently started adding power across every level of their organization and the draft is a great place to deploy such a strategy. The high-end power college bats worthy of a first-round selection are unavailable to this point, but Hughes is one of the more well-rounded offensive profiles available to the Guardians in this scenario.
20. Boston Red Sox: Coleman Borthwick, RHP, South Walton HS (FL)
The prep right-handed pitcher demographic has historically been the most riskiest demographic, but it has arguably never been as deep as it is in this year’s draft class. However, it lacks the top-end talent such as a Seth Hernandez that was selected sixth overall last year, or Jackson Jobe who was selected third overall in 2021. With that being said, I think the Red Sox are the first team willing to bite on one of these prep arms, and Coleman Borthwick not only presents himself as arguably the best prep right-hander in this class, but he fits what Craig Breslow targeted in his first year at the helm a year ago. Although every arm the Red Sox took last year were from the college ranks, there was a clear type they were looking for - big frames with the ability to spin the ball. Borthwick is already coming in at 6’6” and 255 pounds, and features a power slider along with a fastball he consistently sits in the mid-90s with.
21. San Diego Padres: Blake Bowen, OF, JSerra HS (CA)
You would have to date all the way back to 2016 to find the last time the Padres took a college player with their first round pick as it has been all preps since. There isn’t any evidence that is going to change this year, and Blake Bowen is arguably the top player available from the prep class here. This is also one of the few team-player links that we have at the moment.
22. Detroit Tigers: Tyler Spangler, De La Salle HS (CA)
Left-handed hitting prep shortstops have been the Tigers expertise in recent drafts, and Tyler Spangler is the best player from that group not named Grady Emerson. If they want to lean more into defensive ability and athletic upside in the same manner they did with their selection of Jordan Yost last year while left-handed hitting prep shortstops such as Brady Ebel and Dax Kilby were still available, the super young switch-hitting Rocco Maniscalco could be a sleeper here as well.
23. Chicago Cubs: Chris Rembert, 2B, Auburn
It’s hard to see the Cubs passing on a college bat in the first round of this class, and there’s a number of them within the same tier of player available in this scenario. A draft-eligible sophomore, Chris Rembert possesses one of the better hit tools in the college class, something the Cubs have looked for with their recent first round picks.
24. Seattle Mariners: Kaden Waechter, RHP, Jesuit HS (FL)
Waechter is in that grouping of about five to eight different prep right-handed arms that could land within the first round. With the current projection and polish in Waechter’s profile, this has Ryan Sloan 2.0 written all over it. The Mariners have developed Ryan Sloan who they took in the second round of the 2024 draft into one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, possessing a very similar profile to Waechter at the same point in his amateur career.
25. Milwaukee Brewers: Derek Curiel, OF, LSU
Derek Curiel was looking like a potential top ten pick in this draft dating back to the beginning of this cycle, but is more likely headed down the same path Cam Cannarella took a year ago after he didn’t add the juice he was expected to in the power department. If that trend continues, Curiel could fall into the second round, but I also think he could be a good fit here with the Brewers. There has been a lean towards college bats in Milwaukee’s draft strategy and Curiel is of course apart of the undersized, toolsy type that shows up in the Brewers system more than any other system in baseball.
*Multiple picks are skipped to account for the teams not selecting until the PPI and competitive balance rounds
27. New York Mets (PPI pick): Lucas Moore, OF, Louisville
It becomes a bit harder to recognize a clear pattern in draft strategy for these teams that are usually drafting late in the first round or not until the competitive balance rounds. With that being said, it typically comes down to a best player available approach or who can save them the most money considering these teams have the smallest bonus pools. There’s usually a lean towards high-floor instead of high-ceiling profiles as well. The speedy Lucas Moore is arguably the best available player in this scenario who fits the mold in which he can probably be under-slotted and has a fairly high floor as a prospect.
35. New York Yankees (Competitive balance pick): Joey Volchko, RHP, Georgia
The Yankees have established themselves as a legitimate pitching lab in today’s game, and Volchko could be the perfect fit for their operation. A stuff monster with command issues, he’s the type of pitcher the Yankees can turn into one of their top pitching prospects. Their organization is filled with former college pitchers with similar profiles, so this almost makes too much sense if Volchko is available in this scenario.
36. Philadelphia Phillies (Competitive balance pick): James Clark, SS, St. John Bosco HS (CA)
Although they selected a college arm in Gage Wood with their first round pick a year ago, the Phillies have leaned more towards up-the-middle preps in recent drafts. The likelihood that Clark climbs into the top 30 is becoming more realistic as he has been a clear riser in this class, but for the sake of this mock draft, we’ll assume the abundance of college bats limits just how high Clark can rise.
39. Toronto Blue Jays (Competitive balance pick): Joseph Contreras, RHP, Blessed Trinity Catholic HS (GA)
Contreras and the Blue Jays has been one of the few team-player links made public thus far in the cycle, and it makes a lot of sense. The 30-40 range seems to be consensus on Contreras on most draft boards right now, and the Blue Jays have been one of the best when it comes to developing prep pitchers.
40. Los Angeles Dodgers (Competitive balance pick): Mason Edwards, LHP, USC
The Dodgers took a college left-hander with their first pick a year ago, and that could once again be the case this year. Mason Edwards has been an exciting riser in this class early on, but there could be a cap on just how high he could climb considering the lack of high-end stuff and the fact that he’s not throwing in the SEC or ACC. It is a similar profile to Zach Root, their first pick last year, and Edwards is playing in the Dodgers backyard at USC, so it’s hard not to imagine they are keeping close tabs on him.
