2026 MLB Mock Draft 2.0
With the 2026 MLB Draft now just three months out as of yesterday of writing this, it’s that time for the second edition of the Baseball Focus mock draft. Before we jump in, I want to plug a draft tool over on Overslotbaseball.com. It’s a draft simulator that will simulate the first ten rounds of the draft, accounting for spending and signing bonuses as well. I used it to help place some of the players in this mock draft, so I encourage you to go try it yourself here. You can also access the Baseball Focus draft board here.
Don’t forget, this edition of the mock draft still only accounts for each organization’s first pick in the draft, so a few first round comp picks are skipped. The third edition of the mock in May will feature all 37 first round picks and the later comp picks. The fourth edition in June will feature every pick from the first three rounds, and then the fifth and final edition leading right up to the draft will feature a full five-round mock draft. Thanks for reading and let’s dive into Mock Draft 2.0!
1. Chicago White Sox: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA
Mock Draft 1.0: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA
I do believe the gap is closing between Roch Cholowsky and the rest of the field but not to the extent that I would be comfortable penciling in another name here. The only thing he had left to prove coming into this season was his ability to maintain his success which he has done just fine as the starting shortstop on the consensus top college baseball team in the nation.
2. Tampa Bay Rays: Grady Emerson, SS, Forth Worth Christian HS (TX)
Mock Draft 1.0: Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian HS (TX)
Not much has changed here either as Grady Emerson keeps posting in the Texas prep ranks. He fits exactly what the Rays value in the draft and is likely 1:1 in a lot of recent draft classes, so there might not be as much debate in their draft room as we are led to believe at the moment. Vahn Lackey may have some steam here, but I’m still skeptical of how these top teams feel about using a lottery pick on a catcher given the recent lack of success to come from the college catchers drafted this high.
3. Minnesota Twins: Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech
Mock Draft 1.0: Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
Completely disregard what I just said about college catchers because Vahn Lackey has sky rocketed up boards this spring. Just about the entire industry views him as a top five pick and Lackey and the Twins might be the best fit among the teams picking within the top five.
4. San Francisco Giants: Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
Mock Draft 1.0: AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia
It’s tough to forecast what Buster Posey may do with only one draft under his belt to this point. However, the way Jackson Flora is trending may make his job pretty easy in this scenario. In my opinion this is the best college pitching prospect since Paul Skenes and it’s becoming harder and harder with each of his starts to see him fall out of the top five.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates: Eric Booth Jr, OF, Oak Grove HS (MS)
Mock Draft 1.0: Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
The Pirates love their high school pitchers, so I’m giving them a high school outfielder here. The Pirates have the highest bonus pool in this year’s draft, and with the prep pitching depth in this class, I can definitely see them going with an under-slot deal here to float some prep arms down into the later rounds. Booth Jr is trending up boards, but he’s certainly hitting his ceiling here which should give the Pirates the ability to offer a healthy under-slot deal. He also fits what the Pirates have looked for in recent drafts - loud tools with some present polish.
6. Kansas City Royals: Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep HS (FL)
Mock Draft 1.0: Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep HS (FL)
Lombard hasn’t shown any reason he’s going to fall much further than this unless some of the college bats and arms continue climbing throughout the rest of the cycle. He has arguably the most upside among all the preps in this class and comes from a similar archetype of player as Josh Hammond and Sean Gamble, their two first round picks a year ago.
7. Baltimore Orioles: Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
Mock Draft 1.0: Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech
Justin Lebron is one of the few high end college bats trending down right now due to his woes in SEC play, a risk that came with the profile coming into the season as he went through the same thing a year ago as a sophomore. Regardless of what his final numbers in the SEC may look like, this is one of the premier athletes in the class, possessing plus power at the plate and a great glove at shortstop. The Orioles have leaned toward college bats recently as well, so this could end up being the play in this scenario for Baltimore.
8. Athletics: Chris Hacopian, SS, Texas A&M
Mock Draft 1.0: Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State
The Athletics have done an excellent job with their college bats in recent drafts, and there’s no reason to believe their strategy changes unless another high-end arm falls in their lap in the same manner Jamie Arnold did at 11th overall last year. Chris Hacopian looks like the best pure bat in the class at the moment and will likely keep climbing throughout the cycle. I would imagine the A’s are licking their lips looking at Chris Hacopian’s current ranking on draft boards knowing he’s exactly what they develop well.
9. Atlanta Braves: Carson Bolemon, LHP, Southside Christian HS (SC)
Mock Draft 1.0: Carson Bolemon, LHP, Southside Christian HS (SC)
This year’s draft class is as good as any if you want high school arms, and the Braves will have a shot at securing arguably the top player from the demographic in this scenario. The Braves have leaned heavily toward preps in the first round of recent drafts and have not been scared of prep arms either. With that being said, either Carson Bolemon or Gio Rojas make too much sense here, but I give a slight nod to Bolemon.
10. Colorado Rockies: Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU
Mock Draft 1.0: Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU
Sawyer Strosnider is still one of the most well-rounded position players in the college class and is one the younger side of the group as he’s a draft-eligible sophomore. With that being said, I still don’t see him falling out of the top ten picks considering it’s always the college bats that end up climbing late into the cycle. He doesn’t necessarily have a single elite tool which might keep him from climbing into the top five, but the above-average tools across the board give Strosnider one of the more exciting profiles in this class.
11. Washington Nationals: Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS (FL)
Mock Draft 1.0: Cam Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina
I mentioned in Mock Draft 1.0 that I like the idea of the Nationals going with a pitcher here due to their recent regime change in the front office that has turned over a lot of old practices in the pitching department. With that being said, Cam Flukey was the previous play here, but the fact he is going to have missed the majority of his platform year due to injury is going to give teams some pause, so I see him sliding more towards the 15-20 range. I’m not sure I currently see any college arms other than maybe Florida’s Liam Peterson or Tennessee’s Tegan Kuhns getting consideration this high up in the draft which is why I potentially see a prep arm landing here. Gio Rojas is the next highest ranked pitcher behind Carson Bolemon and Jackson Flora, and is likely to land somewhere in this 10-20 range. It would be the first time the Nationals have taken a prep arm with their first round pick since 2018, and it would also be the first time two prep arms have gone within the first 15 picks of the draft since 2021.
12. Los Angeles Angels: AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia
Mock Draft 1.0: Chris Hacopian, SS, Texas A&M
Look for the who you believe to be the fastest moving college player available, whether hitter or pitcher, and that’s likely who the Angels are taking with their pick. Gracia is likely the best fit in this scenario. It’s also becoming more of a reality that Gracia might be available here as he is struggling in ACC play after he was mocked to the Giants at fourth overall a month ago.
13. St. Louis Cardinals: Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech
Mock Draft 1.0: Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky
It’s hard to see the Cardinals going anywhere else than the college bat route given the depth of the demographic, especially in this range of the first round. Drew Burress is trending slightly down due to the fact that he has yet to repeat his historic freshman season at the plate, but is still one of the more well-rounded players in this class, and has track record on his side.
14. Miami Marlins: Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky
Mock Draft 1.0: Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS (FL)
This certainly feels closer to Bell’s floor than his ceiling as he continues to post in SEC play as a draft-eligible sophomore that is going to stick on the dirt. The Marlins selected six college bats a year ago before dipping into any other demographic, so it’s safe to say that might be their favorite crop of players to pull from since Peter Bendix took over the front office two years ago. And as previously stated, there’s a wealth of college bats to choose from in this range, so this feels like the right fit in this scenario.
15. Arizona Diamondbacks: Blake Bowen, OF, JSerra HS (CA)
Mock Draft 1.0: Eric Booth Jr, OF, Oak Grove HS (MS)
Eric Booth Jr feels like a match made in heaven for Arizona, however, he’s off the board in this scenario and the board is trending toward that being a reality on July 11th. There’s still a number of Diamondbacks-esque, toolsy outfielders that should be available here, and Blake Bowen solidifying himself as a top 15 pick continues look more and more likely by the day.
16. Texas Rangers: Cam Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina
Mock Draft 1.0: Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech
While Cam Flukey is sliding down boards a bit due to his injury, he shouldn’t fall much further than this, especially if he returns when he should and posts in the Sun Belt and in the playoffs. It’s still arguably the best combination of stuff and command among the college arms in this class, so this might even be his absolute floor.
17. Houston Astros: Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M
Mock Draft 1.0: Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M
Caden Sorrell has been one of the top hitters in the SEC this spring and has a lot of athletic upside, but the hit tool still gives me some pause when viewing him as a potential top 15 pick. With that being said, this still feels like the right range for Sorrell and the Astros haven’t shown they aren’t afraid to take the fringy hit tool.
18. Cincinnati Reds: Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State
Mock Draft 1.0: Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
He is trending down right now due to the defensive questions on his profile and lack of performance in the SEC thus far, but Ace Reese isn’t going to fall much further than this given he’s one of the more polished bats in this class. I’ve said a few times now that this is a Nick Kurtz-lite, and that especially becomes the case if he moves to first base where his bat can play up. If he does land in Cincinnati, it would be the first college bat the Reds have selected in the first round since 2021.
19. Cleveland Guardians: Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas
Mock Draft 1.0: Logan Hughes, OF, Texas Tech
I mentioned in Mock Draft 1.0 that the Guardians should take advantage of the college power bats in this class, and Helfrick might be the most dynamic of the remaining college bats in this scenario given his defensive tools behind the plate. He might be the best defensive college catcher behind Vahn Lackey, and also has some of the best raw power among all the college bats in this class. The hit tool is fringy but has shown some improvement this year, and the Guardians first round selection of Jace Laviolette a year ago showed that a risky hit tool won’t steer them away especially if there’s other present tools to fall back on.
20. Boston Red Sox: Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
Mock Draft 1.0: Coleman Borthwick, RHP, South Walton HS (FL)
If not for the fact I gave Peterson to the Reds in Mock Draft 1.0, he would have been the pick here to the Red Sox, and I can see him staying here throughout the cycle. He has slipped just far enough on boards that I feel confident that he’ll be available here after some up and down performances so far this spring. He fits the starter’s frame, SEC arm type that they targeted with three of their first four picks a year ago and have shown the ability to get pitchers to average command - the main factor in determining whether or not Peterson will be an effective MLB starter.
21. San Diego Padres: James Clark, SS, St. John Bosco HS (CA)
Mock Draft 1.0: Blake Bowen, OF, JSerra HS (CA)
Blake Bowen was linked to the Padres as of last month, but he continues to climb boards as James Clark is the new trendy name with some steam here as the Padres first round pick. There’s no reason to believe the Padres will steer away from preps with their first round pick as long as AJ Preller is still at the helm, and Clark might be the best remaining prep available in this scenario. There’s also a wealth of prep arms that will be available here with the lefty Logan Schmidt likely being the favorite to land here if the Padres want an arm.
22. Detroit Tigers: Tyler Spangler, De La Salle HS (CA)
Mock Draft 1.0: Tyler Spangler, SS, De La Salle HS (CA)
Tyler Spangler and the Tigers feels like a match made in heaven considering the route they’ve gone with left-handed hitting prep shortstops in recent drafts. If they want to venture down the board a bit to find an under-slot deal in the same manner they did last year with Jordan Yost, Rocco Mansicalco could be the play here as well.
23. Chicago Cubs: Aiden Robbins, OF, Texas
Mock Draft 1.0: Chris Rembert, 2B, Auburn
I still find it hard to see the Cubs going any where else than with a college bat, and Aiden Robbins is climbing into this range with his strong season at Texas. The Cubs typically look for a few tools along with the bat, so I’m not sure a significant bat-first profile like a Logan Hughes or a Zion Rose is in consideration here. The hit-power combo with the defensive and athletic upside of Aiden Robbins is likely a lot more intriguing here and pretty similar to what they got with Ethan Conrad in the first round a year ago.
24. Seattle Mariners: Cooper Sides, RHP, Orange Lutheran HS (FL)
Mock Draft 1.0: Kaden Waechter, RHP, Jesuit HS (FL)
I think the Mariners are the first team to bite on a prep right-hander in this scenario, and Cooper Sides has emerged as my personal top right-handed prep in the class. I also recently mentioned in a piece featuring Cooper Sides that he has the Ryan Sloan starter pack, a pitcher Seattle drafted in the second round in 2024 and have developed into one of the top pitching prospects in the game.
25. Milwaukee Brewers: Derek Curiel, OF, LSU
Mock Draft 1.0: Derek Curiel, OF, LSU
Curiel still feels like the play for the Brewers as he fits the typical Brewers archetype and hasn’t done much to either climb or fall on boards in the past month as SEC play has heated up.
*Multiple picks are skipped to account for the teams not selecting until the PPI and competitive balance rounds
27. New York Mets (PPI pick): Chris Rembert, 2B, Auburn
Mock Draft 1.0: Lucas Moore, OF, Louisville
Lucas Moore was the pick here a month ago, but he just doesn’t seem to have the first round steam I thought he had a month ago. Chris Rembert might be the best college bat remaining in this scenario unless he’s popped at 26th overall. He also fits into the same archetype as Mitch Voit, their first round pick a year ago, but is better than Voit was at the same time and this pick comes 11 spots ahead of their first round pick from last year.
35. New York Yankees (Competitive balance pick): Joey Volchko, RHP, Georgia
Mock Draft 1.0: Joey Volchko, RHP, Georgia
While the draft gets a lot more fluid very quickly as you approach the second round, I still think Joey Volchko and the Yankees are a perfect fit. He’s a big college arm that the Yankees develop well and he’s got some command issues that the Yankees have been confident in developing with other pitchers from the same ilk as of late
36. Philadelphia Phillies (Competitive balance pick): Aiden Ruiz, SS, Stony Brook HS (NY)
Mock Draft 1.0: James Clark, SS, St. John Bosco HS (CA)
I’m as big a fan of Aiden Ruiz as anyone and I believe he deserves a lot more consideration as a first round pick, and not just out of the comp round. It’s the best glove in the prep class and excellent feel to hit from both sides of the plate. It’s a similar archetype the Phillies have targeted in recent drafts - a high upside prep with present polish.
39. Toronto Blue Jays (Competitive balance pick): Joseph Contreras, RHP, Blessed Trinity Catholic HS (GA)
Mock Draft 1.0: Joseph Contreras, RHP, Blessed Trinity Catholic HS (GA)
Contreras and the Blue Jays have been linked together for a bit and Contreras hasn’t done much to lead me to believe he either will climb from or drop from this range. There’s still a healthy amount of prep arms to choose from at this point in the draft, so sign-ability could steer them in a different direction to guys like Kaden Waechter and Coleman Borthwick - two prep right-handers I really like in this range.
40. Los Angeles Dodgers (Competitive balance pick): Logan Reddemann, RHP, UCLA
Mock Draft 1.0: Mason Edwards, LHP, USC
Sticking with a Los Angeles based college pitcher, I chose to go across town from USC to UCLA to give Logan Reddemann the nod here. UCLA’s ace is playing his way into the first round conversation as one of this year’s college “pop up arms.” He could keep climbing, but this feels like a safe range for him to land at the moment.
