2026 MLB Mock Draft 3.0
We are now within two months of the 2026 MLB Draft, and with high school seasons coming to a close and college baseball entering the postseason shortly, the first round conversation continues to take shape. This is my third mock draft of the cycle and the first in which I cover every single pick of the first round. My last two only included each team’s first pick which is reflected later in this piece. And once again, I want to plug Overslot Baseball’s draft simulator tool which I used to help put this mock draft together which I mention for a few of these picks. You can find the simulator HERE.
Chicago White Sox: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA
Mock Draft 1.0: Roch Cholowsky
Mock Draft 2.0: Roch Cholowsky
I’m on the record stating that the gap between Roch Cholowsky and the rest of the field is closing as the cycle is winding down, but I would still feel comfortable putting money on Roch being the first name off the board if I was a betting man. On the flip side, I wouldn’t be shocked if the White Sox were to pivot to Grady Emerson who appears to be the favorite in a scenario in which the White Sox do move off of Roch. However, Roch came into the cycle as the clear-cut number one, hasn’t done anything to change that, and will only have the chance to boost his profile further as UCLA looks to make consecutive trips to Omaha.
Tampa Bay Rays: Grady Emerson, SS, Forth Worth Christian HS (TX)
Mock Draft 1.0: Grady Emerson
Mock Draft 2.0: Grady Emerson
I’m just about as confident in Grady Emerson being the number two pick to the Rays as I am in Roch Cholowsky being the first overall pick to the White Sox if it shakes out that way, and that confidence has only grown throughout the cycle as Emerson continues to solidify himself as not only the best prep on the board, but perhaps the highest ceiling as well. The Rays really value polished hit tools, especially when it comes to up-the-middle preps, and Emerson will be the best player in which they have the chance to pull from that archetype in a long time. Vahn Lackey also fits into the high-floor profile the Rays like given the improved bat and the potential gold-glove caliber defense behind the plate, so he’s likely getting a lot of consideration here as well, but I still have a hard time seeing the Rays pass on the upside of Grady Emerson.
Minnesota Twins: Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech
Mock Draft 1.0: Justin Lebron
Mock Draft 2.0: Vahn Lackey
The Twins have shown a lean towards college bats in the first round in recent drafts, and there’s certainly not a shortage of them this year. They’ll have the chance to take the best college position player not named Roch Cholowsky, and Vahn Lackey being the favorite here has not changed since the last edition of my mock draft. Lackey’s bat did cool off a bit in conference play, but it’s starting to heat back up and the dynamic defensive chops behind the plate only continue to shine through.
San Francisco Giants: Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
Mock Draft 1.0: AJ Gracia
Mock Draft 2.0: Jackson Flora
This might be the first year in which my first four picks remained the same across two mock drafts, so here we are despite the field right behind Cholowsky and Emerson getting pretty muddy. The Giants haven’t selected this high in the first round since they took Joey Bart second overall in 2018, and with the addition of extra bonus pool money via the Patrick Bailey with the Guardians that pushed them up to the fourth highest bonus pool, it’s tough to project what might be the plan here for Buster Posey and co. With that being said, I’m still confident that Jackson Flora is the first pitcher off the board and that he will fall within the first five picks. Add on the fact that I’m not sure any of these preps pushing into the top ten picks appeal much to the Giants this high up, so I still feel that Flora is the safe bet here.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep HS (FL)
Mock Draft 1.0: Jackson Flora
Mock Draft 2.0: Eric Booth Jr
I’ve been a bit skeptical of Jacob Lombard due to his contact concerns on the summer circuit a year ago, but he has continued to catch steam as a potential top five pick throughout the spring. Despite the questions when it comes to his hit tool, Lombard is an elite athlete with plus power potential as a slam dunk shortstop. Sounds a lot like their first round pick two years ago that rocketed up prospect rankings and debuted in the big leagues earlier this year as a 19 year old. If Pittsburgh’s last two drafts have shown us anything, it’s that they are willing to take on risk with a top ten pick in order to cash in on the upside. Konnor Griffin had legitimate swing and hit tool concerns in his draft year that pushed him down to ninth overall to the Pirates, and the typical risk that comes with high school pitchers pushed Seth Hernandez to sixth overall to the Pirates a year ago. Between the early returns on Hernandez this spring and the meteoric rise of Griffin, I would imagine the Pirates feel like they can send a player like Lombard on the same path. They might be able to give him an under-slot deal here as well which would give them more flexibility down the board with this year’s highest bonus pool.
Kansas City Royals: Eric Booth Jr, OF, Oak Grove HS (MS)
Mock Draft 1.0: Jacob Lombard
Mock Draft 2.0: Jacob Lombard
You only have to turn back the clock two years to find the last time the Royals drafted sixth overall. They came away with Jac Caglianone in that draft, and Blake Mitchell a year prior as the eighth overall pick. If those two picks tell us anything, it’s that they value pretty big tools when selecting in this range. Caglianone was as dynamic as they come and the Royals will have the chance to take a player just as dynamic in this scenario, but just in a different form. With the way EJ Booth is trending, he’s starting to feel like a sure thing top ten pick and the Royals are likely the team most attracted to a profile like Booth Jr’s in this range.
Baltimore Orioles: Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech
Mock Draft 1.0: Drew Burress
Mock Draft 2.0: Justin Lebron
College bats at premier positions have been the Orioles cup of tea in the first round in recent drafts, and there’s no reason to think that could change other than the fact that a lot of these college bats that were originally slated to land in this range have slipped with mediocre performances in conference play. One of the few college bats that has held up deep into conference play is Drew Burress who also happens to be playing an excellent center field where he’s looking more and more like a lock to stick in pro ball. Chris Hacopian is the other name I debated slotting in here, but I would imagine Burress’s well-rounded game and extensive track record are a little more appealing to Baltimore.
Athletics: Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M
Mock Draft 1.0: Ace Reese
Mock Draft 2.0: Chris Hacopian
Among the aforementioned top college bats in this year’s class that have slipped throughout conference play is Chris Hacopian who is quietly still producing at a high level for Texas A&M in conference play in his first season in the SEC. When forecasting this pick, I keep going back to the dividends that Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson, the A’s 2023 and 2024 first round picks, have yielded the A’s due to their advanced hit tools. Hacopian’s bat is a blend of the two, but a lot more contact than Kurtz, and a lot more power with Wilson. Maybe not as much power as Kurtz or as much contact skills as Wilson, but still arguably the most well-rounded college bat in the country. He’ll have a good shot at flying through the system just as Kurtz and Wilson did as well. It feels like a match made in heaven if he’s available here in this scenario. I floated the idea of a few college arms here, but I think there’s a little more depth in the bats in this range than the pitchers, although I do believe the conversation for guys like Cam Flukey, Cade Townsend, and Logan Reddemann start to open up here.
Atlanta Braves: Cade Townsend, RHP, Ole Miss
Mock Draft 1.0: Carson Bolemon
Mock Draft 2.0: Carson Bolemon
If my first two mock drafts told us anything, it’s that the Braves are definitely the first team selecting in this year’s draft that is willing to bite on one of the top prep arms. However, what changed in the month between this mock draft and my last is that Cade Townsend and Logan Reddemann keep pushing upwards and I believe one of them is going to land in the top ten at this point. Townsend’s present polish, his uptick in stuff, and the fact that he’s a draft-eligible sophomore should bode well for him in the Braves draft model - one that has favored a lot profiles similar to Townsend’s in the first round of their recent drafts.
Colorado Rockies: Cam Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina
Mock Draft 1.0: Sawyer Strosnider
Mock Draft 2.0: Sawyer Strosnider
With Cam Flukey getting closer to looking like his old self prior to his rib injury that sidelined him for a good amount of time this spring, I’m once again growing confident that he’s going to land within the top ten picks, the same sentiment I shared coming into this draft cycle. Flukey also feels like the safest bet among the college arms available in this range due to the combination of his cut-ride fastball shape and his ability to locate it well - two huge factors for pitchers preparing to take on the Coors effect. I’m not sure the Rockies are willing to take on the risk of a prep arm here and none of the prep bats available in this scenario stand out as top ten picks at the moment. The college bats that received the most consideration for me here were AJ Gracia and Tyler Bell. What it honestly came down to was that I ran Overslot’s draft simulator a handful of times to help with this pick, and roughly half the simulations had the Rockies taking Flukey.
Washington Nationals: Carson Bolemon, LHP, Southside Christian HS (SC)
Mock Draft 1.0: Cam Flukey
Mock Draft 2.0: Gio Rojas
Four of Washington’s first five picks in last year’s draft came from the prep ranks, two of which were arms that have yielded some early returns in Landon Harmon and Miguel Sime Jr. Add on the fact that the Nationals turned over their pitching department during the off-season and I like for them to be the first team to bite on one of these prep arms, especially considering the fact that the top three prep lefties in this class have got a lot of steam in this range of the first round. Despite the handful of prep arms pushing their way up boards and the fact that Bolemon is on the older side of the class, I still like for Bolemon to be the first off the board due to his above-average command and feel for the mound that is proving to go a long way with some of these arms in recent years.
Los Angeles Angels: AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia
Mock Draft 1.0: Chris Hacopian
Mock Draft 2.0: AJ Gracia
At the beginning of the cycle, Gracia falling to 12th overall might have seemed like quite the stretch, but his cold start to conference play pushed him down a bit to this same pick for me in mock draft 2.0. Fast forward a month and Gracia is heating back up and looking like the complete hitter he was advertised as. With that being said, I still think there’s a scenario in which he’s available here, hence why I still have the Angels cashing in on him. However, it’s looking more and more like this could be the floor for him. Gracia’s bat has the chance to be the fastest mover among the college bats in this class, and the defense should hold up fine in a corner in order for him to make a quick ascent through the minors - something the Angels have obviously valued in recent years.
St. Louis Cardinals: Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas
Mock Draft 1.0: Tyler Bell
Mock Draft 2.0: Drew Burress
Despite drafting 13th overall, the Cardinals own the sixth highest bonus pool in this year’s draft, so there will be without much doubt some kind of strategy concerning their spending with their first pick. In this scenario, there isn’t necessarily anyone on the board likely to get an over-slot deal in this range, so my gut tells me they cut a deal with someone to allocate more funds later on for some of the high upside preps, especially the arms, later on. Ryder Helfrick keeps popping up as a player pushing into this range due to his defensive skills behind the plate that are among the best, as well as some of the best power at the plate among the college hitters in this class. With Vahn Lackey’s rise this spring, Helfrick has flown under the radar as one of the best draft-eligible college catchers in recent classes, and he’s looking more and more like a first round lock because of it.
Miami Marlins: Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU
Mock Draft 1.0: Gio Rojas
Mock Draft 2.0: Tyler Bell
I’ve played around with the idea of the Marlins being the next team to land one of these high school arms, but I think a college bat still ends up being the play here. Granted, they’re only a few years removed from selecting prep arms with back to back picks within the first round (Noble Meyer, Thomas White - 2023), but Peter Bendix has since taken over as GM in Miami and has yet to take an arm in the first round in his first two drafts. Add on the fact that he came from the Rays who have shied away from arms near the top of their drafts for a while now. Strosnider was looking like a slam dunk top ten pick earlier in the cycle, but his hit tool failing to take that next step forward this spring has slid him closer into the middle of the first round. Despite the hit risk, Strosnider fits what the Marlins have prioritized in the draft since Bendix has taken over the front office - he’s a premier athlete at potentially a premier position with immense power upside, and is on the younger side of the class as a draft-eligible sophomore.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Trevor Condon, OF, Etowah HS (GA)
Mock Draft 1.0: Eric Booth Jr
Mock Draft 2.0: Blake Bowen
It feels lazy giving the Diamondbacks the trademark undersized, toolsy prep bat, but it’s looking more and more like a perfect fit here with the way Condon has climbed boards this spring. It’s a similar profile to Corbin Carroll out of high school with maybe a little less power upside and a little better hit tool as well as potentially a little better chance to stick in center field than Carroll at the same point in Carroll’s amateur career, and the same plus-plus run tool.
Texas Rangers: Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS (FL)
Mock Draft 1.0: Vahn Lackey
Mock Draft 2.0: Cam Flukey
I’ve had a tough time forecasting this pick since my first mock a few months ago, and that hasn’t changed. I once again consulted the Overslot draft simulator for help with this one, and didn’t get much help there either as there was a wide range of outcomes for this pick. I ended up landing on Gio Rojas here due to the fact I don’t believe there are many iterations of this draft in which he slides outside of the top 15. It can certainly happen due to the nature of prep arms falling regardless of performance, but the overall package for Rojas is tough to deny in this range of the first round. It would be the first time they have taken a prep arm in the first round since 2018 and would also make it back to back years that they’ve dipped into the prep ranks with their first pick since 2018.
Houston Astros: Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
Mock Draft 1.0: Caden Sorrell
Mock Draft 2.0: Caden Sorrell
The fall for Justin Lebron finally ends in this range, which seems to be consensus at this point in the cycle. I wouldn’t call him a first round lock at the moment, but I still feel comfortable saying he’s going to land in the first round despite the lack of performance in conference play in consecutive seasons. The secondary tools are just too good and the athletic upside along with the power upside is nothing short of premier. Like the aforementioned Marlins, the Astros are another team willing to take on some hit risk for a high ceiling, up-the-middle bat. With that being said, regardless of whether or not it’s the Astros, I think a team in this range is going to bite.
Cincinnati Reds: Logan Reddemann, RHP, UCLA
Mock Draft 1.0: Liam Peterson
Mock Draft 2.0: Ace Reese
An injury has sidelined Logan Reddemann for the better part of the last month, but I still like his chances of going within the top 20 considering he was approaching top ten territory before hitting the injured list. Between Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder, the Reds have done a good job of developing their high end college arms, and Reddemann could certainly be next in line. It’s also worth noting that the Reds have gone under-slot and then over-slot with their first two picks in each of the last three drafts, and they can probably get Reddemann on a nice under-slot deal in this range. I kicked around the idea of going back to Liam Peterson who I projected at this pick in my first mock draft, but Reddemann is simply a safer pick considering the strike-throwing and pitch-ability while his stuff continues to tick up near the tier in which Peterson’s stuff is in.
Cleveland Guardians: Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M
Mock Draft 1.0: Logan Hughes
Mock Draft 2.0: Ryder Helfrick
Between Jace Laviolette with the 27th pick and Dean Curley with the 64th pick in last year’s draft, the Guardians showed they weren’t afraid to grab some risky bats that had slid down the board. If that’s a well they’re willing to tap into again, this is the draft to do it as a number of college bats are still on the board in this scenario that came into the cycle with legitimate top ten helium. For that reason, had it not been for the Astros taking him two picks prior, this felt like the perfect landing spot for Justin Lebron. Ace Reese was in consideration here as well, but I ended up landing on Caden Sorrell who I feel is a tick better than Reese despite owning nearly identical offensive profiles considering the athletic and defensive upside of Sorrell in the outfield compared to Reese who is likely a first baseman at the next level.
Boston Red Sox: Hunter Dietz, LHP, Arkansas
Mock Draft 1.0: Coleman Borthwick
Mock Draft 2.0: Liam Peterson
Craig Breslow has certainly established a “type” in the draft in his first two years at the helm in Boston, and it’s the physical college arm that can spin it. Just a few players in this range fit into this bucket and Hunter Dietz might be the best of that group. Cole Carlon and Liam Peterson both got a lot of consideration here as well, but I like the polish on Dietz over both a little more. The injury history on Dietz adds a lot of risk, but the fact he has seamlessly slotted in as Arkansas’s ace this spring with virtually no experience at the college level due to injury speaks to the sheer upside of the southpaw.
San Diego Padres: Jared Grindlinger, LHP/OF, Huntington Beach HS (CA)
Mock Draft 1.0: Blake Bowen
Mock Draft 2.0: James Clark
Brody Bumila has been the obvious pick here for the Padres since he bursted onto the scene a few months ago, but I don’t think it’s that easy. The Padres certainly aren’t afraid of taking high school arms with their first round pick as they haven’t drafted a college player in the first round since 2016, and five of those ten picks have been arms, two of which have come in back to back drafts. However, the Padres took Kruz Schoolcraft a year ago, a pitcher cut from the same cloth as Bumila - a super tall prep lefty with unique release traits, but unfortunately the early returns on Schoolcraft have been poor, which may give the Padres a little pause when it comes to returning to the same archetype. Grindlinger on the other hand offers similar upside with a pretty good floor as well. He’s a two-way player at the moment with evaluators split on what he’s going to do at the next level. I personally like him as a pitcher but the bat has a chance to be special too. I’m also becoming more confident that he has a good shot at doing both in the lower levels of the minors until he ends up going in one direction. Not to mention he’s also the youngest player in the class at just 17.2 years old on draft day, over a year younger than Bumila.
Detroit Tigers: Cole Prosek, C/SS, Magnolia Heights HS (MS)
Mock Draft 1.0: Tyler Spangler
Mock Draft 2.0: Tyler Spangler
Despite moving off of Tyler Spangler for the first time in three mocks, I still have the Tigers going with a left-handed prep bat, something they’ve done in each of the last three drafts. There’s always a few players that make a late push into the first round towards the end of the cycle with little first round helium early on. I believe Cole Prosek has a good shot at being one of those players and fits comfortably into this range as a top ten ranked prep bat. He has an impressive summer circuit track record and the tools have ticked up this spring while he also has a chance at transitioning to catching full-time after bouncing around the dirt for the better part of his amateur career. He’s a very polished hitter which the Tigers certainly value in the draft and there should be a lot more power to come. With that being said, there’s a lot of untapped projection and potential in Prosek’s profile that I’m sure the Tigers feel confident in working with on an under-slot deal in this scenario.
Chicago Cubs: Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky
Mock Draft 1.0: Chris Rembert
Mock Draft 2.0: Aiden Robbins
After going 66th overall in the second round of the 2024 draft by the Rays before deciding on taking the college route instead, I find it hard to believe that Tyler Bell falls into the supplemental first round in this year’s draft. He was one of the top prep bats in the 2024 class and has only continued to take the necessary steps forward at the college level to solidify himself as a first round talent. With that being said, this feels like the right range for him at the moment, although he has one of the wider range of outcomes in the college class due to his unique offensive profile. With the Cubs tendency towards college bats in recent years on top of the depth of college bats in this range, I feel confident the Cubs return to the well. The Cubs also have a larger bonus pool than the four teams selecting in front of them so they might be in a better position to land Bell on an over-slot deal considering he had legitimate top ten steam earlier in the cycle, and is still holding on to some of that right now.
Seattle Mariners: Tyler Spangler, SS, De La Salle HS (CA)
Mock Draft 1.0: Kaden Waechter
Mock Draft 2.0: Cooper Sides
The Mariners have taken college arms with their first pick in each of the last two drafts which was reflected in each of my first two mock drafts, but I can see them pivoting to a prep bat in this scenario with Tyler Spangler being available here. Spangler is cut from a similar cloth as Colt Emerson, Mariners top prospect who just recently made his big league debut with Seattle. Like Emerson, Spangler’s offensive package from the left side of the plate is advanced for his age and he’ll have a good shot at sticking at shortstop in pro ball. The Mariners should be comfortable developing a profile like this when you also consider they have been among the best in developing preps in general.
Milwaukee Brewers: Derek Curiel, OF, LSU
Mock Draft 1.0: Derek Curiel
Mock Draft 2.0: Derek Curiel
This is one of three picks that has remained the same across all three mocks. If Derek Curiel is in fact available here, which there’s legitimate likelihood that he is, I have a hard time imagining he’s at the top, if not near the top, of Milwaukee’s board. He has a plus to elite hit tool with excellent secondary tools, so he already has Brewer written all over him. Add on the fact that the Brewers haven’t selected a pitcher with their first pick since 2019, so I think it ends up coming down to a number of college bats here, with Curiel at the top.
(PPI) Atlanta Braves: Logan Schmidt, LHP, Ganesha HS (CA)
*This is my first mock projecting the entire first round so picks 26, 28-34, 37-38 don’t have picks attached from the previous two mocks*
I don’t see the Braves getting past their first two picks without landing one of these prep arms given they are willing to take on the risk that comes with them. Schmidt is comfortably a top five prep arm in this class and is routinely finding himself within the top 20 on public draft boards. Assuming the Braves can give Cade Townsend a nice under-slot deal at ninth overall, they will have money to spend on Schmidt in this scenario. This is definitely the point in the draft that opens up for the deep crop of prep arms, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a number of different names pop up at this pick.
(PPI) New York Mets: Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee
Mock Draft 1.0: Lucas Moore
Mock Draft 2.0: Chris Rembert
This is another pick I had a tough time forecasting and consulted the draft simulator because of it. Surprisingly enough, in five simulations the Mets took an arm in all five. There’s certainly a solid group of prep arms to choose from here but I think I’m leaning in the direction of college arms here due to the Mets owning the third lowest bonus pool and the fact that a lot of these prep arms are going to require a nice signing bonus to sign them away from their college commitments, something we’re seeing a lot more of nowadays. As far as college arms go, guys like Liam Peterson, Cole Carlon, and Mason Edwards are available here, but I’m a little bit higher on Tegan Kunhs who has some underrated stuff, above-average command, and plenty of room to grow as a draft-eligible sophomore.
(PPI) Houston Astros: Blake Bowen, OF, JSerra HS (CA)
I mentioned with their pick of Justin Lebron that the Astros are willing to take a swing on bats with hit risk, so I like for Blake Bowen to fall in their laps in a sense in this scenario. Bowen doesn’t necessarily have major hit tool concerns at this stage, but he comes from a demographic that has recently struggled to pan out at the pro level - the physical and toolsy right-handed hitting prep outfielder. Bowen just transitioned to baseball full time last summer after playing football as well, so he hasn’t seen a ton of high level pitching yet which gives me some pause when it comes to projecting the hit tool, hence why he has fallen into the supplemental round for me. On the other hand, there’s also immense upside to tap into for the same reason, so there’s still a good shot that a team bets on the potential earlier on in the first round, leaving the Astros looking elsewhere with this pick.
(CB-A) San Francisco Giants: Will Brick, C, Christian Brothers HS (TN)
After Buster Posey took over San Francisco’s front office prior to last season, I tried and tried again to mock a catcher to the Giants. Now that I am finally adding more picks to my mocks, I now have a greater opportunity to do so. With that being said, the Giants have money to spend on some preps with the fourth highest bonus pool and Will Brick, the top prep catcher in this class, appears to fit comfortably into the first supplemental round. Only four prep catchers have been selected higher than this pick since 2020, but Brick is regarded as one of the best draft-eligible prep catchers in recent seasons.
(CB-A) Kansas City Royals: Coleman Borthwick, RHP, South Walton HS (FL)
I am on the record stating this is the deepest prep right-handed pitching class in a long time, but yet I still have no one biting on one in this scenario until the 30th pick. There are a few I believe have a case to land within the top 25, but I think we really start to see them come off the board in this range, and Coleman Borthwick certainly has a shot at being the first to go. He came into the cycle as arguably the best prep right-hander, and everything only continued to tick up further throughout the spring. The Royals love their preps and come away with arguably the best athlete in the prep class in Eric Booth Jr, and the best prep right-hander in Borthwick in this scenario.
(CB-A) Arizona Diamondbacks: Logan Hughes, OF, Texas Tech
It might be because he has played for a fairly irrelevant Texas Tech program this spring, but Logan Hughes has flown under the radar as one of the purest bats in this year’s draft class. He’s not going to provide much outside of the bat as he’s for the most part a non-factor defensively in left field and on the bases, but the bat is one I would feel comfortable betting on in this range of the first round. I can definitely see a wide range of outcomes for Hughes however. Devin Taylor who is the 2025 comp to Hughes for me, slipped all the way to 48th overall in a weaker class. so there certainly could be a split camp for Hughes.
(CB-A) St. Louis Cardinals: Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
The Cardinals enjoy their college arms so I would imagine they would have a hard time passing on Liam Peterson if he was available here after taking a bat with their first pick. I floated some prep arms here as well since they have a higher bonus pool relative to their positioning, but the Cardinals haven’t selected and signed a prep arm since 2021. On top of that, they haven’t taken one in the first round since 2015, so regardless of the depth of that group here, I had a hard time finding one for this pick. As for Liam Peterson, he has been one of the more polarizing arms in this class, showing some legitimate ace upside and still holding on to some top ten pick potential, but also bringing some reliever risk to the table as well. At this stage I think teams probably feel more confident in guys like Tegan Kuhns and Cade Townsend, but Peterson is still going to find a spot somewhere in the first round.
(CB-A) Tampa Bay Rays: Aiden Ruiz, SS, Stony Brook HS (NY)
In theory, this would be another spot a prep arm has a good shot at landing in with the extra money the Rays have to spend, but like the Cardinals in the previous pick, the Rays simply don’t take any pitchers in this range, let alone prep arms. With that being said, I still think they stick to the polished prep bat, something they have received early returns on this year from the 2025 class between Daniel Pierce their first rounder, and Cooper Flemming, Dean Moss, and Taitn Gray with their next couple of picks that followed. Aiden Ruiz fits perfectly into the Rays draft archetype - excellent hit tool with some power projection along with elite athleticism and up the middle defense - and for that reason I believe the Rays could have taken him with their first pick if they weren’t selecting so high. Ruiz is on the older side of the class at 19.2 on draft day, but that hasn’t deterred the Rays in recent drafts as a lot of their prep bats have been on the older side, which might speak to why a lot of the prep bats they take are more polished than other selections in their respective ranges.
(CB-A) Pittsburgh Pirates: Brody Bumila, LHP, Bishop Feehan HS (MA)
This pick for the Pirates has Brody Bumila written all over it if he is in fact available here. Bumila has pushed as high as the top ten on plenty of public draft boards, but there is still a contingency of people along with myself that are still skeptical of the unicorn southpaw. I do think he has comfortably solidified himself as a first rounder, but I only see a few teams likely to be in on him in this range at the moment. The Pirates make the most sense with the highest bonus pool given Bumila’s bonus is likely going to be well over-slot at this pick in order to sign him away from his college commitment to Texas. Add on the same thing I discussed with their selection of Jacob Lombard with the fifth overall pick - the Pirates are willing to take on risk to tap into the upside, and there might not be another player on the board with more of each.
(CB-A) New York Yankees: Cole Carlon, LHP, Arizona State
Mock Draft 1.0: Joey Volchko
Mock Draft 2.0: Joey Volchko
While I’m not going back to Joey Volchko for a third straight time for the Bronx Bombers, I still like the idea of the Yankees taking a college arm given their ability to develop them well, and the fact there’s a solid group of them available here in this scenario. Cole Carlon is a left-handed version of Volcko in a sense - excellent stuff with a ton of velocity but some questions when it comes to the strike-throwing. The Yankees do a good job of getting pitchers to at least average command and Carlon could end up being the top college arm to come from this class if he throws enough strikes. With a strong showing down the stretch in conference play in the Big 12, Carlon has pushed himself into this range that feels a lot closer to his floor than his ceiling at this point.
(CB-A) Philadelphia Phillies: Taj Marchand, SS, James Island HS (SC)
Mock Draft 1.0: James Clark
Mock Draft 2.0: Aiden Ruiz
I still like a prep bat landing with the Phillies here after they went pitcher heavy in last year’s draft, but Taj Marchand is now the pick as he has made a late push into first round conversations with a very impressive spring campaign. He plays good defense up the middle which the Phillies value and will have a good shot at sticking at shortstop. The swing has some holes in it, but he’s making contact at an elite rate and growing into some power as well while only being 17.9 on draft day. It’s a similar profile to Aidan Miller who is now Philadelphia’s top prospect - a prep shortstop with potential hit risk, but with power and defensive upside along with athleticism that plays up on the diamond.
(CB-A) Colorado Rockies: Mason Edwards, LHP, USC
This could mean something or it could just be coincidence, but the Rockies have selected a college arm with their second pick in their last three drafts, all of which have also come in this range. They do have back to back picks here so this could just end up being the next pick, but regardless I would be surprised if they didn’t come away with one with either of these picks. Mason Edwards is likely the best college arm left on the board in this scenario, another pitcher like Cam Flukey who I have them taking tenth overall, as his stuff plays up due to his ability to command and locate his arsenal well.
(2nd RD) Colorado Rockies: Aiden Robbins, OF, Texas
There’s some legitimate hit risk due to his aggressive approach, but Aiden Robbins’ strong performance in his first year in the SEC along with his defensive ability in the outfield makes it hard to leave him out of the first round. The Rockies are no strangers to Texas outfielders either as they selected Max Belyeu with their third pick just last year. Robbins will have a shot at going nearly a full round ahead of him though as Belyeu went 74th overall to the Rockies in the comp-B round while Robbins slots in here as the first pick of the second round.
(2nd RD) Toronto Blue Jays: Cooper Sides, RHP, Orange Lutheran HS (CA)
Mock Draft 1.0: Joseph Contreras
Mock Draft 2.0: Joseph Contreras
There was some buzz between the Blue Jays and prep right-hander Joseph Contreras earlier in the cycle, but that has cooled down since. However, I still like for the Blue Jays to be the next team to take one of these prep right-handers from this deep crop of them here given their recent success with the demographic. Cooper Sides is my personal top prep right-hander in this class although it’s still very close between him and guys like Coleman Borthwick who is already off the board here, Jensen Hirschkorn, Kaden Waechter, and Blake Bryant, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a number of other names pop up here at this pick.
(2nd RD) Los Angeles Dodgers: Bo Lowrance, 3B, Christ Church Episcopal HS (SC)
Mock Draft 1.0: Mason Edwards
Mock Draft 2.0: Logan Reddemann
Bo Lowrance is starting to gain some legitimate helium as a potential front half of the first round pick, so there’s a good shot he’s not available with this pick, but I had to get him on here somehow. He’s 6’5” with plenty of projection remaining and might stick around on the left side of the infield as an average defender at third. It’s a tough bat not to bet on in this range - there’s plenty of feel to hit to keep his profile afloat while the power projection could be huge. The Dodgers have one of the best farm systems in baseball despite routinely not selecting until this late in the draft due to their elite ability to identify talent within the draft. Whether or not Lowrance is available with this pick, I expect the Dodgers to come away with a solid selection here, especially considering there’s plenty of first round caliber players still on the board with this being one of the deeper classes we have seen in recent memory.
