It's nearly time for the 2026 MLB Draft.
The 20-round event begins Saturday at 1 p.m. ET with Day 1 comprising Rounds 1-3 and taking place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center Grand Hall as part of Philadelphia's All-Star Weekend festivities. Coverage resumes Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET for Rounds 4-20.
Here, we'll project the first 25 picks of the first round. The Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Yankees incurred a 10-pick penalty for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the competitive balance tax and therefore won't make a first-round selection.
Each projected pick is accompanied by its league-mandated dollar value, the total bonus pool for that particular team, and where that bonus pool ranks in MLB. Individual pick values are added up to calculate a team's total bonus pool. Clubs are allowed to sign prospects above (over slot) or below (under slot) the expected value of the pick but can't exceed their total bonus pool when signing all drafted players.
Roch Cholowsky, SS
School: UCLA
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 202 lbs
Pick value: $11,350,600
Total bonus pool: $17,592,100 (3rd)
Cholowsky has been the expected No. 1 pick for months, but there's a lot of conjecture right now about how the White Sox could play this. Do they prefer the prepster Grady Emerson? Could they see Georgia Tech's Vahn Lackey as their catcher of the future? Cholowsky seems to have the highest floor of the trio at the moment and could be MLB-ready in a hurry. If the White Sox - who suddenly seem competitive - covet a quick win, Cholowsky should be the call.
Grady Emerson, SS
School: Fort Worth Christian HS (Texas)
Age: 18
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 185 lbs
Pick value: $10,507,700
Total bonus pool: $19,009,300 (2nd)
Analytical teams typically stay away from high schoolers this early in the draft as they pose too much risk. The Rays, however, aggressively go after whatever prospect they think is best. With Cholowsky off the board, that should be Emerson - and even with Cholowsky on the board, the Rays still may prefer Emerson's outrageously high ceiling.
Jackson Flora, RHP
School: UC Santa Barbara
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 205 lbs
Pick value: $9,740,100
Total bonus pool: $16,929,600 (5th)
The Twins historically stress about signability but didn't worry about that too much in 2023 when they selected Walker Jenkins fifth overall. This time, though, Minnesota has a higher pick and a lower bonus pool. It's between Flora and Lackey for college players at this pick. They'd take Cholowsky if he fell here but would likely avoid Emerson.
Drew Burress, OF
School: Georgia Tech
Age: 21
Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 185 lbs
Pick value: $8,988,400
Total bonus pool: $17,350,600 (4th)
President of baseball operations Buster Posey and senior director of amateur scouting Michael Holmes have only overseen two drafts for the Giants at this point, so it's hard to draw any conclusions about their process. However, they've selected college position players early both times. We'll go with Burress in this mock, but his Georgia Tech teammate Lackey is a legitimate candidate if Posey wants his catcher of the future.
Vahn Lackey, C
School: Georgia Tech
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 215 lbs
Pick value: $8,336,500
Total bonus pool: $19,130,700 (1st)
If Lackey falls outside the top two, there's a chance the Pirates try to flex their ample bonus pool to engineer him falling to No. 5 but signing well over slot - potentially at the same value as the No. 2 pick. That's the scenario we've cooked up here. The same would go for Emerson if he starts slipping. The Pirates really whiffed on selecting catcher Henry Davis first overall in 2021, so they may be wary of taking a backstop so early, but Lackey isn't Davis.
Jacob Lombard, SS
School: Gulliver Prep HS (Florida)
Age: 18
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 195 lbs
Pick value: $7,746,100
Total bonus pool: $15,954,000 (7th)
The Royals never shy away from a high-ceiling prepster, so they'd likely be choosing between Lombard or speedy outfielder Eric Booth Jr. We have them opting for the more polished bat.
Justin Lebron, SS
School: Alabama
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 190 lbs
Pick value: $7,327,200
Total bonus pool: $13,114,000 (13th)
For a while, Lebron was seen as a contender to go first overall instead of Cholowsky. His approach is a little too aggressive, and he's fallen down boards as a result, but the O's will likely pick a college bat here. Lebron is a great option who could easily move around the diamond.
Jared Grindlinger, LHP/OF
School: Huntington Beach HS (California)
Age: 17
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 190 lbs
Pick value: $6,982,600
Total bonus pool: $13,840,300 (10th)
The A's, who typically opt for college players with at least one loud tool, would love to get Lebron. After they miss here, this could be the first spot in the draft where we see a real reach. We have them going for two-way high schooler Grindlinger. The Athletics have used their first-rounder on a prepster just twice in the last eight drafts. But Grindlinger presents an intriguing opportunity as a lefty pitcher and hitter, and evaluators are somewhat torn as to which side of his game is better. If Grindlinger goes much lower, the 17-year-old could follow through on his commitment to Tennessee.
Gio Rojas, LHP
School: Stoneman Douglas HS (Florida)
Age: 19
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 195 lbs
Pick value: $6,675,300
Total bonus pool: $15,870,800 (8th)
Rojas joins a system that has added prep pitchers Owen Murphy, JR Ritchie, and Cam Caminiti in recent years.
Eric Booth Jr., OF
School: Oak Grove HS (Massachusetts)
Age: 18
Height: 6-feet
Weight: 207 lbs
Pick value: $6,393,100
Total bonus pool: $15,557,600 (9th)
Booth probably shouldn't slip this low. In this spot, he may have signability issues and follow through on his commitment to Vanderbilt. But the Rockies would have to take the chance on his ceiling if he was available.
Trevor Condon, OF
School: Etowah HS (Georgia)
Age: 18
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 178 lbs
Pick value: $6,133,500
Total bonus pool: $12,278,300 (14th)
A brand-new front office led by Paul Toboni is nearly impossible to predict. In 2022 with the Red Sox, Toboni heavily targeted prepsters, including Roman Anthony. As a result, we've got the Nationals drafting Condon, who possesses elite speed and great hitting ability.
Tyler Bell, SS
School: Kentucky
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 190 lbs
Pick value: $5,889,300
Total bonus pool: $11,755,400 (16th)
John Mozeliak was only appointed interim general manager in June, and it's hard to imagine him overruling scouting director Tim McIlvaine, who's held this position since 2021. So the approach should look pretty familiar. The Angels typically look for a college bat with a relatively high floor like Bell.
Ryder Helfrick, C
School: Arkansas
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 210 lbs
Pick value: $5,661,300
Total bonus pool: $16,612,300 (6th)
Chaim Bloom has been with the Cardinals organization for a couple of years, but this is his first draft at the helm. Let's go with Arkansas catcher Helfrick, who tore up the wooden-bat Cape Cod League with 11 homers in 36 games last summer.
Ace Reese, 3B
School: Mississippi State
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 220 lbs
Pick value: $5,444,900
Total bonus pool: $11,960,100 (15th)
Reese is ranked No. 18 by MLB Pipeline but could hear his name called earlier because of his prodigious power. A team with a top pick will almost certainly overlook his defensive limitations for a chance at that bat.
Derek Curiel, OF
School: Louisiana State
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 192 lbs
Pick value: $5,241,000
Total bonus pool: $13,603,100 (12th)
Curiel falls to the Diamondbacks here, and that's fine by them: He's a high-floor college bat who hits left and has the athleticism to hang in center. He's more likely to wind up as an above-average defender in a corner instead.
Cameron Flukey, RHP
School: Coastal Carolina
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 210 lbs
Pick value: $5,051,900
Total bonus pool: $10,219,200 (18th)
Rangers select large college pitcher with well-rounded repertoire and repeatable delivery. In other news, water is wet.
Chris Hacopian, 2B
School: Texas A&M
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 210 lbs
Pick value: $4,868,600
Total bonus pool: $13,712,700 (11th)
Defensive limitations are the only reason Hacopian could slide this far. A gifted hitter, he may end up in a corner outfield spot, or perhaps he'll develop the skill set to land at third base with improved range.
Hunter Dietz, LHP
School: Arkansas
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 235 lbs
Pick value: $4,695,500
Total bonus pool: $10,758,500 (17th)
Dietz would join Rhett Lowder, Ty Floyd, and Chase Burns as early-round college arms the Reds have selected over the past three drafts.
Bo Lowrance, 3B
School: Christ Church Episcopal HS (South Carolina)
Age: 18
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 200 lbs
Pick value: $4,530,500
Total bonus pool: $9,303,700 (21st)
After back-to-back years of taking college bats with their top picks, the Guardians select a high school hitter in Lowrance. This is perhaps too early for Lowrance, so Cleveland could opt for a college bat like AJ Gracia instead.
Carson Bolemon, LHP
School: Southside Christian HS (South Carolina)
Age: 19
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 215 lbs
Pick value: $4,373,900
Total bonus pool: $8,219,200 (23rd)
Bolemon is ranked No. 24 by MLB Pipeline, but his name could be called much, much sooner. Some team is sure to be enamored by the young lefty who racked up up 101 strikeouts over 42 1/3 innings. The Red Sox could also opt for a college arm like Liam Peterson or Tegan Kuhns here instead.
Coleman Borthwick, RHP
School: South Walton HS (Florida)
Age: 18
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 245 lbs
Pick value: $4,224,700
Total bonus pool: $9,479,000 (20th)
The Padres love prep pitchers, and Bolemon would be a target here too. This is a bit of a reach, but that wouldn't be abnormal for San Diego, and Borthwick is no slouch.
Aiden Ruiz, SS
School: The Stony Brook HS (New York)
Age: 19
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 160 lbs
Pick value: $4,082,700
Total bonus pool: $9,165,100 (22nd)
Unless a player fits a very specific archetype - polished college hitter with elite pop - the Tigers routinely opt for projectable prepsters. Ruiz is lauded as the best defensive shortstop in the class.
AJ Gracia, OF
School: Virginia
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 195 lbs
Pick value: $3,947,600
Total bonus pool: $9,644,100 (19th)
The Cubs haven't burned a first-round pick on a high schooler since 2020, and we expect them to keep up the streak. In this scenario, Gracia falls to them and would be a no-brainer here.
Tegan Kuhns, RHP
School: Tennessee
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 189 lbs
Pick value: $3,818,700
Total bonus pool: $8,218,200 (24th)
The Mariners opt for high school bats or college pitchers. If Kuhns falls this far, he fits into the latter category after racking up 106 strikeouts and 16 walks over 81 innings with Tennessee this year.
Liam Peterson, RHP
School: Florida
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 225 lbs
Pick value: $3,696,000
Total bonus pool: $8,042,900 (25th)
Evaluators seem to love Peterson, and he'll likely be drafted earlier than this, but the team needs be comfortable with the fact that the Florida product allowed 43 earned runs over 84 1/3 innings this past year. The Brewers are the type of organization that can maximize his stuff, though.
