MLB mock draft 2026: Full first-round projections after the dust settles on regionals

While MLB scouts can only be so swayed by what amounts to a handful of important games towards the tail end of the college baseball season, the road to Omaha does have some impact on how the chips fall come July. Sure, UCLA's early defeat is unlikely to knock Roch Cholowsky off his perch as the No. 1 overall prospect, but an impressive College World Series run could have, say, cemented Vahn Lackey as the surefire No. 3 prospect behind Cholowsky and Grady Emerson (at least until Lackey's Jackets suffered the same fate at UCLA).

Lackey, Hunter Dietz, Aiden Robbins and Jackson Flora were all exceptional in regionals over the weekend. Flora in particular solidified his ranking as the top overall pitching prospect in his class during his most recent start for UC Santa Barbara. There's still plenty of time for the board to reshuffle, but if all 30 teams were forced to pick right now, here's how we at FanSided see it going down.

1. Chicago White Sox: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA

• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 202 pounds
• Age: 21

It’s felt like Cholowsky has been slowly losing his grip on the No. 1 pick for weeks now, and UCLA’s shocking failure to get out of its own regional certainly didn’t help. I’m still penciling him in here because of his all-around game and proximity to the Majors — he’s certainly safer than going with a prep bat — but Chicago could very well opt to take the upside swing and go with Grady Emerson when all is said and done.

-Chris Landers, FanSided.com

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

• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 180 pounds
• Age: 18

The Tampa Bay Rays might be missing out on Roch Cholowsky, but they, a team with the best record in the American League and arguably a top 10 farm system, add Grady Emerson, a player who could very well end up going No. 1 overall in July. Emerson can do it all, with grades of 55 or higher in every trait per MLB Pipeline, giving the Rays a chance to finally add their Wander Franco successor. It’ll likely take him a bit of time to make it to the majors coming out of high school, but a left side of the infield featuring Emerson and Junior Caminero would have the potential to be one of the best in the sport for a long time.

-Zach Rotman, FanSided.com

3. Minnesota Twins: Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech

• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 215 pounds
• Age: 20

If it weren't for Roch Cholowsky and Grady Emerson, Vahn Lackey would be the unquestioned No. 1 overall pick. Heck, in most classes he'd be exactly that, and the Georgia Tech product added to his resume in a big way during the college baseball postseason. Lackey hit a baseball over the scoreboard in Tech's eventual win over Oklahoma.

Lackey's plate prowess makes him a can't-miss prospect, but he also managed the Yellow Jackets' pitching staff quite well. He can follow in Joe Mauer's footsteps should Minnesota make the right choice at No. 3.

-Mark Powell, FanSided.com

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

• Height: 6-3
• Weight: 185 pounds
• Age: 18

The Giants don’t find a way to snag one of the big three in this year’s draft, but Lombard isn’t too shabby a consolation prize. The younger brother of current top Yankees prospect George Jr. (and the son of former big-leaguer George), Jacob is an even better athlete, an excellent defender at shortstop who should make a real impact as a base-runner as well. The question, as it so often does, lies in whether he’ll make enough contact against pro pitching to let his physical tools shine. But there’s a ton to like here, with a five-tool profile if it all comes together.

-CL

5. Pittsburgh Pirates: Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara

• Height: 6-5
• Weight: 205 pounds
• Age: 20

The last two first-round picks the Pittsburgh Pirates have used on pitchers have been to select Paul Skenes, arguably the best pitcher on the planet right now, and Seth Hernandez, arguably the top pitching prospect in the sport. Given their success, why not select the best pitcher in this year’s class, Jackson Flora, at No. 5 overall? The need for a position player might be greater given all the pitching the Pirates have, but as we saw last year with the Hernandez pick, the Pirates will likely take the best player available regardless of the position. Flora fits the bill in that regard, and he could help form one of MLB’s most dominant rotations in the not-too-distant future.

-ZR

6. Kansas City Royals: Eric Booth Jr., OF, Oak Grove (MS)

• Height: 6-0
• Weight: 207 pounds
• Age: 17

If Booth Jr. falls to the Orioles they will gladly take him, but in this scenario I assume the Royals wouldn't let him slip past six. Yes, Kansas City and Dayton Moore are all-in on Lombard if he's available, but the San Francisco Giants AND Pittsburgh Pirates have both been connected to the young shortstop as well. But make no mistake, Booth isn't a bad backup plan. The outfielder from Mississippi can run fast as lightning and has a rapidly-improving hit tool to boot.

-MP

7. Baltimore Orioles: Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama

• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 180 pounds
• Age: 21

Overly aggressive? Perhaps. But it wasn’t too long ago that Lebron was popping up in 1.1 conversations in this draft class, and after he put his full potential on display in the Tuscaloosa regional over the weekend, it doesn’t seem far-fetched at all to think that he could climb into the top 10 when all is said and done.

It’s a boom-or-bust profile, no doubt, and his up-and-down junior year underlines the risk involved here. Still, the Orioles have been among the best in baseball at developing their homegrown hitters under Mike Elias; if anyone can unlock Lebron’s considerable ceiling as maybe the best pure athlete in this class, it’s Baltimore.

-CL

8. Athletics: Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech

• Height: 5-9
• Weight: 185 pounds
• Age: 21

It’s easy to overlook Burress for a couple of reasons. He’s on a team with Vahn Lackey, and he’s only 5-foot-9. Well, while Lackey is outstanding and Burress might not be the tallest of players, he’s arguably the best outfielder in the class. He has much more power than you’d expect with his size, and he’s a rock-solid defender in center field. You’d be hard-pressed to find a weakness in his game, making him an easy pick for the Athletics, a team that could use a more well-rounded center fielder than Denzel Clarke, to make.

-ZR

9. Atlanta Braves: Sawyer Strosnider, OF, Texas Christian

• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 200 pounds
• Age: 20

Just over a week ago we mocked Strosnider to the Baltimore Orioles. He's a toolsy college hitter who is as pro-ready as they come. While the Braves are a good bet to take a starting pitcher in this slot, don't be surprised if they gamble on a high-upside player like Strosnider, who missed out on the road to Omaha this season. Strosnider has 60-grade power and baserunning tools. He can do a little bit of everything, but there are some questions about his patience at the plate.

-MP

10. Colorado Rockies: Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina

• Height: 6-6
• Weight: 210 pounds
• Age: 21

This is the very first pick for Paul DePodesta and the new Rockies regime, and who knows which direction they might opt to go. Flukey feels like the best balance of floor and ceiling, though: The righty was in the running of the title of best college arm in this class before a rib fracture waylaid his season, and he closed the year with three promising outings – including 3.1 strong innings against Florida State in the Tallahassee regional. Colorado obviously needs all the pitching it can get its hands on, and they have two comp picks at No. 37 and 38 to take bigger swings.

-CL

11. Washington Nationals: Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas

• Height: 6-1
• Weight: 210
• Age: 21

Ryder Helfrick has the makings of a solid big-league regular at a position where that’s hard to find, catcher. Defense is his strength (he’s already calling pitches at the collegiate level), but he also has a lot of power. His hit tool, only given a 45-grade, is not great, and that can be cause for concern, but a defensive-minded catcher who can hit 20+ home runs is a valuable player. Keibert Ruiz has had a strong start to his season, but he’s far from established at the big-league level, and the same can be said for Harry Ford. Helfrick could be the answer Nationals fans have been waiting for behind the dish.

-ZR

12. Los Angeles Angels: Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M

• Height: 6-1
• Weight: 210 pounds
• Age: 21

We mocked Haciopan to the Angels last time around, and I see little reason to change that. The Aggies star is one of the best pro-ready players in this class, and provides strong power and hit tools to contribute right away. That was on full display in regionals this weekend.

The Angels will need more where that came from, as Perry Minasian and Kurt Suzuki are under pressure to win now with a poor product. Drafting Haciopan would be proof that Arte Moreno intends on winning big, and soon.

-MP

13. St. Louis Cardinals: Hunter Dietz, LHP, Arkansas

• Height: 6-6
• Weight: 235 pounds
• Age: 21

Yes, Dietz threw just 1.2 innings between 2024 and 2025. But he was dynamite for Arkansas this season, with a whopping 131 strikeouts in just 85.2 innings of work, and lefties with this sort of velocity and this deep of a repertoire don’t exactly grow on trees. The Cardinals should be in the market for pitching with this pick as they look to restock their depth in that area – it’s not a coincidence that Chaim Bloom targeted arms in just about every trade he made this past winter – and Dietz is an awfully appealing project for this new development group.

-CL

14. Miami Marlins: Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida

• Height: 6-5
• Weight: 225 pounds
• Age: 20

The Miami Marlins could use as much offense as they can get, but a pitcher as talented as Liam Peterson is too good to pass on at No. 14 overall. Peterson, a Florida product, leans on a fastball that can hit the upper 90s as his main offering, but his slider and curveball are both above-average pitches, and his change-up is a solid fourth pitch. His command might not be where you want it to be, but the stuff is hard to overlook, and with the Marlins’ success when it comes to developing pitchers in mind, I don’t know how they let Peterson slide further.

-ZR

15. Arizona Diamondbacks: Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas (FL)

• Height: 6-4
• Weight: 190 pounds
• Age: 18

The Orioles have an eye on Rojas as one of the top-ranked prep arms in this class. However, that's likely because Baltimore believes they can go underslot with Rojas, rather than a true indication he's a top-10 talent. No. 15 to Arizona feels like a far more reasonable expectation for the 18-year-old. The Stoneman Douglas graduate has an elite fastball-slider combination. He's a project, but one that ought to pay off in the desert.

-MP

16. Texas Rangers: Aiden Robbins, OF, Texas

• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 205 pounds
• Age: 21

Lebron feels like exactly the sort of big-name prospect the Rangers love to take in the first round, but sadly the O’s beat them to the punch. Taking a pitcher here certainly wouldn’t surprise me, but with Flora, Dietz, Flukey and Peterson all off the board, why not go with the in-state product currently tearing it up for the Horns in the NCAA tournament? Robbins has tapped into a ton more power in his first season at Texas, and it’s a good thing, because he’ll need it if he’s going to make this profile work as a corner outfielder.

-CL

17. Houston Astros: Logan Reddemann, RHP, UCLA

• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 185 pounds
• Age: 21

Logan Reddemann missing time due to arm fatigue might alarm some, but assuming he’s deemed healthy by the time the draft rolls around, the 17th pick feels like his floor. That is great news for a Houston Astros organization that needs pitching arguably more than any other, with not much talent to speak of outside of Hunter Brown in the majors or minors. Reddemann throws hard and throws strikes. His secondary offerings, outside of a wicked cutter, might not be the most polished yet, but the Astros can’t pass on Reddemann, especially when considering their organizational needs.

-ZR

18. Cincinnati Reds: Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky

• Height: 6-1
• Weight: 190 pounds
• Age: 20

Tyler Bell is one of the fastest risers in this draft class, so much so that ESPN's Kiley McDaniel recently hinted he could be a top-10 pick. I won't go that far, as there's still a long time between now and All-Star weekend in Philadelphia. What's so attractive about Bell is his high floor. He is above 50 grade is every tool measured by MLB Pipeline. Odds are, any team that selects the 20-year-old is getting a major-league contributor.

Bell put one more exclamation point on his season with a home run against West Virginia in regionals. He'd be a valuable addition to any farm system.

-MP

19. Cleveland Guardians: Zion Rose, OF, Louisville

• Height: 6-1
• Weight: 200 pounds
• Age: 20

From Chase DeLauter to Jace Laviolette, the Guardians have made a concerted effort to add more power to their organization in recent drafts. Which brings us to Rose, who packs a ton of it into his 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame. The defense in left field leaves something to be desired, but as a hitter, it’s hard to poke a hole in his profile – he slashed .417/.491/.646 this season at Louisville, after all. If his plate discipline doesn’t collapse against pro pitching, the upside here is immense.

-CL

20. Boston Red Sox: Jared Grindlinger, LHP/OF, Huntingdon Beach (CA)

• Height: 6-3
• Weight: 190 pounds
• Age: 17

Jared Grindlinger has risk written all over him. He’s only 17 years old, making him one of the youngest players in the class. He’s also attempting to be a two-way player, something nobody other than Shohei Ohtani has successfully pulled off. With that being said, with the 20th overall pick, the Boston Red Sox should be all over this. Grindlinger probably won’t stick as a two-way player, but there’s too much to dream on, both hitting- and pitching-wise, not to take him.

-ZR

21. San Diego Padres: Brody Bumila, LHP, Bishop Feehan (MA)

• Height: 6-9
• Weight: 255 pounds
• Age: 18

The Padres front office executives may have to literally hold AJ Preller back from selecting Brody Bumila. The 6-9 left-hander has all the makings of the next great Padres ace. He's a ball of clay that needs some molding, and Preller trusts the Padres pitcher development staff to do just that. Bumila's best pitch is his fastball, which grades out at 65. His mechanics are a bit sketchy, as is his control, but he's just getting out of high school. Patience is key with this kid.

-MP

22. Detroit Tigers: Trevor Condon, OF, Etowah (GA)

• Height: 5-11
• Weight: 178 pounds
• Age: 18

An undersized lefty prep hitter with preternatural bat-to-ball skills – hey, if it worked for Kevin McGonigle, why not go back to the well one more time? The comparison isn’t a perfect one; Condon plays center field, for starters, and is a darn good one thanks to his blazing speed. But the hit tool is real, and there’s more upside to mine if a pro development group can optimize his swing a bit more. That feels in keeping with the other hitters Scott Harris has drafted in recent years, even if Tarik Skubal’s looming departure makes pitching a more pressing need than usual.

-CL

23. Chicago Cubs: Cade Townsend, RHP, Ole Miss

• Height: 6-1
• Weight: 185 pounds
• Age: 21

It would not be surprising to see Cade Townsend land somewhere in the top 10 of the MLB Draft, which means that the Chicago Cubs would be thrilled to scoop him up at No. 23 overall. Townsend’s command, while improved, isn’t fully polished, but his stuff is outstanding. He sits in the mid-90s with his fastball, and both his curveball and slider generate whiffs at an above-average clip. Even his cutter has the potential to be a really good weapon.

-ZR

24. Seattle Mariners: Derek Curiel, OF, LSU

• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 192 pounds
• Age: 20

Curiel and the LSU Tigers shockingly did not make the NCAA Tournament this time around, which shouldn't impact his stock all the much. The star outfielder ought to remain a surefire first-round pick, and frankly this is a bit low for him. Thus, the Mariners would be thrilled if a pro-ready outfield prospect like Curiel fell right into their laps. If there's one thing this Seattle farm system needs, it's more bats ready to contribute right away. Curiel has a 60-grade hit tool and doesn't strike out a whole lot. Enough said.

-MP

25. Milwaukee Brewers: Logan Schmidt, LHP, Ganesha (CA)

• Height: 6-4
• Weight: 210 pounds
• Age: 17

Schmidt feels like a player the Brewers will know exactly what to do with, a lefty who sits in the mid-90s with a wipeout slider and who is still just scratching the surface of his potential (he’ll still be 17 years old when the draft rolls around). Milwaukee could go in any number of directions here — this front office will take talent in whatever form it presents itself — but I think Schmidt’s potential is tough to ignore.

-CL

Prospect promotion incentives, explained: What's in store for Braves, Mets and Astros

The MLB prospect promotion incentive is working as planned. Essentially, if a team like the Braves, Mets or Astros calls up one of their top prospects for Opening Day and it works to perfection, they get an extra draft pick. To qualify, that player must either win Rookie of the Year or finish top-3 in MVP or Cy Young voting prior to the end of their arbitration years. In the case of the Braves, they have Drake Baldwin to thank.

26. Atlanta Braves: Cole Carlon, LHP, Arizona State

• Height: 6-5
• Weight: 230 pounds
• Age: 21

Cole Carlon burst onto the scene as a reliever with Arizona State, but his stock rapidly rose this season when he found his way into the Sun Devils’ rotation. The 6-foot-5 southpaw is an imposing presence on the mound, both because of his height and because he sits in the upper 90s with his fastball. His secondary offerings will prevent him from being picked in the top 10-to-15, but taking an arm with this kind of upside at 26, especially with how the Braves can develop pitching, feels like a dream scenario.

-ZR

27. New York Mets: Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee

• Height: 6-3
• Weight: 189 pounds
• Age: 20

Kuhns has an elite fastball and curveball — both of which are 60 grade — but he still has to develop much of his arsenal. A sound third pitch, such as his slider or changeup, would go a long way in forcing his way to the top of a big-league rotation. For now, though, Kuhns is worth taking a chance on, especially for an organization like the Mets which intends to win again sooner rather than later.

-MP

28. Houston Astros: AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia

• Height: 6-3
• Weight: 195
• Age: 21

Houston’s system needs help just about everywhere, but they could really use a fast-moving outfielder like Gracia, who combines center-field athleticism with some of the best plate discipline in the whole draft class. After taking Reddemann with their first pick, a college bat makes sense for the Astros here, and Gracia checks a ton of boxes.

-CL

Competitive balance picks: What to know and players on the rise

Competitive balance picks are a bit tougher to explain, and could be up for debate in the next round of CBA talks. But for now, MLB teams in big and small markets can gain a competitive balance pick if said franchise extends a qualifying offer to a free agent and they leave anyway. It should be noted that even some big-market teams like the Yankees and Phillies — who rank among the top payrolls in MLB — benefit from this system.

As for players to watch, look no further than Eric Becker, Ace Reese and Gavin Grahovac, all three of whom have been routinely mentioned in our mock draft and could go higher in the first round. Becker has a 55-grade hit tool, while Reese offers tremendous power that cannot be matched in this class. There's plenty of value to be had, even in the late 20's and early 30's.

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