Tonight marks the start of the NFL draft, but we can't let them have all the fun. This 2026 MLB Draft Report marks our first mock draft of the season. After going through this drill, a few things stood out to me about this class:
No. 1: The first 20 picks are going to be college-heavy. Last year we almost saw an even mix of prep and college players selected in the first 20 picks (nine prep, 11 college), but this mock I have five prep to 15 college player ratio.
No. 2: This class is light on premium college pitching.
No. 3: I’m pretty confident who the first five picks would be today, so the draft starts at Pick 6 with Kansas City.
No. 4: Colorado could be a wild card as they have three picks in the first 40 selections.
We’ll go through this exercise monthly to see how the MLB draft winds shift. At Over-Slot, they have created their own MLB Mock Draft Simulator. I like this tool because with the dedicated bonus amounts, it forces users to be mindful of how much pool money you have. So if you do a full 10-round mock, it can’t just be multi-million dollar prep prospects signings.
Over-Slot: Mock Draft Simulator
I disagree with the slot values, especially Roch Cholowsky at $10.5 million (I think that’s at least $750,000 more than what he will sign for), but it’s great for practicing and getting familiar with this draft class. Post your mock draft simulations in the comments section below.
2026 MLB Draft Mock 1.0
1) Chicago White Sox select Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA
While Cholowsky’s conference numbers are merely OK, they are not bad enough to pivot with the first pick.
2) Tampa Bay Rays select Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian HS (Tex.)
Tampa Bay took Daniel Pierce last year in the first round, but they are not afraid of stacking shortstops.
3) Minnesota Twins select Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech
The Minnesota Twins have spent previous first-round picks on college hitters. Lackey is in the running for both the Golden Spikes and Dick Howser awards for best college player. He could be the Twins' future backstop.
4) San Francisco Giants select Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
The San Francisco Giants have been college-heavy in recent drafts. With Flora, they get a dynamic arm that could help Logan Webb lead the starting rotation.
5) Pittsburgh Pirates select Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep (Fla.)
With the success Pittsburgh had in getting Konnor Griffin to the majors, I think they are not afraid to follow that same track with Lombard.
6) Kansas City Royals select A.J. Gracia, OF, Virginia
No MLB team should draft for need in the first round, but Gracia is one of the best players available at this pick and also serves a need for outfield help.
7) Baltimore Orioles select Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
Even with the struggles hitting SEC pitching, Lebron will find a home in the top 10. In Baltimore, he could join Enrique Bradfield in the majors, giving the Orioles plenty of speed to wreak havoc on the basepaths.
8) Sacramento Athletics select Chris Hacopian, SS, Texas A&M
With a whiff rate below 10 percent and ability to flash serious power, Hacopian could be another fast track college bat the Athletics can use to build around Nick Kurtz and Jack Wilson.
9) Atlanta Braves select Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
Atlanta has been heavy on pitchers in the first round. Peterson has the prototypical starting pitcher build with four pitch mix. His four-seam fastball routinely hits 98 MPH.
10) Colorado Rockies select Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech
Proven college performer Burress joins Ethan Holliday and Charlie Condon as building blocks for the Colorado Rockies
11) Washington Nationals select Eric Booth Jr., OF, Oak Grove (Miss.)
The Washington Nationals are never shy about taking talented prep prospects. In Booth, they would add one of the tooliest players in this class.
12) Los Angeles Angels select Logan Reddemann, RHP, UCLA
UCLA’s Friday night starter, Reddemann has advanced feel for pitching with a velocity boost since joining the Bruins staff.
13) St. Louis Cardinals select Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU
St. Louis sticks with their recent trend of taking the best available college player. Strosnider is a good outfield defender with some power potential.
14) Miami Marlins select Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State
The run on college players continues. Ace Reese is an excellent defender at third base but a streaky hitter. A late hot streak this college season could push him into the Top 10 picks.
15) Arizona Diamondbacks select Tyler Spangler, SS, De La Salle HS (Calif.)
Spangler has a smooth left-handed swing and defensively should stay in the dirt either at shortstop or third base.
16) Texas Rangers select Aiden Robbins, OF, Texas
Robbins is having an outstanding season as he’s hit 15 home runs and continues to gain helium in this draft class.
17) Houston Astros select Eric Becker, SS, Virginia
I’m not crazy about Becker’s K-BB rate, but he’s a three-year college starter who should stick at shortstop.
18) Cincinnati Reds select Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS (Fla.)
Cincinnati loves high velocity arms, and Rojas fits the bill with his three-pitch mix to build from.
19) Cleveland Guardians select Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky
Tyler Bell missed three weeks earlier this season due to injury, but he’s been tearing it up at the plate the last 23 games with 1.131 OPS.
20) Boston Red Sox select Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas
Boston has a lot of problems on their hands to start the 2026 season, but Helfrick is the best college hitter left on the board. He reminds me a bit of former Razorback catcher James McCann.
21) San Diego Padres select Jared Grindlinger, LHP/1B, Huntington Beach HS (Calif.)
Reclassified from the 2027 draft, Grindlinger will be 17 years old when selected. His pitching profile has a higher ceiling than the bat.
22) Detroit Tigers select Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M
Strikeouts are an issue, but when Sorrell puts the ball in play he does so with great impact. He already has 18 home runs this season, and is hitting .351 against SEC pitching with seven home runs.
23) Chicago Cubs select Jake Brown, OF, LSU
A broken hamate bone ended Brown’s 2026 season, but he still hit 16 home runs in 41 games.
24) Seattle Mariners select Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina
Flukey has only made one start this season due to a rib injury. He was a top-10 talent before the injury, and would be a worthy risk at this stage of the first round.
25) Milwaukee Brewers select Derek Curiel, OF, LSU
It’s a contact-over-power hitting profile, but Curiel fits the Milwaukee Brewers' model of a good defensive player with consistent contact skills.
26) Atlanta Braves select Carson Bolemon, LHP, Southside Christian (S.C.)
This is when the run of prep pitchers should begin. Bolemon has a starter's build and is consistently throwing mid-90s MPH in his starts.
27) New York Mets select Coleman Borthwick, RHP, South Walton HS (Fla.)
At 6'6", Borthwick is another projectable prep starting pitcher with recent reports clocking him at 100 mph.
28) Houston Astros select Logan Schmidt, LHP, Ganesha HS (Calif.)
Another 2027 reclassification, Schmidt is already at mid-90s MPH and could gain more velocity with better use of his lower half.
29) Cleveland Guardians select Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee
Kuhns has an intriguing pitch mix but could use more consistency. He hit 97 mph against UCLA during the College Showcase in February. His slider is the best pitch.
30) Kansas City Royals select Cole Carlon, LHP, Arizona State
Carlon uses both the four-seam and two-seam fastballs well, with the later hitting higher velocities. Against Mississippi State in February, Carlon was reaching 98 MPH.
31) Arizona Diamondbacks select Joseph Contreras, RHP, Blessed Trinity Catholic HS (Ga.)
Son of former White Sox ace Jose Contreras, Joseph put on a good impression with his performance against Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. He's a Vanderbilt commit, so it’ll take a sizable signing bonus to lure him away.
32) St. Louis Cardinals select Mason Edwards, LHP, USC
Another prospect quickly rising up the rankings. Edwards leads D-I in strikeouts with 107 in 60⅓ innings.
33) Tampa Bay Rays select Joey Volchko, RHP, Georgia
Volchko has a four-pitch mix with plus velocity, but his breaking pitches need refinement in order for a breakout to happen.
34) Pittsburgh Pirates select Hunter Dietz, LHP, Arkansas
The run of pitchers continues. It’s been a frustrating college career for Dietz, but he’s finally found his groove in 2026, with 84 strikeouts over 52⅔ innings this season.
35) New York Yankees select Blake Bowen, OF, JSerra HS (Calif.)
Bowen has a big throwing arm clocking in at 96 mph during showcase outfield drills. He’s also shown flashes of power in the circuit, making him an intriguing prep bat to develop for the Yankees.
36) Philadelphia Phillies select James Clark, SS, St. John Bosco HS (Calif.)
Clark has plus athleticism with good contact skills, but the power aspects of his game still need more development. It’s a lean frame and could use some added strength in the weight room, but he has good enough defensive skills to project as a shortstop professionally.
37) Colorado Rockies select Ruger Riojas, RHP, Texas
A college senior, so an opportunity early for the Colorado Rockies to save some draft pool, but Ruger Riojas has been excellent for Texas this season. He’s got a good feel for the fastball and cutter.
38) Colorado Rockies select Beau Peterson, 3B, Mill Valley HS (Ks.)
Peterson was part of the Chicago White Sox's Area Code team. He’s got projectable left-handed power and will either stick at third base or a corner outfield spot.
39) Toronto Blue Jays select Jensen Hirschkorn, RHP, Kingsburg HS (Calif.)
Hirshkorn is already 6’7” with a delivery that makes it tough to read pitches coming out of his hand, and especially tough for current high school hitters who have to deal with his fastball that reaches 97 mph.
40) Los Angeles Dodgers select Will Gasparino, OF, UCLA
Strikeouts have always been an issue for Gasparino, but he’s finally found a swing to his liking at UCLA and the power is legit. Has 17 home runs for the season, and hit four homers during the College Showdown tournament in February.
41) Chicago White Sox select Landon Thome, SS, Nazareth Academy (Ill.)
I’m 90 percent sure this pick will be used on a prep player, as the White Sox will have plenty of draft pool money to offer, ranging from $3 million to $3.5 million. Like Jaden Fauske last year, I’m strangely confident this is the direction Mike Shirley would like to go in, sticking with the White Sox Area Code prospects. Thome is the highest-ranking prospect from that lot available at this juncture.
Another White Sox Area Code name to watch would be Dominic Santarelli, but he could be the target in the third round.
