2026 MLB Mock Draft 2.0

There have been multiple changes to the Major League Baseball Draft and the television product in recent years. In 2026, the draft will take place live from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in advance of the All Star Break. This year will be different however as the first four rounds will take place on Saturday July 11th in the afternoon. Rounds five-20 will occur on Sunday July 12th. It’s another change from last season as round four moves to the first day.

The Chicago White Sox have landed the first overall pick. They had the best odds with a 27.7% chance but it’s the first time in the lottery system that the team with the top odds will choose first. The Tampa Bay Rays will pick 2nd overall followed by the Minnesota Twins at third. The San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals vaulted into the top six while the Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels were in the penalty box.

The Chicago White Sox have a bonus pool of around $18.4 million in total and the number one pick comes with an assigned slot value of $11,350,600. The record bonus is nearly $9.3 million. Our Mock Draft 1.0 can be found here. Bonus pools and slot values have been made available as well.

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

Cholowsky provides a hit/power combo with plus defense at shortstop. He also hit .329/.448/.642 with 52 homers and 41 doubles in three college seasons. Cholowsky posted an 11.7% strikeout rate as well which is the lowest rate of any player with 45 plus homers over the past three seasons. He should be a quick mover to the big leagues. The White Sox likely consider Grady Emerson and Vahn Lackey here as well but the UCLA shortstop still seems like the favorite to me.

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

The Rays would have plenty of options in this spot but likely opt for the premium high school shortstop with a left-handed bat and plus hit tool. The club is familiar with taking left-handed hitting prep players. Vahn Lackey is a definite option with this selection as well and there are consistent rumors about Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell in an underslot deal as well.

3. Minnesota Twins: Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech

The Twins could hold firm here and draft the player who falls to them. In this case, it would be Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey. In a change for this version though, the Twins select the college outfielder who has really popped on their model with an underslot deal at #3.

4. San Francisco Giants: Vahn Lackey, Catcher, Georgia Tech

The Giants will try to use their inflated bonus pool and flexibility to land one of the top three players in the draft class. Lackey would receive top 3 money in this spot. Giants are likely selecting between Jacob Lombard and Jackson Flora if the top 3 are off the board here.

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

The Pirates could look at a quicker moving college hitter or bet on the tantalizing upside of Lombard or Booth in this spot. They ultimately strengthen a strength though and settle on the best pitcher in the draft class.

6. Kansas City Royals: Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep HS (FL)

There are persistent rumors here about Brian Bridges being all over the prep pitching with Gio Rojas as a target. This seems like a best case scenario for Kansas City though as they land a prep hitter with the highest upside in the class.

7. Baltimore Orioles: Eric Booth Jr, OF, Oak Grove HS (MS)

Booth is a 17-year-old toolshed with plus-plus speed and a center field profile.

8. Athletics: Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky

Bell is the steady college performer who has moved up boards late in the process. There’s lots of upside here as the draft-eligible sophomore is a no doubt shortstop.

9. Atlanta Braves: Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS (FL)

Rojas is the top prep lefty in the class and he could go higher than this. The Braves are one of the options for the Florida product early in the draft.

10. Colorado Rockies: Ryder Helfrick, Catcher, Arkansas

The Rockies have three top 40 selections and they land one of the best college bats with the first one. Helfrick is a no doubt catcher with defensive skills and power.

11. Washington Nationals: Jared Grindlinger, LHP/OF, Huntington Beach HS (CA)

Two-way player who has reclassified into 2026 with the ability to hit and pitch.

12. Los Angeles Angels: Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida

The college pitching group is unsettled to this point but Peterson fits what the Angels have done of late. It was an up and down season for the Florida hurler but he has some of the best stuff in the college pitching demographic.

13. St. Louis Cardinals: Trevor Condon, OF, Etowah HS (GA)

The Cardinals have a lot of options here and this is likely the high point for Condon; a prep prospect with a speed/power combination.

14. Miami Marlins: Derek Curiel, OF, LSU

Curiel displays a plus hit tool with the ability to stay in center field. He’ll add to the group of college players the Marlins grabbed in the 2025 draft.

15. Arizona Diamondbacks: Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina

Flukey most the majority of the spring but the 6-6, 210 pound righty still has really good stuff and less mileage on his arm. Great fit for clubs in this range.

16. Texas Rangers: Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M

Hacopian can really hit and should move quickly but there are some defensive questions in the profile.

17. Houston Astros: Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama

Lebron could go higher or lower than this. A top 5 projection this spring; struggles in SEC play move him down despite plus-plus tools.

18. Cincinnati Reds: Hunter Dietz, LHP, Arkansas

Dietz might be the best lefty in the college class. He throws hard and really came on this spring.

19. Cleveland Guardians: Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU

Strosnider is a young, athletic center fielder with power but he has swing and miss concerns.

20. Boston Red Sox: Cole Carlon, LHP, Arizona State

The Red Sox continue to add college pitching early in the draft with one of the best lefties. Carlon has a big fastball with a 4 pitch mix.

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

Bumila is a giant lefty from the Northeast and he fits the profile of the AJ Preller draft choice.

22. Detroit Tigers: Aiden Ruiz, SS, The Stony Brook HS (NY)

The Tigers love selecting prep players and Ruiz is the best shortstop defender in the prep class.

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

Townsend is an athletic righty with great stuff and a feel to pitch as a draft-eligible sophomore.

24. Seattle Mariners: Bo Lowrance, 3B, Christ Church Episcopal HS (SC)

Lowrance is a big left-handed hitter with power. The 6-5 infielder likely moves to third base but is one of the best bats in the prep class.

25. Milwaukee Brewers: AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia

Gracia is a college bat with power and fits what Milwaukee does typically.

26. Atlanta Braves: Logan Reddeman, RHP, UCLA

Reddeman missed starts down the stretch and the post-season with a flexor strain but should be healthy for draft. this a great option for Atlanta with a second selection.

27. New York Mets: Mason Edwards, LHP, USC

Edwards has been linked to the Mets this spring and he should go in this area.

28. Houston Astros: Aiden Robbins, OF, Texas

Another college bat with helium and a safer profile to add the upside of Justin Lebron.

29. San Francisco Giants: Logan Schmidt, LHP, Ganesha HS (CA)

Schmidt is a 17-year-old prep lefty who reclassified into 2025. He really looked good on the summer circuit and the Giants could be looking to do something like this in this spot.

30. Kansas City Royals: Carson Bolemon, LHP, Southside Christian (SC)

The Royals have been all over the prep pitching class and they like prep lefties. Bolemon would receive a lofty bonus number in this spot.

31. Arizona Diamondbacks: Zion Rose, OF, Louisville

Rose possesses athleticism and offensive potential but likely ends up in left field.

32. St. Louis Cardinals: Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee

Kuhns is a draft-eligible sophomore who had a good spring. This is a solid upside pitching play for the Cardinals in this spot.

33. Tampa Bay Rays: Taj Marchand, SS, James Island HS (SC)

Marchand is a 17-year-old with a chance to stick at shortstop and 25 homer potential.

34. Pittsburgh Pirates: Cole Prosek, 3B, Magnolia Heights HS (MS)

Prosek is an older prep left-handed hitter with an advanced hit tool.

35. New York Yankees: Daniel Jackson, Catcher, Georgia

Jackson might not stay at catcher but he’s a Golden Spikes finalist who had a great offensive season at Georgia.

36. Philadelphia Phillies: Tyler Spangler, SS, De La Salle HS (CA)

Spangler has a strong commitment to Stanford but the left-handed hitting infielder would sign if taken in this range.

37. Colorado Rockies: Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State

Reese likely goes much higher than this but the Rockies have bonus pool flexibility to be creative.

38. Colorado Rockies: Eric Becker, SS, Virginia

Becker is a left-handed hitting college infielder with a hit tool and power potential.

39. Toronto Blue Jays: Taylor Rabe, RHP, Ole Miss

Rabe is another college starter who could go anywhere in this range.

40. Los Angeles Dodgers: Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M

Another outfielder and upside play on the college side for the Dodgers.

White Sox Next Draft Picks

41. Chicago White Sox: Coleman Borthwick, RHP, South Walton HS (FL)

The White Sox have been linked to Borthwick all spring and he’s the type of premium prep arm that goes in this range. The 6-6, 245 pounder is a two-way player who projects as a potential top of the rotation arm in the future. Borthwick was great on the showcase circuit and his size, pitch mix and makeup will get him taken high. The fastball gets up to 98 mph with a bat missing plus slider and the feel for a changeup. This would likely be a significantly over-slot addition.

77. Chicago White Sox: Jason DeCaro, RHP, North Carolina

DeCaro struggled in his final start of the season against Oklahoma but the 6-5, 225 pounder posted a 2.28 ERA on the year in 87 innings. The righty was a member of the United States Collegiate National Team over the past two years as well and he throws lots of strikes and sequences his pitches well. The 20-year-old is a junior who could return to campus after reclassifying years ago. While he’s not a “big stuff” type, DeCaro runs his fastball up to 97 mph with a four pitch mix that relies heavily on weak contact.