MLB Draft Day 1 picks, analysis (LIVE on MLB Network, Peacock, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)

Months of scouting and mock drafts have led to this moment -- the 2026 MLB Draft is underway.

Follow along here all day Saturday for a rundown of the top 40 picks with analysis.

Round 1

1. White Sox: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA (Ranked No. 2 by MLB Pipeline)
Considered the best college shortstop to enter pro ball since Troy Tulowitzki in 2005, Cholowsky was at, or near, the very top of Draft boards from wire-to-wire. He hit 44 homers over the last two seasons for the Bruins and was a Golden Spikes Award finalist this year. It came down to a decision between Cholowsky and Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson here, and the White Sox took it down to the wire before opting for the college guy who has the chance to make it to Chicago in a hurry, and who will play shortstop for a very long time.

2. Rays: Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth (Texas) Christian HS (No. 1)
As the clock was ticking down to the start of the Draft, it seemed likely that if Cholowsky went in the top spot, this is the direction the Rays would go (Had Emerson gone in the top spot, it sounded like Cholowsky would have gotten to No. 3.). In Emerson, the Rays get who we thought was the best overall player in the class, one who has at least five above-average tools. The Gatorade National Player of the Year is a left-handed bat who can hit, with more power to come, and he’s a no-doubt shortstop.

3. Twins: Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech (No. 3)
Lackey was in play at both one and two, and it seemed unlikely he’d get past this spot. One of the best offensive performers in all of college baseball, he finished his junior season with a 1.291 OPS. He’s super-athletic, especially for a catcher, finishing the year with 20 homers and 15 steals. He has all the skills to stay behind the plate, but could easily handle third or the outfield if needed. As predicted, things have gone according to chalk, to an extent, with the trio of top prospects coming off the board in the top three.

4. Giants: Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara (No. 4)
For much of the spring, it seemed like the Giants were looking at hitters in this spot, but there was chatter late that they were switching gears, and that the focus had moved from a high school player (such as Jacob Lombard, who was often projected to land here) to the college ranks. Flora is the best arm in the class and posted every Friday night for Santa Barbara, separating himself from the other pitchers in the class. An added bonus is he’s local, having grown up in northern California, and as a Giants fan.

5. Pirates: Derek Curiel, OF, Louisiana State (No. 12)
Kudos to Jim Callis for getting this right on his final mock. Word came in late that if the top four went like the above, the Pirates would look at college bats like Curiel or Georgia Tech’s Drew Burress. Curiel is a lean left-handed hitter with plus bat-to-ball skills and a very advanced approach at the plate. How much power he grows into remains to be seen, but he can flat out play center field. Look for the Pirates to save some money with this pick and be aggressive later on, even without the bonus pool money they traded away when they sent the No. 34 overall pick to the White Sox late on Friday night.

6. Royals: Zion Rose, OF, Louisville (No. 30)
This is our first truly “wow!” moment of the opening round. There was interest in high schoolers like Eric Booth Jr. at the plate and Gio Rojas on the mound, but Kansas City has opted to go with a college bat here. The Royals will clearly save money with this pick – I can’t wait to see what they do at pick No. 30 or in the second round – but they’re also getting a very talented offensive player in Rose, one with a chance to be at least an above-average hitter with above-average power to all fields.

7. Orioles: Eric Booth Jr., OF, Oak Grove HS, Hattiesburg, Miss. (No. 6)
It’s been all bats mentioned here, but until recently it was college hitters in the conversation, it seemed. With things shaking up ahead of them, the O’s were able to consider two of the top prep position players available in Booth and Jacob Lombard. They opted for Booth, the center fielder from Mississippi, who has an excellent feel to hit, even with an unusual setup at the plate. He can really run and will stay up the middle for a long time. The biggest question now is where Lombard, who we ranked No. 5, will land.

8. Athletics: Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech (No. 7)
The A’s were shopping for college hitters, as they often do – three of the last four years, they’ve gone that route with their first pick. Don’t be concerned about Burress’ stature at 5-foot-9; the guy just rakes. His compact right-handed swing, with an advanced approach, gives him the chance to hit, and with power. He has the chance to stick in center, and also has the offensive potential and plus arm to profile in right field. In typical A’s fashion, it shouldn’t take him long to impact the big league lineup.

9. Braves: AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia (No. 19)
There was some talk about Gio Rojas going here for a while, but the other options did seem to be college hitters, and the Braves opted for Gracia over someone like catcher Ryder Helfrick. Gracia has one of the best approaches in the Draft class, with outstanding swing decisions, and he makes a ton of contact. He hit 43 homers over three years of college – two seasons at Duke and this last one at Virginia – and his approach should help him get to his power as a pro. The last time the Braves took a college hitter in the first round, they also picked No. 9 overall, taking Shea Langeliers back in 2019.

10. Rockies: Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky (No. 10)
This was another likely landing spot for a college hitter and the Rockies went to the SEC to get one. The sophomore-eligible Bell is a switch-hitter who came on strong thanks to excellent play in the best conference in the country. He did so while playing through a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, so there could be even more in the tank. It’ll take some time for him to recover from the injury, but he has the chance to be a very solid all-around shortstop once he’s healthy.

11. Nationals: Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M (No. 14)
That’s four straight college bats to come off the board. Hacopian finished the season with an OPS of .983 with more walks than strikeouts while dealing with a lower back issue. A lot of scouts felt he was one of the best pure college hitters in the class, with a knack for finding the barrel and a lot of under-the-hood metrics the analytics department in Washington is sure to like. I’d give him the chance to stick on the dirt, at second base, but he could end up in left field.

12. Angels: Jared Grindlinger, OF, Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS (No. 16)
Grindlinger was one of the most intriguing, and hard to place, prospects in the class. He reclassified late, and was one of the youngest players available at 17 years old. He’s also a legitimate two-way player, with different teams liking him as a hitter or pitcher. The Angels announced him as an outfielder, and he’s a projectable left-handed hitter with plenty of potential juice to grow into. The Angels hadn’t taken a high school player in the first round since they went back-to-back with Jo Adell and Jordyn Adams in 2017 and ‘18.

13. Cardinals: Trevor Condon, OF, Etowah HS, Woodstock, Ga. (No. 13)
14. Marlins
15. D-backs
16. Rangers
17. Astros
18. Reds
19. Guardians
20. Red Sox
21. Padres
22. Tigers
23. Cubs
24. Mariners
25. Brewers

The Blue Jays, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies and Yankees received 10-pick penalties on their first picks for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax. Their first picks will be as follows:

27. Mets
35. Yankees
36. Phillies
39. Blue Jays
40. Dodgers

Complete Draft order »