MLB Draft Day 1 picks, analysis (LIVE on NBC/Peacock)

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. 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)
9. Braves
10. Rockies
11. Nationals
12. Angels
13. Cardinals
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 »