2026 Draft starts Saturday! Here's what you need to know

Once again, the MLB Draft will coincide with All-Star Week, which makes it easy to draw a connection between the two tentpole events. Look at the initial All-Star rosters, and you'll notice 20 first-round picks and another 16 players selected in the first five rounds.

Yes, baseball's stars of tomorrow will hear their names called in Philadelphia as the MLB Draft takes place on Saturday and Sunday. And it may not be long before they truly arrive, either, as a trio of 2024 first-rounders -- Travis Bazzana (first overall), Chase Burns (second overall) and Nick Kurtz (fourth overall) -- will take part in the 96th Midsummer Classic.

Who will go No. 1? We don't know -- although our latest mock draft is a good reference if you're looking for some insight.

Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 MLB Draft presented by Nippon Express.

What is the Draft order?

The order of the first six Draft picks was determined by MLB's annual Draft Lottery held at the Winter Meetings in December. The White Sox won the lottery and hold the No. 1 overall pick for the third time in franchise history after previously taking Danny Goodwin (1971) and future Hall of Famer Harold Baines (1977).

Draft order for the first 10 picks:
1. White Sox
2. Rays
3. Twins
4. Giants
5. Pirates
6. Royals
7. Orioles
8. Athletics
9. Braves
10. Rockies
Complete Draft order »

The Cardinals have the most picks (seven) during the Draft's opening night. The Astros and Pirates both have six picks, with another 13 teams picking five times on Day 1.

When is the Draft and how can I watch it?

The 2026 MLB Draft will take place on Saturday and Sunday in Philadelphia. NBC and Peacock will provide live coverage for the first 10 selections, beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Picks 11-40 will be available to view on MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV and MLB+. Wrapping up Saturday's coverage, picks 41-135 can be seen on MLB.com, MLB.TV and MLB+.

MLB Network's opening night coverage will also feature interviews with newly-drafted players, extensive highlight packages, footage from MLB club Draft rooms and interviews with front office personnel.

Day 2 of the Draft, which consists of rounds 5 through 20, will be streamed on MLB.com, MLB TV, MLB+, beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Who are the top Draft prospects?

As has become a trend in recent seasons, many of the top prospects are at shortstop -- five of the top 10, including three of the top five. College players are also heavily represented, with 14 of the top 20 prospects, including Golden Spikes Award finalist and UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky and the top pitcher, UC Santa Barbara's Jackson Flora.

Don't overlook the prep prospects, though, as Grady Emerson has taken over as the top available player, and Jacob Lombard will be a familiar name as the brother of top Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. and the son of Tigers bench coach George Lombard.

Top 10 Draft prospects according to MLB Pipeline:
1. Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian HS (TX)
2. Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA
3. Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech
4. Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
5. Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep (FL)
6. Eric Booth Jr., OF, Oak Grove HS (MS)
7. Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech
8. Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS (FL)
9. Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
10. Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky
Complete list »

Of course, there is plenty of exciting Draft talent beyond the top 10 prospects. One of the most famous players is Georgia's Daniel Jackson, who is the No. 28 Draft prospect after winning the Golden Spikes Award as the first catcher in NCAA Division I history to total 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in the same season.

After the Arkansas Razorbacks saw four players among the first 41 selected last year, they are in line for four more Day 1 picks this year -- potentially in the top two rounds. Catcher Ryder Helfrick (No. 11) and left-hander Hunter Dietz (No. 17) are likely first-rounders, while righty Carson Wiggins (No. 88) -- brother of top Cubs pitching prospect Jaxon -- and lefty Gabe Gaeckle (No. 96) have tremendous upside.

The national champion Oklahoma Sooners rostered six of MLB Pipeline's Top 250 Draft prospects, the most of any team that made it to Omaha. Shortstop Jaxon Willits (No. 117) -- brother of last year's No. 1 pick Eli and son of Major Leaguer Reggie -- won Most Outstanding Player at the Men's College World Series, and they also featured slugging catcher/first baseman Deiten Lachance (No. 103), speedy catcher/outfielder Brendan Brock (No. 112), athletic third baseman Camden Johnson (No. 116), right-hander LJ Mercurius (No. 187) and left-hander Cameron Johnson (No. 250).

Which players are eligible for the 2026 Draft?

Players attending four-year colleges are eligible to be drafted upon completing their junior year or turning 21 years old. Players who have graduated high school but have not attended college are eligible for the Draft, as are those who have completed at least one year of junior college. Players must also be a resident of the United States (U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico apply) or Canada to be eligible for the Draft.

Which teams have the largest bonus pools?

The White Sox own the No. 1 pick, but the Pirates, who have 12 picks in the top 10 rounds, own the largest bonus pool ($19,130,700). That's the second-highest allotment since the pool bonus-pool era began in 2012 behind only the Orioles last year ($19,144,500).

Each selection in the first 10 rounds comes with an assigned slot value. For instance, the value of the No. 1 overall pick is $11,350,600, a Draft record. The total value for a club's picks in those rounds equals what it can spend without incurring a penalty. If a player taken in the top 10 rounds doesn't sign, his pick's value gets subtracted from his team's pool. Clubs near the top of the Draft often spend less than the assigned value for those choices and use the savings to offer more money to later selections.

A team that exceeds its bonus pool faces a penalty. A club outspending its allotment by 0-5 percent pays a 75 percent tax on the overage. At higher thresholds, a team loses future picks: a first-rounder and a 75 percent tax for surpassing its pool by more than 5 and up to 10 percent; a first- and a second-rounder and a 100 percent tax for more than 10 and up to 15 percent; and two first-rounders and a 100 percent tax for more than 15 percent.

In 14 Drafts with bonus pool rules, clubs have outspent their allotments a total of 260 times but never by more than 5 percent. The Cubs, Dodgers and Giants have surpassed their pools every year, and 20 of the 30 teams did so in 2025. The Rockies and Twins have never exceeded their pools.

Top 10 bonus pools for the 2026 MLB Draft
1. Pirates: $19,130,700
2. Rays: $19,009,300
3. White Sox: $17,592,100
4. Giants: $17,350,600
5. Twins: $16,929,600
6. Cardinals: $16,612,300
7. Royals: $15,954,000
8. Braves: $15,870,800
9. Rockies: $15,557,600
10. Athletics: $13,840,300
All bonus pools and slot value breakdown »

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How long do teams have to sign draftees?

Teams have until Monday, July 27 at 5 p.m. ET to agree to deals with players they draft out of four-year colleges and high schools. If a draftee goes on to attend junior college, they have a draft-and-follow option, in which they can sign following the end of their juco season and up until the week before the beginning of next year's Draft for up to $225,000.

Who was selected in the top 10 of the 2025 MLB Draft?

Here is a rundown of the top 10 picks from last year's Draft:

1. Eli Willits, SS, Nationals
2. Tyler Bremner, RHP, Angels
3. Kade Anderson, LHP, Mariners
4. Ethan Holliday, SS, Rockies
5. Liam Doyle, LHP, Cardinals
6. Seth Hernandez, RHP, Pirates
7. Aiva Arquette, SS, Marlins
8. JoJo Parker, SS, Blue Jays
9. Steele Hall, SS, Reds
10. Billy Carlson, SS, White Sox
Every 2025 Draft pick »

The top 10 picks from last year's Draft are off to strong starts, with each of them ranking among MLB's Top 60 prospects. Willits (No. 3), Anderson (No. 5) and Hernandez (No. 6) have been particularly outstanding. Additionally, 10 more players from that Draft class are on the Top 100 Prospects list, including 11th overall pick Jamie Arnold (No. 25), 26th overall pick Gage Wood (No. 53) and 87th overall pick Anthony Eyanson (No. 54).