Press release: Major League Baseball completes 2026 MLB Draft presented by Nippon Express

Major League Baseball completed its 2026 Draft presented by Nippon Express on Sunday, with a total of 613 players being chosen in the 20 rounds. The Draft resumed in the fifth round via MLB.com on Sunday afternoon after Saturday’s completion of rounds one through four.

Pitchers were the most frequently chosen players, with 346 being selected (276 RHP & 70 LHP). The rest of the 2026 pool was comprised of 99 outfielders, 70 shortstops, 43 catchers, 23 third basemen, 14 first basemen, 11 second basemen, three two-way players, three infielders and one utilityman.

The University of Georgia had 13 players selected, marking the most in the Draft. Other universities with at least five selections included: the University of Arkansas (12); Arizona State University (10); the University of California, Los Angeles (10); Georgia Technical Institute (8); Louisiana State University (8); Texas A&M University (8); the University of Mississippi (8); the University of Oklahoma (8); Auburn University (7); California Polytechnic State University (7); Clemson University (7); Florida State University (7); North Carolina State University (7); the University of Minnesota (7); the University of Oregon (7); the University of Florida (6); the University of Tennessee (6); the University of Texas, Austin (6); the University of California, Santa Barbara (6); the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (6); Oklahoma State University (5); Oregon State University (5); Texas Tech University (5); the University of Houston (5); the University of Louisville (5); the University of Nevada Las Vegas (5); the University of Virginia (5); Florida Gulf Coast University (5); Vanderbilt University (5); Wake Forest University (5); and West Virginia University (5).

Players were selected from 47 states, with California (95) producing the most selections, followed by Texas (60); Florida (59); Georgia (44); Illinois (23); Pennsylvania (23); New York (22); New Jersey (17); Mississippi (16); North Carolina (16); Arizona (15); Virginia (15); South Carolina (14); Oklahoma (13); Wisconsin (13); Ohio (12); Tennessee (11); Louisiana (10); Missouri (10); Colorado (9); Kansas (9); Michigan (9); Minnesota (8); Alabama (7); Nevada (7); Iowa (6); Massachusetts (6); Utah (6); Hawaii (5); Connecticut (4); Oregon (4); Washington (4); Delaware (3); Indiana (3); Maryland (3); Nebraska (3); New Mexico (3); Kentucky (2); New Hampshire (2); Arkansas (1); Idaho (1); North Dakota (1); Rhode Island (1); South Dakota (1); Vermont (1); West Virginia (1); and Wyoming (1). In addition to the 599 players selected from the United States, 10 players from Canada, three players from Puerto Rico and one player from Japan was selected.

The Chicago White Sox selected shortstop Roch Cholowsky out of the University of California, Los Angeles with the first overall pick in the Draft. Cholowsky is the 14^th shortstop taken with the first overall pick in the Draft, marking the second straight year a shortstop has been selected first overall, following the Washington Nationals’ selection of Eli Willits last July. The 21-year-old joined Danny Goodwin (1971) and Hall of Famer Harold Baines (1977) as the only number one overall picks in White Sox history. Cholowsky is the son of Dan Cholowsky, who was the 39^th overall pick in the 1991 Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals and played eight seasons in the Minors for the Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies, and is now a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays. According to Elias, they are the 11^th father/son pairing to be selected in the first round of the June or July editions of the Draft, joining Tom (1966) and Ben Grieve (1994); John (1967) and John Mayberry Jr. (2005); Jeff (1969) and Sean Burroughs (1998); Steve (1973) and Nick Swisher (2002); Lance (1974) and Dave Parrish (2000); Rod (1978) and Brad Boxberger (2009); Delino (1987) and Delino DeShields (2010); Phil (1992) and Tyler Nevin (2015); Bobby (1985) and Bobby Witt Jr. (2019); and Steve (1993) and Tyler Soderstrom (2020).

Overall, 30 selections were alumni of MLB events (Breakthrough Series, DREAM Series, European Development Tournament, Hank Aaron Invitational, States Play), including the sixth overall pick Zion Rose (KC). Additional MLB Develops alumni selected in the first round included AJ Gracia (9^th, ATL); Jacob Lombard (14^th, MIA); and Cade Townsend (23^rd, CHC). Additional drafted alumni included Aiden Ruiz (2^nd round, PIT); Myles Bailey (2C, CHC); Keon Johnson (3^rd round, HOU); Kevin Roberts Jr. (4^th round, BAL); LJ Mercurius (5^th round, AZ); Kyle Johnson (6^th round, TB); Sherman Johnson (7^th round, CIN); Savion Sims (7^th round, CLE); Tai Jones (9^th round, TB); Reece Moroney (10^th round, PHI); Fabio Bundi (11^th round, MIA); Will Adams (11^th round, DET); Ariston Veasey (11^th round, CHC); Josiah Kemp (12^th round, SF); Jacob Webster (12^th round, BOS); Rob Evans (12^th round, SD); Mathis Nayral (13^th round, TOR); Daunte Bell II (14^th round, MIL); Cameron Johnson (15^th round, CWS); Anthony Murphy (16^th round, WSH); Dalton Wentz (16^th round, SF); Sebastian Rolon (16^th round, CLE); Alex Kranzler (17^th round, BOS); Ethan Offing (18^th round, BOS); Anson Seibert (20^th round, WSH); and Carsten Sabathia III (20^th round, MIL). Bell II, along with Kenneth Ward (9^th round, DET) are both alumni of the Nike Revolving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) Program.

Additionally, Michael Smith Jr. (13^th round, SD) was chosen after participating in the 2024 HBCU Swingman Classic, becoming the 11^th draft pick to be selected after participating in the event. Smith was also one of 247 players who attended last month’s MLB Draft Combine in Phoenix, Arizona, the second-highest total number of players selected in a single draft in the history of the Draft Combine.

Georgia Tech University teammates Vahn Lackey (3^rd overall, MIN) and Drew Burress (8^th overall, ATH) were the first pair of teammates to be selected in this year’s Draft. It marks the fourth consecutive year in which a set of teammates were selected within the top-10 of the Draft, joining Corona High School (CA) teammates Seth Hernandez (8^th) and Billy Carlson (10^th) in 2025; Wake Forest University teammates Chase Burns (2^nd), Nick Kurtz (4^th) and Seaver King (10^th) in 2024; and Louisiana State University teammates Paul Skenes (1^st) and Dylan Crews (2^nd) in 2023. Other teammates to be selected within today’s first 40 picks included UCLA alumni Cholowsky (1^st, CWS) and Logan Reddemann (38^th, COL); University of Arkansas teammates Justin Lebron (18^th, CIN), Carson Wiggins (27^th, NYM) and Hunter Dietz (35^th, NYY); and University of Mississippi pitchers Cade Townsend (23^rd, CHC) and Taylor Rabe (30^th, KC).

In addition to the first overall pick Cholowsky, other players within Saturday’s first 40 picks who have family ties to Baseball included Eric Booth Jr. (7^th, BAL), whose father, Eric Sr., was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 34^th round of the 1993 Draft; Burress, whose father, Andy, was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth round of the 1995 Draft; Chris Hacopian (11^th, WSH), whose father Derek, was the 1992 ACC Player of the Year and drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in the 1992 Draft; Jacob Lombard (14^th, MIA), whose brother, George Jr., is the New York Yankees top prospect and currently ranked 18^th in all of Baseball per MLB Pipeline, and whose father, George Sr. played six years in the Majors and currently serves as the bench coach for the Detroit Tigers; Trey Ebel (25^th, MIL), whose father, Dino, is currently the third base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and whose brother, Brady, was selected 32^nd overall last July by the Brewers, and currently ranked 13^th in Milwaukee’s system per MLB Pipeline; Wiggins (27^th), whose brother, Jaxon was drafted by the Cubs in the second round in 2023 and is currently Chicago’s top pitching prospect and third overall prospect per MLB Pipeline; and Landon Thome (34^th, CWS), whose father, Jim, played parts of four seasons with the White Sox during his Hall of Fame career.

In addition to the players taken on Saturday listed above, other notable selections with baseball and professional sports ties in this year’s Draft included:

Huntington Beach (CA) High School outfielder Jared Grindlinger (12^th overall, LAA), whose brother, Trent, is a catcher at the University of Tennessee.
Coastal Carolina University pitcher Cameron Flukey (22^nd overall, DET), whose father, Vincent, was a part of the 1996 Men’s Tennis team at Fairleigh Dickinson University who won the MAC championship.
University of Virginia shortstop Eric Becker (2^nd round, CIN), whose brother, Nick, was drafted by Seattle in the second round of the 2025 Draft, and whose father, Jeff, was selected by Cleveland in the 46^th round of the 1999 Draft, holding Duke University’s all-time records in career hits, RBI, doubles, runs, at-bats and games played.
Texas A&M University outfielder Caden Sorrell (2^nd round, CHC), whose grandfather, Billy, played in 85 games for the Phillies, Giants and Royals as the 10,000^th player in Major League history, and whose grandfather, Tom Griffin, was selected fourth overall in the 1966 Draft by Houston, appearing in 14 Major League seasons.
Magnolia Heights (MS) second baseman Cole Prosek (2^nd round, CWS), whose uncle, Matt Erickson, is the current third base coach for the Brewers, appearing in four games with Milwaukee in 2004.
USC pitcher Mason Edwards (2^nd round, ATH), whose mother, Kirsten Blakemore, was Miss Maine USA in 1989 and competed in the 1989 Miss USA pageant.
The Stony Brook High School (NY) shortstop Aiden Ruiz (2^nd round, PIT), whose father, Samuel, was drafted by the White Sox in the 20^th round of the 1985 Draft.
Georgia Tech second baseman Jarren Advincula (2^nd round, LAA), whose brother, Jonah, was drafted by the Guardians in the eighth round of the 2023 Draft.
Auburn University second baseman Chris Rembert (SUPP 2^nd, PIT), whose brother, Brandon is an amateur scout for the Pirates.
James Island (SC) High School Taj Marchand (CB-A, TB), whose father, Hugo, was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the seventh round of the 1997 NHL Draft.
University of Central Florida outfielder Andrew Williamson (CB-B, STL), whose uncle, Sean Rodriguez, was a third-round pick by the Angels in the 2003 Draft and played 13 Major League seasons.
UCLA first baseman Mulivai Levu (CB-B, CIN), whose cousin, Blake Sabol, was drafted in the seventh round of the 2019 Draft by Pittsburgh and is currently with Triple-A Durham (TB).
Jesuit (FL) High School pitcher Kaden Waechter (2^nd round, SF), whose father, Doug, was drafted in the third round of the 1999 draft by Tampa Bay and spent 12 years with the Rays TV pre and postgame shows, winning four Emmy Awards.
Oxford (AL) High School shortstop Rocco Maniscalco (2^nd round, STL), whose father, Matt was drafted by Tampa Bay in the eighth round of the 2003 Draft and spent five years in the organization.
North Carolina State University outfielder Ty Head (2^nd round, BAL), whose sister, Talor, played collegiate volleyball at the University of Arkansas and Florida State.
L.C. Anderson (TX) High School shortstop Connor Comeau (2^nd round, TEX), whose father, Brian, played for the Manitoba Moose in the AHL, an affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets.
Georgia Tech shortstop Carson Kerce (2^nd round, AZ), whose grandfather, James, played for the Single-A Macon Peaches in 1949.
University of Oregon shortstop Ryan Cooney (3^rd round, TOR), whose mother, Renee James, was a part of the 1985 National Champion track and field team at Oregon.
Rutgers University outfielder Peyton Bonds (3^rd round, SF), whose uncle, Barry, was a seven-time MVP, 14-time All-Star and holds the all-time home run record, and whose grandfather, Bobby, was a three-time All-Star across 14 Major League seasons.
East Carolina University pitcher Ethan Norby (4^th round, CIN), whose brother Connor, has appeared in 65 games with the Marlins this season and was drafted in the second round of the 2021 Draft by Baltimore.
University of Georgia outfielder Rylan Lugo (4^th round, LAA), whose grandfather, Rennie Stennett, was a two-time World Series Champion with the Pirates in 1971 and 1979.
UCLA outfielder Will Gasparino (5^th round, PHI), whose father, Billy, is currently a Vice President of Baseball Operations with the Dodgers and previously served as the Dodgers’ Vice President of Amateur Scouting for five seasons.
North Carolina State second baseman Luke Nixon (5^th round, SF), whose father, Trot, was drafted in the first round of the 1993 Draft and won the World Series with the Red Sox in 2004.
University of Arkansas pitcher Ethan McElvain (5^th round, KC), whose brother, Chris, is currently in Toronto’s organization after being drafted in the eighth round of the 2022 Draft.
University of Oklahoma shortstop Jaxon Willits (5^th round, LAA), whose brother, Eli, was the first pick of the 2025 Draft by the Nationals and is currently ranked Washington’s top prospect per MLB Pipeline, and whose father, Reggie, played six seasons with the Angels.
Dallas Baptist University Luke Pettitte (8^th round, NYY), whose father, Andy, is a five-time World Series Champion and three-time All-Star.
Stanford University first baseman Rintaro Sasaki (8^th round, MIA), whose father, Hiroshi, is the head coach at Higashi High School which produced two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.
University of Georgia third baseman Tre Phelps (9^th round, PIT), whose aunt, Angel Robinson, played basketball at Georgia and in the WNBA.
University of Oklahoma shortstop Camden Johnson (9^th round, KC), whose uncle, Mark, is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, and whose uncle, Joe, played in the NFL as a defensive back for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1960.
Mississippi State outfielder Aidan Teel (11^th round, MIN), whose brother, Kyle, was the 14^th overall pick in the 2023 Draft and is currently with the White Sox.
Indiana University pitcher Jackson Bergman (18^th round, CWS), whose father, Sean, was drafted by the Tigers in the fourth round of the 1991 Draft and played eight years in the Majors.
University of Houston first baseman Carsten Sabathia (20^th round, MIL), whose father, CC, is a Hall of Fame pitcher who won the 2007 Cy Young Award, won the 2009 World Series with the Yankees and is a six-time All-Star.