MLB mock draft 2026: Full first-round projection with the Combine in the rearview

The college season is done and dusted. The MLB Scouting Combine is in the rearview mirror. The 2026 MLB Draft is now less than two weeks away, and that this point, it's just about pencils down time across the league - for both players and teams alike. There are no more opportunities to burnish resumes, no chances to glean new information on a given prospect.

Where does that leave us as the dust settles? With plenty of questions still to answer, starting at the top of the draft -where no one's sure exactly what the Chicago White Sox will do when forced to choose between UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey and high school shortstop Grady Emerson. And in such a wide-open class, there's always the possibility that chaos reigns, with teams taking higher floors with lower signing bonus demands earlier in the first round. That's why our latest MLB mock draft features all sorts of shakeups, with big names falling lower than expected.

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

• Height: 6-2

• Weight: 202 pounds

• Age: 21

Another mock, another consideration of Grady Emerson at No. 1 overall before landing on Cholowsky when all is said and done. If anything, it feels as though Chicago's upstart 2026 season might play a part in convincing them to stick with the high-floor option. And it's not as though the ceiling is insignificant, either: Finish to his career at UCLA aside, Cholowsky is a heck of a player, well-rounded and built to start at shortstop in the Majors for a long time. Emerson represents a swing for the fences, but do the White Sox really need that at this point?

2. Tampa Bay Rays: Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech

• Height: 6-2

• Weight: 215 pounds

• Age: 20

There's been enough buzz in recent days about Tampa preferring Lackey to have him leapfrog Emerson into the No. 2 spot here. Maybe it's just because the Rays have been searching for an answer at catcher for a solid decade or so now, or maybe it's just because Erik Neander and Co. simply think the former Georgia Tech star is the best player on the board. He's a rare athlete and a rare hitter behind the plate, and that combination doesn't come along very often -especially not with this sort of collegiate track record.

3. Minnesota Twins: Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian (TX)

• Height: 6-3

• Weight: 185 pounds

• Age: 18

The Twins would leap up to the podium to make this pick if Emerson falls to them at No. 3. Emerson is an incredibly advanced hitter for an 18-year-old, and when you combine that with the athleticism to stick at shortstop in the pros, you have yourself a pretty special prospect. Minnesota could flirt with the top pitcher in this class, Jackson Flora, in order to try and save some money, but let's not get too cute.

4. San Francisco Giants: Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep (FL)

• Height: 6-3

• Weight:195 pounds

• Age: 18

Flora could likewise be tempting for San Francisco, but let's be real here: The Giants need offense in the worst way, and even more than that, they need a photogenic face to lead the Buster Posey regime into a bright new day. Lombard, the son of a former big-leaguer and the younger brother of top Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr., fits the bill, both in his pedigree and in his play. Posey will have a hard time passing him up, even if there are hit-tool concerns.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates: Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky

• Height: 6-1

• Weight: 190 pounds

• Age: 21

Our first shocker of this mock sees the Pirates throw a curveball, taking Bell rather than Flora or a high-ceiling bat like prep star Eric Booth Jr. The logic is simple: With another pick at No. 34, Pittsburgh can sign Bell for something less than the slot value of the No. 5 pick and use those savings to lure a big name later in the first round. And Bell is a very fast riser right now in his own right after lighting up the SEC all year despite playing through a bum shoulder. That required surgery which will keep him out until next season, but the dream of a very good bat at shortstop is still in play.

6. Kansas City Royals: Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara

• Height: 6-5

• Weight: 205 pounds

• Age: 20

Kansas City needs to simply take the best talent on the board here, and their struggles over the last two years could have them prioritizing someone who could reach the Majors as quickly as possible. Plus, with Kris Bubic, Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha all potentially moving on and Cole Ragans unable to stay healthy, this rotation could really use a boost. Flora is the consensus best pitcher in this class, a true workhorse with an electric fastball who could develop into a frontline starter before too long.

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

• Height: 6-0

• Weight: 207 pounds

• Age: 17

Say what you will about Mike Elias, but the Orioles have been among the best in baseball at taking athletic position players and optimizing their swings to get the most out of them at the plate. And Booth Jr. offers some spectacular raw ability to work with, true 30/30 upside if it all comes together. All that and he's just 17 years old? This pick has Baltimore written all over it.

8. Athletics: Derek Curiel, OF, LSU

• Height: 6-2

• Weight: 192 pounds

• Age: 21

Despite how badly they need pitching at the MLB level, all the recent buzz has been around bats for the A's, and preferably college ones. So let's give them Curiel, one of the driving forces behind LSU's national title run in 2025 who pairs some of the best contact skills in this class with the ability to play center field in the big leagues. The upside is something of a question mark, but his floor is as high as anybody's, and his proximity to the Majors feels like something John Fisher would appreciate ahead of the move to Vegas.

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

• Height: 6-4

• Weight: 195 pounds

• Age: 19

Twice in the last four years, the Braves have taken high school arms (Owen Murphy and Cam Caminiti). If we assume that Atlanta dips into its pitching supply in order to address big-league needs at the trade deadline, why wouldn't they restock a bit by taking the best prep starter in this year's class in Rojas? Plus, he could likely be had for a below-slot bonus, considering that the Braves have another first-round pick coming at No. 26 overall.

10. Colorado Rockies: Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech

• Height: 5-9

• Weight: 185 pounds

• Age: 21

Who knows what Paul DePodesta and this Rockies front office have in store in their first draft? Taking the best pitcher available wouldn't shock me here, nor would a high-upside swing like two-way player Jared Grindlinger or Alabama star Justin Lebron. But it feels like a college bat is the best marriage of value and need here, and Burress is a tremendous get at the end of the top 10 -above-average tools across the board, with center-field athleticism and power that belies his small frame. If you just want to take a quality future big-leaguer, you could do a lot worse.

11. Washington Nationals: Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas

• Height: 6-1

• Weight: 210

• Age: 21

Paul Toboni comes from the Red Sox, who popped UVA's Kyle Teel in the first round not all that long ago. Which brings us to Helfrick, the second-best catcher in this class and the best in most years that don't include a star like Lackey. The swing-and-miss is a concern, but the power behind the plate is very real, and his defense gives him a high floor.

12. Los Angeles Angels: Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M

• Height: 6-1

• Weight: 210 pounds

• Age:21

For better or (much more often) for worse, the Angels want guys who will reach the Majors as quickly as possible. Enter Hacopian, who comes with huge questions about his ultimate defensive future and his too-high ground ball rate but is as polished and disciplined a hitter as you'll find in this class. They could also go with a college arm here, but with Flora off the board and question marks elsewhere, a pro-ready bat feels like the pick.

13. St. Louis Cardinals: Jared Grindlinger, LHP/OF, Huntingdon Beach (CA)

• Height: 6-3

• Weight: 190 pounds

• Age: 17

It seems as though St. Louis is set on a bat, but why not take one who also comes with the potential to be an MLB-caliber starter on the mound as well? This feels like the sort of upside move that Chaim Bloom loves, and Grindlinger shows enough as a hitter and a pitcher to think he could do both in the bigs - with the potential to focus on one as he moves up the ladder. He's one of the youngest prospects in this class, to boot, and the Cardinals are still looking to find future stars to restock this system.

14. Miami Marlins: Sawyer Strosnider, OF TCU

• Height: 6-2

• Weight: 200 pounds

• Age:21

Miami tends to love hitters with one superlative tool or another. Strosnider certainly qualifies, with incredible power that you'd expect from somebody who looks like (and runs like) a linebacker. There are loads of questions about his plate discipline, but the sky is the limit if he refines his approach, and his athleticism would seem to guarantee him some sort of big-league role in the future.

15. Arizona Diamondbacks: AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia

• Height:6-3

• Weight: 195

• Age: 21

The D-backs love lefties who know how to get the barrel to the ball, and Gracia fits that to a tee, even if scouts appear to be divided on how much power he'll ultimately tap into (and whether he'll stick in center). The D-backs could also go with one of the college starters who are falling, but they certainly have a type, and Gracia's hit tool is too enticing to ignore given the risk elsewhere.

16. Texas Rangers: Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama

• Height: 6-2

• Weight: 202 pounds

• Age: 21

From Kumar Rocker to Jack Leiter, the Rangers are not afraid of taking big-name prospects with red flags in their profiles. Lebron might be the very best athlete in this draft, but he also could slide into the back half of the first round after a disappointing season at Alabama in which his plate approach got exposed a bit. But he's got major power and is slick at shortstop, with plenty of upside to dream on for a team that could use it.

17. Houston Astros: Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State

• Height: 6-4

• Weight:220 pounds

• Age: 21

Houston feels like a team that's going to prioritize college players who can help at the big-league level in the near future. Reese is by no means a perfect prospect; there's strikeout risk, and he could well be a first baseman when all is said and done. Still, he has massive raw power - he could hit 30-35 homers if it all clicks -and that combination of proximity and upside is awfully enticing.

18. Cincinnati Reds: Hunter Dietz, LHP, Arkansas

• Height: 6-6

• Weight: 235 pounds

• Age:21

The Reds could go in any number of directions, but they've become something of a pitching factory in recent years, and so many of the best prospects in this class have fallen that I think they'll be too tempted by the thought of going with an arm here. Dietz finally stayed healthy after two years lost to injury, and showed why he was considered a potential first-round pick in the first place while helping lead Arkansas to the College World Series. He's a lefty with big velocity and a diverse arsenal, and those don't grow on trees.

19. Cleveland Guardians: Trevor Condon, OF, Etowah (GA)

• Height: 5-11

• Weight: 178 pounds

• Age: 18

Cleveland is always a threat to take a pitcher, but this team is always in need of bats, and Condon feels like a very Guardians player in his athleticism and his refined approach from the left side of the plate. He's not a slash-and-burn speedster, either, and if Cleveland can help optimize his swing a bit more, they could really have a player here -one with the sort of juice this team doesn't have too much of.

20. Boston Red Sox: Brody Bumila, LHP, Bishop Feehan (MA)

• Height: 6-9

• Weight: 255 pounds

• Age: 18

A lefty with an outlier frame and triple-digit velocity, right in Boston's backyard? I find it hard to believe that pitching guru Craig Breslow would pass on that sort of prospect, even despite the Red Sox' offensive struggles this season. There's legit ace upside here, and if any pitching development group is going to get it out of him, it's Boston's.

21. San Diego Padres: Bo Lowrance, 3B, Christ Church Episcopal (SC)

• Height: 6-5

• Weight: 200 pounds

• Age: 18

AJ Preller is always going to swing for the fences, and that typically means going the high school route in search of upside. Lowrance has plenty of it, combining a 6-foot-5 frame that's the very definition of "projectable" with a sweet left-handed swing beyond his years. He's just 18, and there are lots of questions to answer about his defensive home (can he stick at third?), but it's not hard to envision a cornerstone bat here, and that will speak to San Diego.

22. Detroit Tigers: Cole Prosek, 3B/C, Magnolia Heights (MS)

• Height: 6-1

• Weight:195 pounds

• Age:19

We're going to keep finding ways to mock lefty high school bats to Detroit, as Scott Harris has shown he has something of a type -with Kevin McGonigle the foremost example. Prosek doesn't have quite that sort of bat-to-ball ability, but it's superlative all the same, and there's more power than you'd think with room to grow. He probably doesn't stick in the middle infield, but he should wind up at some sort of valuable position that will take some pressure off his bat.

23. Chicago Cubs: Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina

• Height: 6-6

• Weight: 210 pounds

• Age: 21

Chicago would be thrilled to find Flukey making it all the way to them at No. 23. After all, he was in competition with Flora to be the top college pitcher in the country this season until a rib injury derailed things. That's obviously not as big of a red flag as an arm or shoulder issue, and he returned late in the year looking pretty much like his old self. There's too much potential in his fastball/curve combination to pass up.

24. Seattle Mariners: Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida

• Height: 6-5

• Weight:225 pounds

• Age: 21

Seattle is a college pitching factory, so let's keep the assembly line moving. And Peterson would be a perfect fit, as the righty has big-time stuff but doesn't quite know how to harness it. The right organization could help unlock true frontline upside, which is where the Mariners have excelled in recent years.

25. Milwaukee Brewers: Zion Rose, OF, Louisville

• Height: 6-1

• Weight: 200 pounds

• Age:20

Nine of Milwaukee's last 10 first-round picks have been bats. This organization loves offensive upside if it identifies a hitter it likes, and Rose has a lot to like after displaying a unique combination of contact and power at Louisville. His lack of defensive value in the outfield is going to put a lot of pressure on the bat, but at this point in the first round, it's well worth the risk for a Brewers team that will always bet on athletes.

Prospect promotion incentives: College pitchers' slide is Braves', Astros' gain

Established in the 2022 CBA, prospect promotion incentive picks are meant to nudge teams away from manipulating their top prospects' service time. If an eligible player - i.e., a player who appears on at least two major top-100 prospect lists -accrues a full year of service as a rookie and then goes on to win Rookie of the Year or a top-three MVP or Cy Young finish before their arb years, their teams are rewarded an extra first-round pick. This year, that applies to Atlanta (Drake Baldwin), the Mets (whose bloated payroll saw their pick docked 10 spots) and the Astros (Hunter Brown),

26. Atlanta Braves: Cade Townsend, RHP, Tennessee

• Height: 6-1

• Weight: 185 pounds

• Age: 21

Another pitcher? Sure, why not -Atlanta just took a boatload of bats in last year's draft, after all, and feel due to swing back to the other end of the spectrum. Plus, Townsend is very good value here, with a full complement of offspeed pitches just waiting for a better fastball to play off of. If a team can improve the life on his heater, the sky is the limit, which makes him enticing for the Braves.

27. New York Mets: Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia

• Height: 6-2

• Weight: 200 pounds

• Age: 21

Jackson has truly unique power and speed for a catcher, and at this point in the draft, that kind of upside could appeal to David Stearns. New York needs to rebuild its farm system a bit after a rough start to the 2026 season, and that starts with finding as many bats with MLB futures as possible. Jackson fits the bill, especially if the Mets believe they can improve his defense behind the plate.

28. Houston Astros: Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee

• Height: 6-3

• Weight:189 pounds

• Age:21

Houston went with a fast-moving bat with their first pick, so let's go with a pitcher here. He can really, really spin the ball, and a team that can help him develop a more reliable third pitch could have a true steal on their hands. His fastball and curveball are that good, and he's an analytics darling thanks to his eye-popping spin rates.

Competitive balance picks

There are a few ways to earn a competitive balance pick, one of which occurs if an organization extends a qualifying offer to an impending free agent and they decide to leave anyway. MLB teams in both big and small markets can benefit from this, though receiving extra draft picks is tougher to come by when you're a club like the Dodgers -which routinely breaks the proverbial luxury tax glass ceiling, costing themselves draft capital in the process.

Today's best reads

• Buy or sell? What each team in the AL Wild Card standings should do at the trade deadline

• The current MLB playoff teams with the flimsiest case to be called contenders

• 3 realistic White Sox trade packages to overtake the Guardians

• This White Sox-Red Sox trade proposal would bring Aroldis Chapman back to Chicago

• Cubs-Padres and 4 series that will determine the MLB Wild Card standings

This article was originally published on www.fansided.com as MLB mock draft 2026: Full first-round projection with the Combine in the rearview.