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| 2,602 MLB PLAYERS | 16,395 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,602 MLB PLAYERS | 16,395 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Draft  | Mock Draft | 7/11/2026

Final 2026 MLB Mock Draft

It's draft day and that means it's time for our final Mock Draft with the 2026 group.

1. Chicago White Sox | Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA
It’s between Roch and Grady Emerson at this pick, though there have been heavy rumors of a very late deal potentially with another top 5 pick. This boils down to negotiations and we think that they will get there. 



2. Tampa Bay Rays | Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian (Tex.)
If Grady isn’t the first pick then he is almost certain to be the second pick. The Rays like to get creative but Emerson is a well worth prospect in his own right. 

3.  Minnesota Twins | Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech
This is likely the floor for Roch Cholowsky, though the Twins might prefer Lackey to Roch outright. They are thought to be in on the top college players with Emerson a distant third. 

4. San Francisco Giants | Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara 
The Giants have not made it a secret that they are trying to float Roch Cholowsky to this pick, however it does not look likely that will work at this juncture. If Flora doesn’t go here expect the Pirates to scoop him up at 5. EJ Booth and Jacob Lombard have been heard here too. 

5. Pittsburgh Pirates | Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech
The Pirates have been tied to a ton of prospects but they’re probably the ceiling for Burress. They would grab Flora if available and have also been tied to Lombard and EJ Booth, the next tier of preps.

6. Kansas City Royals | Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky
There are heavy rumors of an underslot deal with someone here and other names like Chris Hacopian have been mentioned in that regard. This is probably the ceiling for Jared Grindlinger and Derek Curiel as well.

7. Baltimore Orioles | EJ Booth, OF, Oak Grove (Miss.)
Booth is loaded with tools and gives the Orioles player dev a chance to flex its muscles. This is another landing spot for Drew Burress and any of the other top guys that might slip. 

8. Athletics | Gio Rojas, LHP, Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Fla.)
Rojas is the best prep arm in the draft and the A’s are seen as kind of a wild card in the top ten. Booth and Lombard are in play here as well. Second tier college arms begin to get mentioned here as well like Liam Peterson, Taylor Rabe, and Cade Townsend.

9. Atlanta Braves | Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep (Fla.)
Lombard is in play starting around 4 and should have plenty of suitors but will land with the Braves in this mock. This is also the floor for Drew Burress, while the Braves have been interested in arms as well. 

10. Colorado Rockies | Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas
Helfrick is the second best catcher in the draft and this would be a fun pick to a Colorado system in desperate need of star power. Rockies will also be looking to grab up any fallers in this group with Lombard a possibility. 

11. Washington Nationals | Jared Grindlinger, OF/LHP, Washington Nationals
The Nats have been all over Grindlinger but there is the possibility that he’s not here at this pick. Lombard and Booth are options here if they fall and the Nats are believed to be in on preps. 

12. Los Angeles Angels | Chris Hacopian, IF, Texas A&M
Hacopian’s market has been hard to read with rumors of a top ten deal and the Angels thought process in general is a question mark given their lack of a GM. They’re thought to be all in on Grindlinger but he doesn’t make it here in this scenario. 

13. St. Louis Cardinals | Mason Edwards, LHP, Southern Cal
In this scenario it feels plausible that the Cardinals could go with either Edwards or Derek Curiel but they’ll go the arm in this scenario. Booth and Lombard are options if they fall too. 

14. Miami Marlins | Derek Curiel, OF, LSU
Curiel has a chance to go in the top ten, even the top five, but he’ll safely land to the Marlins in this mock. College arms are also in this range with Edwards at 13 perhaps starting a run on them. 

15. Arizona Diamondbacks | Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
Lebron’s market is all over the place right now but the Dbacks have some pick flexibility and can get creative. The tools are explosive and this probably starts the market for prep outfielder Trevor Condon. 

16. Texas Rangers | Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
Texas is thought to be in on college arms with some other names being Cameron Flukey and the pair of Ole Miss arms. Peterson might have the best stuff in terms of the college arms. 

17. Houston Astros | Logan Hughes, OF, Texas Tech
The Astros are prioritizing bats here with names like Bo Lowrance and Trevor Condon on the prep side and this is probably the ceiling for Daniel Jackson. AJ Gracia and Ace Reese are names to watch here too. 

18. Cincinnati Reds | Trevor Condon, OF, Etowah (Ga.)
The Reds are kind of wide open here with Condon’s range likely being somewhere in the mid teens. 

19. Cleveland Guardians | Cade Townsend, RHP, Ole Miss
Townsend has some questions concerning his missed time from earlier in the season but in terms of success and pure stuff he’s a solid first rounder. Grindlinger is in play here while the power bats like Gracia and Reese have homes here.

20. Boston Red Sox | Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State
This is likely the floor for Grindlinger and the Red Sox are supposedly trying hard to land him. The remaining college bats should start to go here soon with Gracia getting in play too. 

21. San Diego Padres | Bo Lowrance, 3B, Christ Church Episcopal (S.C.)
The Padres love their prep upside picks and very few high schoolers have had the steam that Lowrance has had recently. This is probably the ceiling for northeast southpaw Brody Bumila. 

22. Detroit Tigers | Hunter Dietz, LHP, Arkansas 
The Tigers are looking hard at college pitching with this likely being the floor for USC lefty Mason Edwards. Prep bats like Cole Prosek and Jared Grindlinger have also been tied here. 

23. Chicago Cubs | Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina
College arms have been the theme with the Cubs with other names like Townsend, Rabe, and Ben Blair mentioned. 

24. Seattle Mariners | Taylor Rabe, RHP, Ole Miss
Similarly to the Cubs, the Mariners have been tied to college arms with this pick. At 23 and 24 might be the beginning of Carson Bolemon’s market as well barring a significant underslot deal. 

25. Milwaukee Brewers | AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia
Gracia represents good value and an archetype that the Brewers have had success with in the past. Other preps get mentioned here, particularly west coast ones. 

26. Atlanta Braves | Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia
The Braves have been tied to a lot of pitching with this pick, particularly rumors of Carson Bolemon. They’ll be potentially looking to potentially save money here and float a name later in the draft too.

27. New York Mets | Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee
The draft is as much about demographics as it is talent and Kuhns is an excellent point for both. College pitchers always go in this range with any of the previously selected arms likely being in play.

28. Houston Astros | Cole Prosek, 3B, Magnolia Heights (Miss.)
Prosek’s market starts to heat up once we get to the 30s with the Astros also being solid targets for any of the college arms that fall. Ben Blair is likely the top college arm on the board and will be in play around here too. 

29. San Francisco Giants | Carson Bolemon, LHP, Southside Christian Schools (S.C.)
Bolemon has homes all over the first round with some teams even trying to float him to their second pick. This is the Giants second pick however, and a lot of this pick depends on what they do with the 4thpick. 

30. Kansas City Royals | Taj Marchand, SS, James Island Charter (S.C.)
Marchand has been the buzziest, or second buzziest, prep name since the draft combine and he’s believed to go somewhere in the comp round. One name not in the mock who we’ve heard heavy rumors of a first round underslot deal is North Carolina SS Jake Schaffner. 

31.  Arizona Diamondbacks | Brody Bumila, LHP, Bishop Feehan (Mass.)

32.  St. Louis Cardinals | Jack Radel, RHP, Notre Dame

33.  Tampa Bay Rays | Zion Rose, C/OF, Louisville

34.  Chicago White Sox | Landon Thome, SS, Nazareth Academy (Ill.)

35.  New York Yankees | Archer Horn, SS, St. Ignatius College Prep (Calif.)

36.  Philadelphia Phillies | Aiden Ruiz, SS, The Stony Brook (N.Y.)

37.  Colorado Rockies | Ben Blair, RHP, Liberty

38.  Colorado Rockies | Chase Brunson, OF, TCU

39.  Toronto Blue Jays | Ty Head, OF, NC State

40.  Los Angeles Dodgers | Jarren Advincula, 2B, Georgia Tech




Draft | Story | 8/11/2026

Realistic Expectations of a 1:1 Pick

Tyler Henninger
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Over the 2026 draft cycle, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky was the projected No. 1 pick throughout the entire cycle. White Sox fans began #RochWatch and were already talking about when he will make it to Chicago. Now that he has been selected, Cholowsky has immediately become a Top-10 prospect in all of baseball. There is no denying the hype, and the pressure, for Chowlosky to get to the big leagues and produce at a high level.  But how realistic is that? Let’s take a look back at past 1:1 selections and see what you can expect from a No. 1 overall selection.  For this exercise, we’ll look at No. 1 overall picks from the bonus pool era, excluding Eli Willits from 2025 since this is his first full year of pro ball. That gives us 13 players selected from 2012 through 2024.  Almost All Become Big Leaguers The first thing that stands out is how successful No. 1 picks...
High School | General | 8/17/2026

Scott's Eye Popping Two-Way Earns MVP

Jim Salisbury
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PHILADELPHIA – When the folks at Perfect Game reached out to invite him to pitch in the 2026 PG All-Star Game for rising sophomores and juniors, Cullen Scott had one request. “You mind if I get a couple of at-bats, too?” Along with his dad, Scott traveled from the family’s home in Texas to Citizens Bank Park. The trip proved to be a huge success as he starred on the mound and at the plate and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Scott, 16, pitched a scoreless first inning and struck out two. In the fourth inning, he belted a grand slam six rows up into the left-field seats to lead the National team’s 6-1 win over the American team. “He showed us why he’s here as a pitcher and a hitter,” said Greg Sabers, PG’s vice president of scouting and showcases. "He’s one of the top pitchers here, but he’s too good a...
All American Game | Story | 8/16/2026

Romero Slams His Way to Classic MVP

Jim Salisbury
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PHILADELPHIA – Sunday’s DICK’s Perfect Game All-American Classic was a pitching-dominated affair until the bottom of the eighth inning when the rain started to fall at Citizens Bank Park and Koa Romero stepped to the plate and did his best impression of Kyle Schwarber. Romero wears No. 12, just like Schwarber. He bats left-handed, just like Schwarber. He’s got big power, just like Schwarber. And at 5-10 and a rock-solid 225 pounds, he’s even built like Schwarber. Needless to say, Schwarber is Romero’s favorite player. So, it was all kind of storybook when Romero belted a grand slam to dead center to cap off the scoring in the West team’s 8-3 win over the East club in the 24th annual Classic. “This is a dream come true,” said Romero, who was named MVP of the game. “It’s amazing to be able to put a ball like that out of a...
All American Game | Story | 8/15/2026

A Philly Dream for Steingall

Jim Salisbury
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PHILADELPHIA – Carson Steingall had been to Citizens Bank Park many times over the years. After all, he hails from Nazareth, Pa., about 90 minutes up the road from the home of the Philadelphia Phillies and he counts himself as a big fan of the team. Zack Wheeler is his favorite. Steingall realized a dream when he pitched from the same mound that Wheeler does in Perfect Game’s fourth annual All-Star Game for rising sophomores and juniors on Friday. The dream got even better when Steingall, a 16-year-old right-hander, was named Most Valuable Pitcher after striking out the side in the third inning of the National team’s 6-1 victory over the American team. “It’s just an honor to be here,” Steingall said after receiving his trophy. “This event is the best of the best. It’s really cool to win something like this.” Steingall, who’ll...
Showcase | Story | 8/13/2026

PG Honors Pat Gillick With Philly Showcase

Perfect Game Staff
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Perfect Game to honor Pat Gillick in new Philadelphia Showcase  By Maya Heyman Perfect Game is bringing its elite showcase experience to Philadelphia’s FDR Park for the inaugural Philly Stars/Pat Gillick Showcase this weekend, honoring one of the greatest executives in MLB history in the city where he constructed his final of three World Series winners. The event will take place on Sunday, the same day as the DICK’S All-American Classic, taking place just across the street at Citizens Bank Park.  The showcase will allow Philadelphia-area players to gain exposure and will also honor Gillick, who has been a tremendous influence in both professional and amateur baseball.   Jered Goodwin, Vice President of Scouting Operations for Perfect Game, said the idea came naturally.  “Going to Philly made a lot of sense to honor Pat Gillick, who's been a...
General | General | 8/13/2026

PG All-Star Game Heads to Philly

Jheremy Brown
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For the fourth time since its inception in 2023, two rosters comprised of the best rising juniors (and a handful of rising sophomores) will step out onto the field Friday afternoon, kicking off the All-American weekend. While the Perfect Game All-American Classic is slated for a 1:35 first pitch at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, 36 future hopefuls of the Classic will go up against one another in an American vs National clash at 11 AM Eastern, Friday morning.  With 36 players from across the country descending on Philadelphia, there will be plenty of familiar names in attendance as 24 of the 36 played in at least one PG Select Festival and all 36 attended either the he Sophomore National, Junior National, or the PG Underclass All-American Games this summer. Leading the charge are a pair of No. 1s in 2028 dynamic talent Dexter McCleon Jr and 2029 Macgraw VanWormer, a do-it-all...
Tournaments | Championship | 8/12/2026

Pokers Rally to Capture 16U BCS Title

Alyssa Golden
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Pokers Rally to Capture 16U BCS Title A hot afternoon at JetBlue Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida ended in a 9-1 victory for the Original Florida Pokers 2028 National, defeating SBA Bolts Florida 2028 National on Monday to capture the 16U BCS National Championship. A pitchers’ duel kept the game scoreless through four innings before the Pokers broke it open with a five-run fifth inning. The title marked the Pokers’ second 16U BCS Championship, adding to the championship they won in 2022. Despite a slow start to the summer, the Pokers found their stride at the right time. “We struggled a lot early in the summer, but the past few tournaments we really started turning it on,” Pokers head coach Will McCrimon said. “I’m just so proud of these kids.” Max Maynes started the game on the mound for the Pokers. The left-hander allowed three hits and two walks...
Press Release | Press Release | 8/11/2026

Perfect Game & Goat'd Come Together

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  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME AND GOAT'D PARTNER TO BRING PREMIUM PROTECTIVE GEAR TO THE NATION'S TOP AMATEUR BASEBALL PLAYERS   Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, August 11, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with Goat'd, a premium protective gear brand focused on developing innovative products for athletes. The partnership will bring Goat'd's premium protective equipment to some of the nation's top amateur baseball players and families across Perfect Game's premier national events. The partnership will debut at several of Perfect Game's marquee events, including the 13U Select Fest, 14U Select Fest, Perfect Game All-Star Game and...
General | General | 8/8/2026

12U Game Time: 8/9/2026 1PM Eastern

Perfect Game Staff
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Sunday August 9th, 2026 1:00PM Eastern DICK'S Sporting Goods Park at East Cobb West vs. East Follow and watch the game
General | General | 8/8/2026

11U Game Time: 8/8/2026 Noon Eastern

Perfect Game Staff
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Saturday August 8th, 2026 12:00PM Eastern DICK'S Sporting Goods Park at East Cobb West vs. East Follow and watch the game
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