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Draft  | Story | 1/1/2026

2026 MLB Draft Preview & Superlatives

Tyler Kotila
Photo: Grady Emerson (Perfect Game)
As we look ahead to the 2026 calendar year, we take a step closer to the 2026 MLB Draft. While we recently dropped our Top 300 College Prospects for the 2026 group, there is still a lot to sort out throughout this year. High school ball is right around the corner and the college season is on the horizon. Many players are going to see their stock improve as games start to get played and players pitch/hit their way up or down the board. We’ll see some breakout candidates, collegiate performers, and high school arms that pop throughout the 2026 spring and summer. In this article, we are going to talk through some of the narratives/storylines shaping up for this 2026 draft class. We’ll also talk through a couple of players who fit the build of some pre-season superlatives.




Battle for 1:1

It’s still really early in the race for things, but with the Draft Lottery done with, the Chicago White Sox possess the first overall pick. With that said, they are likely to pick up Roch Cholowsky, the highly-touted shortstop from UCLA. However, there’s still a lot of baseball to be played, a lot of evaluations to be done, but this feels like a safe bet as the calendar flips to 1:1. If things were to change, it would likely be Grady Emerson, the standout prep shortstop from Fort Worth Christian HS in Texas. These are the two names that have been in the mix since Day 1, and will continue to be in the conversation until draft day. There’s a couple other names that are in the mix, and could be sneaky names heading into the year to watch. It feels like its Cholowsky or Emerson, but things can always change. Gio Rojas, a southpaw from Stoneman Douglas in Florida could very well put himself in the conversation with a loud prep campaign. On the collegiate side, its Drew Burress and AJ Gracia who could put themselves in the conversation with loud seasons at the college level.


Bats Outweigh Arms Early On

It’s early right now and there’s a lot of things to sort out still, but the early theme with this class at the top is that the bats are leading the way. There’s more bats that are clear cut first-rounders or in that bucket as things stand. In our PG Top 300, looking at the Top 30 players on the board, there are just eight pitchers. Gio Rojas finds himself as the top arm overall, with college arms Liam Peterson and Cameron Flukey battle it out near the top of the board. Some prep and college arms are surely going to find themselves moving up the board before draft day, but they’ll carve out their draft stock even more as the spring progresses.


Collegiate Arms to sort themselves out

Doubling down on the arms mentioned above, there’s a group of three arms who seemingly are going to battle it out to be first-rounders and battle to be first off the board. It’s Flukey who’s currently ranked 11th on our board, with Peterson at 15th overall, and UCSB standout Jackson Flora at 16th on the latest update. These are the three who are likely to compete to be Top 10-15ish picks as things currently stand. However, there another group of 3-4 names that could find themselves in the back half of the first-round or compensation round with big spring performances. It’s Owen Kramkowski out of Arizona, Georgia transfer Joey Volchko, and Gabe Gaeckle at Arkansas. These are the next three arms who are in the mix to be Top 40ish picks. It will be interesting to see how things play out for both these groups of arms.


PG All-Americans listed all over the Draft Board

Looking at the 2025 PG All-American Classic’s rosters, there’s a lot of talent all across the board, and those players find themselves scattered all over the PG MLB Draft Top 300 board that was recently released. While it’s no surprise that All-Americans like Grady Emerson and Jacob Lombard are in the mix pretty high up on this board, there’s also some of the players in the Top 100 and beyond that have been highly touted prospects on the circuit. The big time arms like Jensen Hirschkorn, Logan Schmidt, and Kaden Waechter all find themselves inside the Top 50 of the board. There’s also bats like Cole Prosek, Keon Johnson, and Cole Koeninger sprinkled into the Top 100. It will be great to see these PG All-Americans continue to carve out their spots on the draft board as the prep seasons get underway across the country.


Pre-Season Superlatives

Most Likely To Jump Into The Top 30

- Brady Harris, OF, Trinity Christian Academy (Fla.)

Harris has long been one of the big names in this prep class for years, and he remains the 7th ranked player in the class, and currently sits 31st on our PG Draft Board. Harris has tons of traits to like, with a high-blend of athleticism and twitch, with traits to like in the batter’s box. He has some of the best bat speed in the class and can do damage and produce on the circuit as he has shown over the years. A big spring for Trinity this year could see him shoot back up into the Top 30.

- Rocco Maniscalco, SS, Oxford HS (Ala.)

Maniscalco currently sits at 34th on the PG Draft Board and has been a name that has gottne buzz already. He’s been a name that has gotten a ton of buzz, similar to that of Kellon Lindsey or fellow Alabama-native Steele Hall in the past few years. Maniscalco has a highly-touted hit-tool, with a ton of athleticism, and good traits throughout the profile. A loud fall mixed with the buzz he already has could move him inside the Top 30 before the MLB Draft.

- Coleman Borthwick, 3B/RHP, South Walton HS (Fla.)

Borthwick is one of the most unique prospects in this draft class. He’s a standout performer on both sides of the ball and a loud spring performance could easily vault him up the board. He’s got mid- to upper-90s heater with a wipeout slider on the mound, and tons of power upside at the plate. He’s physical and strong with a bigger durable build that projects well and the tools are loud in Borthwick’s profile.


Most Likely To Jump Into The Top 100

- Trent Caraway, 3B, LSU

Caraway has spent the last two seasons with Oregon State where he has had some struggles but found his way during the Beavers run in Omaha last year. However, he has since transferred to LSU and the buzz around Caraway is that he is poised for a big year in Baton Rouge. A prep-standout and former PG All-American, he has the skills to handle the hot corner with ease, with traits in the box to like. He has above-average power and while he has some swing-and-miss concerns, there’s belief 2026 could be a big year for Caraway. A solid campaign with the defending National Champs could prove dividends for his draft stock.

- Trey Ebel, SS, Corona HS (Calif.)

While Ebel was a junior last year, he was on the highly-talented Corona HS team that had Seth Hernandez, Billy Carlson, and Trey’s brother Brady Ebel on it. Now, its Ebel’s draft year and he’s already a big name for evaluators. Ebel has the bloodlines and traits that make him an intriguing draft prospect for this class. He’s currently 135th on the PG Draft Board, but a big spring could easily see him move inside the Top 100. Ebel’s swing oozes bat speed, with a rhythmic and sound operation, that has serious power upside. Ebel’s a name to watch in 2026.

- Myles Bailey, 1B, Florida State

Bailey is a draft-eligible sophomore who had a real loud freshman campaign. He’s a massively physical and strong left-handed bat who has real power upside. The juice is loud and is present, blasting 19 home runs in his freshman campaign for the Seminoles. Bailey has a chance to make noise once again in his sophomore campaign and he could very well find himself moving inside the Top 100 on our draft board.


Most Likely to be a Prep Performer

- Landon Thome, SS, Nazareth Academy (Ill.)

Thome is one of the names that is buzzing in the midwest, and could be the big name on the circuit in Illinois in 2026. Every year there’s a name that pops up from the circuit in Illinois, and Thome could very well be one of them. He’s the son of Jim Thome and has a smooth left-handed swing – no surprise there. He’s got easy traits to lift the baseball and show the juice off. He could find himself moving into the Top 50 if he comes out and shows off the power on the midwest spring circuit.

- Savion Sims, RHP, Prestonwood Christian Academy (Tex.)

Sims moved to Texas, where he will pitch at the same school Robert X Mitchell did in 2025 before being drafted by the Los Angeles Angels. Sims will have the brass in to see him this spring, and its easy to see why when you watch Sims throw. A long and lengthy right-hander who has serious whip to the arm. He touched 100 mph at PG National in 2025 and has the arm speed to keep lighting up the radar gun. If the offspeed continues to improve and he can continue to pound the zone, Sims should be able to see his stock improve and move up the draft board even further.

- Robert Omidi, IF, St. Martin HS (Ont.)

Omidi has long been a performer on the prep circuit, but another big season in 2026 could move him up draft boards even further. The Canadian Premier trip to Arizona this spring and a loud showing in the CPBL could easily see Omidi make some noise. He’s a strong and physical left-handed bat, with tons of bat-to-ball skills. He can impact the ball loudly and produce loud results at the plate. Omidi has continuously impressed evaluators over the last year on the circuit and there’s plenty of reason to believe he’ll be a top performer again in 2026.


Most Likely to be a College Performer

- Alex Philpott, RHP, South Carolina

Philpott spent the last two seasons on Florida’s pitching staff, but has since transferred to South Carolina where he’s slated to play a big role on the Gamecocks pitching staff in 2026. Philpott works the mid-90s and creeps into the upper-90s on the heater, with a really good curveball to pair. The stuff is phenomenal at its best, and a big fall has him poised to move into the rotation after pitching out of the ‘pen during his time with the Gators. Philpott could be poised for a loud spring.

- Henry Ford, OF/1B, Tennessee

Ford spent two seasons with the Virginia Cavaliers where he was a fixture in the lineup, and one of the key performers. He was draft eligible in 2025 but opted to remain at the collegiate level and transfer to Tennessee to join the Vols’ lineup. Ford has elite power upside with traits to like in the batters’ box. He’ll be in a Vols’ lineup filled with impact bats and could find a lot of success. A big year in the SEC for Ford could see him moving up draft boards this spring.

- Hayden Johnson, LHP, Coastal Carolina

While Johnson may not be inside the Top 200 right now, he’s on the shortlist to move up the board with a loud performance in the spring. He had a monster finish to the 2025 season, with some star-studded performances for Coastal Carolina in their Omaha run. Johnson returns and is poised to be a big part of the staff once again. The heater misses bats from a tough slot, and he has hammer breaker to pair. He’s been a buzzy name already before the season starts, and could move way up the board with another loud performance in 2026.
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Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 6/26/2026

MLB Draft Reports: 1-99
Michael Albee
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2026 MLB Draft Reports: 100-299 | 200-299 | 300-399 | 400-500 1. Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA R-R, 6-2/202, Chandler, AZ Previously Drafted: Never Drafted   Roch Cholowsky has consistently ranked at the top of the class throughout the cycle due to the safety and upside of the profile. Defensively, he is a plus defender at shortstop with soft hands, consistent actions, and quality range. Not only should he stick at the position long term, he should excel there at the next level. Offensively, there is a strong mix of hit and power potential from the right side of the plate. The swing is a bit unorthodox with a shorter finish, but Cholowsky consistently finds the barrel and drives the ball with authority to all fields. He has strong bat to ball skills with impact. He has walked more than stuck out during his collegiate career, giving him a high on-base ability. The run tool is the...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/2/2026

Freedom Classic Opens Holiday Weekend

Alyssa Golden
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More than 30 teams from the 14U-18U age divisions will head to Fort Myers, Florida this Fourth of July weekend for the seventh annual Perfect Game Freedom Classic. The tournament, running July 3-6, features several nationally ranked prospects from across the country as teams look to compete for a championship. Headlining the field are twin brothers Derek and Ryan Yormark of Merrick, New York. Right-handed pitcher Derek Yormack is the No. 51-ranked player in the class of 2027, the No. 1 player in New York and the No. 5-ranked right-handed pitcher in the country. First baseman Ryan Yormark comes in just behind his twin brother as the No. 3 overall player in New York, the No. 5 first baseman in the nation and the No. 90-ranked player nationally. Both brothers are committed to Vanderbilt. Derek Yormark has established himself as one of the top two-way prospects in the 2027 class. He has run...
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High School | General | 7/1/2026

PG High School All-Americans

Tyler Russo
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High School Top 50: Final Update With the High School season all wrapped up, today we take a look at our First, Second and Third Team All-Americans from around the country. Below you'll find three teams with stats that seem otherworldly from players who'll likely hear their names called in the coming week's MLB Draft. Within the "Notable Stats" section you'll see the individual award winners as well. First Team All-American Pos.  Name Class School State Commitment Notable Stats C Cole Prosek 2026 Magnolia Heights MS Ole Miss .595 BA, 18 HR, 79 RBI 1B Will Adams 2026 Hoover AL LSU .489, 13 HR, 52 RBI IF James Tronstein 2026 Harvard-Westlake CA Vanderbilt .531, 10 HR, 29 RBI, 21 XBH IF Grady Emerson 2026 Fort Worth Christian TX Texas .508, 8 HR, 56 RBI, 34/35 SB, National POY IF Jacob Lombard 2026 Gulliver Schools FL Miami .477, 10 HR, 52 R, 42 H, 14 SB OF Martin Shelar 2026 Marist GA...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

16u Elite Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
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16u Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2  ‘28 AJ Bonnette (TX) with 7 Ks thru 4 IP thus far, living 89-91 w/ heavy traits. Filling up all four quads & attacking hitters early in counts. Mixing a slurvy breaker & turning the CHG over well. @PG_Uncommitted #NatElite @Texas_PG pic.twitter.com/oz2XXoKHvt — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 30, 2026 Aj Bonnette (2028, Keller, Texas) showed out on both sides of the ball at the National Elite Championship, but really stood out on the mound Tuesday. He toed the rubber in round two of the playoffs, proceeding to toss six innings with eight punchouts and zero earned runs allowed. The 6-foot southpaw filled up all four quadrants of the strike zone, attacking hitters early and often with his fastball. The heater lived in the 88-91 mph range with heavy traits, often setting up his slurvy breaking ball. Bonnette showed good feel...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

Performance Baseball Rolls On

Kinley Kitchens
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Championship teams often reveal themselves when the game isn’t going their way. Performance Baseball 2028/Milwaukee Brewers Scout Team did exactly that. Trailing Florida Burn 2028 Scout through four innings, the Brewers refused to panic. Instead, they relied on timely hitting, consistent pitching, and an unselfish approach at the plate, rallying a five-run fifth inning before pulling away for a 9-5 victory to clinch their spot in the semifinals. The comeback was fueled by contributions throughout the lineup. Six different players drove in runs, including two RBIs each from Aiden Capobianco and Cameron Massey, while Matthew Heredia, Parker Weston, Ethan Smith, and Aj Bonnette each added an RBI of their own. On the mound, Derek Wenzel set the tone with 3.2 solid innings before Ethan Smith shut the door in relief, helping preserve the comeback victory. Although the Brewers have had a...
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Tournaments | Championship | 7/1/2026

JK Select Hawaii Tackles 14u West WS

Emily Hicks
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JK Select Hawaii capped off an impressive tournament run by defeating GBG Vegas 14u Red14-4 in the championship game on Sunday at Goodyear Ballpark, claiming the 14u West World Series title. From the opening pitch, JK Select controlled the pace of the game. The offense jumped out early, scoring 6 runs in the 1st inning after timely hits from MVP Sean Shindo and Kade Manarpaac. The early lead gave the pitching staff confidence as they worked efficiently through the opposing lineup. “I've worked hard to get better at my game for the past few months; it means a lot that I did well and performed in a tournament like this” said Shindo. Starting pitcher Maddox Prones turned in a strong performance, allowing 3 runs while striking out 5 batters over 3 innings. The defense backed the effort with great plays in the middle infield, preventing GBG Vegas from building momentum....
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Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

"Wow" Swings Catch Eyes at 16u Elite

Kinley Kitchens
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On the second day of the 2026 Perfect Game National Elite Championship, one swing turned heads across the ballpark. The next one brought everyone to a stop. With Wow Factor Nation 16U trailing midway through its matchup against Sandlot Scout Team 2028, Micheal O'Connor launched a solo home run to spark the offense. Just one batter later, Aaron Frink stepped into the box and sent another ball over the fence, delivering back-to-back home runs that quickly became one of the most talked about moments of the tournament’s opening days. Parents gathered along the nets, players from previous games stopped to watch, and college scouts turned their attention toward the action as the two towering swings energized the crowd and brought new life to the game. Although Wow Factor Nation ultimately lost 5-3 after a hard-fought performance, the back-to-back home runs served as a reminder of the...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

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Will Dembo
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Following a jam-packed week of entertainment at the 17u WWBA Championships, the top nationally ranked program, USA Prime 17u National/Detroit Tigers Scout Team, faced off against Stacked Baseball 17u (No. 80 nationally) in the highly anticipated championship matchup as both teams looked to earn one of the most prestigious titles in all of travel baseball. Each talented squad entered the finale undefeated, but Stacked Baseball continued their dominance throughout the tournament, defeating the Detroit Tigers Scout Team 10-2 in mercy rule fashion to become national champions behind explosive bats and impressive pitching. Stacked Baseball was the overwhelming top team throughout the week as the WWBA Champions outscored opponents by an absurd 117-12 during their 11-0 run. “We got some talented kids, but we played against a little bit of Goliath over there,” Stacked Head Coach Mike...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 7

Perfect Game Staff
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17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4  Day 5 | Day 6 Shea Corona (2027, Brooklyn, N.Y.) showcased some loud stuff out of the bullpen for MLB Breakthrough Series 2027. The New York native and primary shortstop topped out at 93 with the fastball, sitting comfortable in the 90-92 range. Corona paired it with a sharp and tight slider at 81-83, staying on the same plane until late. The pitch plays well already and the delivery is very athletic. The uncommitted right-hander went three scoreless and was in the zone plenty, striking out two while not allowing a walk. '27 SS Moises Gudino (FL) continues to stay red hot, working a long AB & cracking an oppo 2B on the 8th pitch. Really seeing ing well. #WWBA @Florida_PG https://t.co/OjNJ8Bmzao pic.twitter.com/WoDDp35EI1 — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 30, 2026 Moises Gudino (2027, Tampa, Fla.)...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Texas Twelve Firing On Full Cylinders

Kinley Kitchens
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Every team hopes to start a tournament with momentum, but few make a statement quite like Texas Twelve Maroon 2028. Matched up against defending champion Excel Blue Wave National to kick off their debut in the 2026 Perfect Game National Elite Championship, Texas Twelve Maroon delivered a complete team performance, earning a hard-fought 3-2 victory and immediately establishing themselves as one of the top teams to watch this week. The win showcased the balance that has made Texas Twelve Maroon a powerful team. Strong pitching, timely hitting, and steady defense all played a role as the team held off one of the tournament’s premier programs. Right-hander Ty Antley turned in an outstanding performance on the mound, throwing a complete game while allowing only five hits and two walks over seven innings. The High Follow prospect worked consistently between 85-89 mph and mixed in a sharp...
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Tournaments | Championship | 6/30/2026

Flames Capture 18U BCS Title

Alyssa Golden
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Flames Natty used timely hitting and a dominant start from Beau Collier to defeat NLB American 7-3 and capture the 18U BCS National Championship on Monday at Lee Health Sports Complex. Despite being assembled just hours before the tournament began, the Flames quickly developed chemistry throughout the tournament. “This team was put together 12 hours before this tournament, and they went on a crazy run,” head coach Adam Vasquez said. “These kids know each other locally, but they don’t play together. For them to come together last minute like that, it’s crazy. I’m proud of them for that.” The game opened as a pitchers’ duel, with David Acevedo recording the lone hit through the first two innings. NLB American starter Hayden Graham kept the Flames in check early, allowing just one hit while striking out one over 2.0 innings. The right-hander...
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