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Draft  | Story | 7/12/2026

2026 MLB Draft: Day One Recap

Tyler Henninger
Storylines

Heavy College Run Early



We came into the day knowing that there were a lot of talented college players at the top of the board, more specifically college bats. That came to light very early in the day, as we saw just two prep players selected within the first ten picks. The college preference lasted throughout most of the entire first round. Nearly 75% of the first 40 selections were college players. It is clear teams want players at the top of the draft that can quickly get through the system and help the big league club as soon as possible.

Underslot Strategy

Throughout this cycle, we knew that once you get past the first handful of picks the difference in value you were getting for let say pick ten was not that difference compared to pick 30. Because there was a large collection of players that are relatively close in value, teams were looking to get creative. We saw this right away with the Royals taking Zion Rose, who was No. 35 on our final board, with the 6th selection overall. It came into play again at the Red Sox pick at No. 20, selecting North Carolina shortstop Jake Schaffner, who was No. 68 on the final board. A handful of other teams went this route in the first round, knowing they can try to manipulate their pool and get some talented players down the line. 

Surprising Moves

Bold Top-10 Selections

As mentioned above Zion Rose going to the Royal at No. 6 overall was the first “shock” of the day. The Louisville outfielder was being mentioned as a potential first round pick, but had not been mocked in the Top-10. Not quite on the level of Rose, the Pirates pick at No. 5 was a bit of a surprise. LSU outfielder Derek Curiel was mentioned as a potential Top-10 pick, but seemed to fit better in the early teens. Nevertheless, the Pirates pulled the trigger and took one of the better hit tools in the class. 

Late First Round Shockers

In any given year, the back half of the first round can get a little wonky. We can see teams make deals that result in players getting selected higher than we expected. This year we had a pair of big surprises with the Brewers and Mets. The Brewers took the 112th player on our board in Trey Ebel. It marks the second year in a row that an Ebel goes to Milwaukee late in the first round and while we knew Ebel was probably going to go higher than expected, No. 25 overall was a bit of a shock.

As for the Mets, their pick was even more shocking. They took Arkansas right-hander Carson Wiggins, who ranked 234th on our board. It is not even that he is ranked as low as he is, but more the fact that the right-hander has thrown just 14 career innings in college, including zero this spring. The upside was shown at the combine and obviously intrigued the Mets enough to make the pick. 

Dynamic Backstop Pairing

This year was one of the deeper catching classes that we have had in a while. We knew Vahn Lackey was going to be the first backstop off the board and had expected him to get to Minnesota at No. 3 overall. We did not expect the Twins to be able to say that they landed two of the top three catchers on the board. Carson Tinney was selected with the Twins second round pick, giving them a pair of backstops with big upside. 

Day 1 Winners 

Chicago White Sox

It is easy to come away a winner when you have the first overall selection and are able to select a player like Roch Cholowsky. But what makes the White Sox a day one winner in my book is what they were able to do with their other four picks. Landon Thome and Cole Prosek are two prep left-handed bats with a legit hit tool. Georgia right-hander Joey Volchko has some of the biggest upside if it all clicks and Oregon State right-hander Eric Segura adds a collegiate performer to the group. 

Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland was able to grab two pitchers with their first two selections in Florida right-hander Liam Peterson and California prep lefty Logan Schmidt. Both those arms have big upside that should benefit greatly from the Guardians’ pitching development. They round out the day with a pair of college bats. Outfielder Tre Broussard is an athletic center field and Wake Forest’s Kade Lewis provides quality power from the left side.  

Atlanta Braves

The Braves selected a pair of college outfielders with their first two picks in AJ Gracia and Carter Beck. Both those moves were made with the idea of being able to pay a prep strongly later in the draft and that strategy paid off. Atlanta was able to grab Vermont prep right-hander Kaiden McCarthy and Jensen Hirschkorn, a prep right-hander out of California who ranked No. 37 on our board, in the second and third round respectively. They capped off the day with another upside prep arm in Cole Dennis out of Florida. Overall, it's a fun group of prep arms with big upside. 

Athletics

The Athletics strictly stuck to college players on day one and it looks like it has a strong chance to pay off. They get one of the most productive college hitters at No. 7 overall in Drew Burress, followed by a trio of college arms that all have big stuff. Left-handed Mason Edwards put up video game numbers with room to get even better. Right-hander Gabe Gaeckle has supreme upside with some of the best stuff in the class. Meanwhile, Jacob Dudan showed intriguing stuff during his transition to a starters role this spring before running into injury. The Athletics rounded out the day with the selection of Roman Martin out of UCLA. The infielder provides plus defense with the ability to contribute with the bat. 

Potential Steals

No. 14 Miami Marlins: Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Schools (FL)

Lombard ranked No. 4 overall on our board and the Marlins were able to grab him with the 14th overall selection. The Florida prep gets to stay home and could become a massive steal if the hit tool comes around. Lombard is a supreme athlete with big right-handed power. 

No. 16 Texas Rangers: Gio Rojas, LHP, Marjory Stoneman Douglas (FL)

The top prep arm on the board fell into the mid-teens before the Rangers were able to grab him. Rojas ranked No. 10 on our final board and has as much upside as any arm in the class. It is advanced athleticism on the bump with big velocity and feel to spin. The components are all there to make this pick look very good in a few years. 

No. 89 Texas Rangers: Brody Bumila, LHP, Bishop Feehan (MA)

News broke earlier this week that Bumila had hurt his elbow for the second time in three years. That gives this pick major risk, but the upside sure is intriguing. Texas is able to grab the No. 45 player on the board in the third round. It is triple digit velocity with ridiculous metrics and upside. This will be a long term play, but the payoff could be massive. 

No. 92 New York Mets: Aiden Robbins, OF, Texas

There were talks that the Mets liked Robbins with their first selection at No. 27, but they went a different route. They managed to stay patient and still get the Texas outfielder with their 3rd round selection. Robbins was a consistent performer this spring with power at the plate, which is why he ranked No. 23 on our board. 

No. 131 Toronto Blue Jays: Will Brick, C, Chrsitian Brothers (TN)

Will Brick was the No. 47 player on our board and one of the top prep catchers available. The Blue Jays were able to float him to the 4th round and now could come away with the best player taken late in the day. Brick is a legit defender behind the dish with upside with the bat. 
 
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