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Draft  | Mock Draft | 1/9/2026

MLB Mock Draft: January 9

Tyler Henninger
Tyler Kotila
Michael Albee
Joey Cohen
As we turn the calendar to 2026, we move one step closer to draft day. With the lottery behind us and the order now set, we wanted to take one final stab at a preseason mock draft before players take the field. The talent at the top of this class stands out and feels as deep as it has been in quite some time. There is solid depth in the first round, with real value extending later into the round. While things are certain to shift once the season gets underway, this is how we see things going for now. 

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

The White Sox come away with one of the most polished profiles in the class and one of the better draft prospects we’ve seen in a while. Cholowsky gives Chicago a high-level college shortstop with a refined offensive approach, quality in-game power, and advanced defensive actions. There’s a strong blend of floor and ceiling, as Cholowsky projects as a steady everyday infielder who will move quickly through the system. -TH



2. Tampa Bay Rays: Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian (TX)
The Rays are prepped and ready to walk away with the best prep talent in the 2026 MLB Draft, as things stand. Emerson at no. 2 overall feels like a slam dunk selection early on, and he has been far and away the standout prep player amid this draft class. It’s an incredibly sound profile with long-term upside and worlds of projectability. The Rays get Emerson in this early ‘26 Mock Draft. -TK

3. Minnesota Twins: AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia

We think Gracia and the Twins are a clear match here. It would be very hard to see them passing on the physical 6-foot-3 outfielder with a buttery smooth LH swing within an offensive profile that rarely sees him whiff or leave the strike zone. All the ingredients of a special bat here that our scouting staff thinks will put up a monster year at Virginia. -JC

4. San Francisco Giants: Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech
Burress has long been one of the more popular names on the college side of things, thanks to his habit of launching homers at Mac Nease. There’s plenty of substance to his profile as well - not just the long ball. All of the under the hood metrics back up what he is doing performance wise, producing good quality of contact numbers while simultaneously maintaining above average or better whiff and contact rates. Every tool on his card is going to grade out as 50 or better. It’s a blend of athleticism, hit and power while still proving to be a capable defender that lands Burress to San Francisco at four. -MA

5. Pittsburgh Pirates: Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
The Pirates land one of the louder college bats in the class with Lebron at No. 5 overall. He brings bat speed and real impact potential with a track record of performing in the SEC. He has a decent chance to stick at shortstop long term, but even if he has to slide over, the offensive upside is worthy of a Top-5 selection. -TH

6. Kansas City Royals: Gio Rojas, LHP, Marjory Stoneman Douglas (FL)
Rojas has one of the most intriguing profiles in the prep class, full of upside as a left-hander in the upper-90s with legit stuff, and a tough arm angle to pair. Rojas could easily slide into the Top 5 of this draft board. The Royals have also been known to look to the prep ranks when they have a high pick like this. That said, getting Rojas at six would be a great pick for Kansas City. -TK

7. Baltimore Orioles: Derek Curiel*, OF, LSU
The Orioles with Curiel here go with quite possibly the best bat-to-ball skill in this draft class. It’s honestly just an outlier hit tool in whatever way you want to look at it. Controls the zone, doesn’t whiff, makes consistent hard contact and has a knack for using the whole field. It’s also of note the strength he’s added to his frame that should lead to some more impact as well as the move to CF where he’s an above avg. defender. -JC

8. Athletics: Tyler Spangler, SS, De La Salle (CA)
At a very base level, it’s not hard to sell yourself on the 6-foot 3 left-handed shortstop with a promising hit tool and power projection. Spangler offers all of those in the form of a polished package. He makes contact often while limiting chase. He is a good athlete that has a chance to stick at shortstop long-term, but has the ability to handle third should he outgrow the position. Most would like to see Spangler start to lift the baseball more often to raise his power ceiling, but the overall package here is enticing. -MA

9. Atlanta Braves: Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Schools (FL)
Atlanta taps into upside with Lombard, one of the more dynamic prep players in the class. Lombard offers athleticism and big time offensive upside with power already showing. The hit tool could need a little longer development, but the tools and athleticism could make this a steal for the Braves here at No. 9. -TH

10. Colorado Rockies: Carson Bolemon, LHP, Southside Christian Schools (SC)

Bolemon has some of the most exciting stuff in the class and features a really impressive resume from the prep circuit. Bolemon could easily factor into the Top 10 mix and be on the Rockies' radar with the 10th overall pick. He could easily be another prep stud to add to the mix in Colorado, after getting Ethan Holliday with the 5th overall pick in 2025. -TK

11. Washington Nationals: Sawyer Strosnider*, OF, TCU
The Nationals here go with one of the best athletes in the country who performed quite well last year as a freshman (.350/.420/.650). We are talking about easy plus speed and impact from the left side where he had a rare “quadruple double” season in ‘25 reaching double digit figures in stolen bases, doubles, triples and HRs. If he can limit some of the chase and improve against left-handers he might not even make it this far. -JC

12. Los Angeles Angels: Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina
Long framed with a whippy arm action and quality movement patterns, Flukey is in the conversation as one of the best college arms in this draft class. His fastball quality passes the eye and metrics test, sitting in the mid 90’s with hop and the ability to zone it at a very high clip. He extends well down the slope, and he can spin the baseball in the form of his mid 70’s curve that ran an elite whiff rate in ‘25. He has a slider and change in his bag as well. When the rest of his arsenal inevitably takes another step forward, he has all the chance to be the best collegiate arm in this class. Angels come away with a future big league starter here. -MA

13. St. Louis Cardinals: Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky
The Cardinals land a dependable, well-rounded shortstop in Bell at No. 13 overall. A switch-hitter with a feel for contact and a strong defensive actions, Bell checks a lot of the boxes. It’s a polished profile with average to above-average tools across the board that will have a chance to move quickly through the system. -TH

14. Miami Marlins: Eric Becker, SS, Virginia
The Marlins have a chance to pick up a real standout player at 14th overall, and in this Mock, we’ve got them selecting Eric Becker, a standout shortstop from Virginia. He’s an offensive threat, with bat-to-ball skills and tons of barrel feel. Another big year from Becker and he could easily be a big-time get at 14 for the Marlins. A productive year with the Hoos once again could only boost his stock further. -TK

15. Arizona Diamondbacks: Will Brick , C, Christian Brothers (TN)
The Dbacks haven’t been afraid to go prep the past couple years and our staff thinks Will Brick might be a fit here. We think it’s a special defensive skillset behind the plate, especially when talking arm strength where we are talking easy plus maybe double. It’s just a rare physical and athletic profile you don’t see very often for a catcher. Then it looks like an impact bat where grading out plus raw power isn’t too hard when you see it in person. -JC

16. Texas Rangers: Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
Another elite collegiate arm that is being discussed amongst the first tier of his peers, Peterson gets selected by the Rangers here at 16. The Rangers have shown an affinity for collegiate arms early on in the past. Peterson wins with his stuff,  as he gets the upper 90’s riding fastball to the top rail for whiffs and plays an upper 80’s slider off of that. He offers a good change-up that adds to his viability as a starter long-term. Command will be the focal point for Peterson moving forward, but the Rangers like the stuff and production here at pick sixteen. -MA

17. Houston Astros: Blake Bowen, OF, JSerra Catholic (CA)

Houston adds upside to its system with Bowen here in the middle of the first round. An athletic outfielder with explosive bat speed and power potential, Bowen brings a chance for impact offense as he develops. The combination of tools and the Astros’ track record with hitters with thump makes this an intriguing pairing. -TH

18. Cincinnati Reds: Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M
The Reds pick up one of the better bats in this class, selecting Caden Sorrell with the 18th overall pick in the draft. Sorrell has a chance to hit his way into the top half of the draft this year with a big-time performance. Sorrell has had some ups and downs with the Aggies, but still has some serious tools and a lot to like in the speed & power combination he brings to the table. -TK

19. Cleveland Guardians: Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
I think if the Guardians get Flora here at #18 then it would be a mega win. UCSB continues to be a pitching prospect factory and Flora is in the same Tier with there other past first rounders. We are talking about a 6-foot-5 RHP with a starter operation, strikes and some very legit stuff. Easy plus heater he pairs with two high spin breakers and a quality changeup. Coming off 75 innings of a 3.60 ERA with 86 strikeouts in ‘25. -JC

20. Boston Red Sox: Ace Reese, 3B/1B, Mississippi State
Power is the calling card here with Reese, and he offers a bunch of it. The Red Sox buy into the bat and homerun production here at pick twenty. Even with his defensive home up in the air long-term, his offensive profile fits the billing for first base should he have to make the move across the diamond. You can’t ask for much more with his under the hood metrics, as the exit velocities and barrel % all project well for Reese moving forward. Left-handed hitting power bats are always en vogue. -MA

21. San Diego Padres: Logan Schmidt, LHP, Ganesha (CA)

The Padres dip into the prep pitching pool with local SoCal product Logan Schmidt here at No. 21 overall. A young left-hander with a well-rounded arsenal and advanced pitchability for his age, Schmidt has starter upside. He fits well into a Padres system that has had recent success of turning prep arms into valuable assets. -TH

22. Detroit Tigers: Jensen Hirschkorn, RHP, Kingsburg (CA)
The Detroit Tigers are known to covet their prep standouts in the draft, and for that reason, we’ve got them going into California’s prep scene. They’re selecting Jensen Hirschkorn with the 22nd overall pick in our Mock, with a mid- to upper-90s heater, and great offspeed stuff to pair. He’s a bat-misser with high-level pitchability to pair, making him one of the more intriguing prep arms. -TK

23. Chicago Cubs: Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech
Cubs have tended to go college at the top of the draft the last few cycles and we think Lackey could be a strong choice here. It’s a unique profile you don’t typically find for a catcher. Athletic and skilled behind the dish with a big arm. High level performing bat in ‘25 (.347/.421/.500). Really solid bat to ball ability where he hits it consistently hard and flashes plus exits. Our staff doesn’t see him falling much lower than here. -JC

24. Seattle Mariners: Kaden Waechter, RHP, Tampa Jesuit (FL)
There are many boxes that Waechter checks right away after you take in just an inning of his work. He’s a great mover with a silky smooth plus arm action. The entire operation screams future starter and command. He’s got present mid 90’s velocity with his fastball that features good life, and his slider continues to make improvements at a good clip. The entire arsenal is bound to improve year over year, and it’s easy to bet on the athlete with feel to pitch and MLB bloodlines. The Mariners get a tantalizing prep right-handed arm here. -MA

25. Milwaukee Brewers: Chris Rembert*, IF/OF, Auburn
Milwaukee selects one of the more dynamic athletes in the class with Rembert at No. 25. His speed, defensive versatility, and ability to impact the game in multiple ways align well with the Brewers’ player development philosophy. It’s a profile that offers flexibility and upside on the offensive side, as he performed well as a freshman in the SEC last year. -TH

26. Atlanta Braves: Eric Booth Jr., OF, Oak Grove (MS)
The Braves have been heavy on the prep in recent years, and for that reason, we have them selecting Eric Booth Jr. with the 26th overall pick. It’s a versatile profile, with speed/athleticism, bat-to-ball skills, and defensive upside in the outfield, and plenty of projectability. He possesses a ton of the traits to look for and could be a great choice for the Braves at this spot. -TK

27. New York Mets: Maddox Molony, SS, Oregon
Our scouting staff agreed on Molony getting into the 1st round here and we found the Mets at #27 to be a good spot. All he’s done the last two years up in Eugene is perform. Has slashed .311/.403/.566 with 25 HRs in his career for the Ducks. It’s a physical bat with a simple swing that gets to some easy juice while still making above average contact. Then it’s the defense at short that checks boxes. Moves around quite well for his size at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds where there is quickness and range in his game as well good hands and an above average arm. Shortstops like these don’t fall much further down the board. -JC

28. Houston Astros: Chase Brunson, OF, TCU
It can be debated if “safe” picks really exist in our field, but the Astros take one of the safer bets and floors at pick #28 with Brunson. He is a steady producer that could handle the centerfield spot as he moves into pro ball. The contact rates and whiff rates are all healthy, pointing towards a player that can hit for average. He’s got solid average power in the profile and his average speed paired with instincts make for a solid runner. It may not be a true plus tool in the profile for most, but there aren’t an overt amount of question marks with this collegiate producer. -MA

29. Cleveland Guardians: Jarren Advincula, MIF, Georgia Tech
The Guardians stay true to their identity by selecting Advincula late in the first round here. A middle infielder with range, instincts, and a contact-oriented offensive approach, Advincula seems to fit Cleveland’s mold well. It’s a profile that could quietly outperform draft position when it is all said and done. -TH

30. Kansas City Royals: Zion Rose, OF/C, Louisville

 We have the Royals taking Gio Rojas at sixth overall, and turning around to dip into the collegiate ranks, taking Zion Rose with their second pick in our Mock Draft. Rose has shown more of the power and has a chance to continue to tap into that this year, and the offensive output could put him in play in this range, with the Royals grabbing him at 30th overall. -TK

31. Arizona Diamondbacks: Aiden Ruiz, SS, The Stony Brook
It seems to be of industry consensus that Aiden Ruiz is the best defensive prep shortstop in this draft class. It’s advanced in whatever way you want to look at it whether it’s the athleticism, quickness, instincts, glovework, etc. It’s as clear a double plus defender as you’ll get. At the plate, it’s definitely more hit than any sort of power but the contact and barrel skills are evident and there’s belief there’s some untapped power in there. The DBacks haven’t been afraid of undersized preps in the past and Ruiz might be the player to continue that trend.  -JC

32. St. Louis Cardinals: Owen Kramkowski, RHP, Arizona
Kramkowski has lots to project on, as the stuff projects to improve as we enter the spring season. He’s got a full mix of pitches, headlined by his mid 90s sinking fastball and a good two plane slider with plenty of sweep. It’s loose and easy on the mound with good extension, and another jump in velocity is not out of the question either. The delivery is easy and he throws strikes. Cardinals take the upside here at pick No. 32. -MA

33. Tampa Bay Rays: Kevin Roberts Jr, OF, Jackson Preparatory (MS)
Tampa Bay takes a shot on projection and upside here with Roberts. A physical prep outfielder with strength and big time raw power, Roberts offers long term upside as he continues to refine his offensive game. It’s a bet on tools and development for an organization that has had a track record for maximizing both. -TH

34. Pittsburgh Pirates: Trevor Condon, OF, Etowah (GA)
We’ve got the Pirates grabbing Justin Lebron with the 5th overall selection, and turning around to draft Trevor Condon with the 34th overall pick. Condon is an extremely twitchy and athletic outfielder with tons to like in terms of contact and his ability to use his speed to his advantage in the outfield and on the bases. Condon has a really unique skillset and could easily be in this bucket of picks come draft day. -TK

35. New York Yankees: Chris Hacopian, SS, Texas A&M
It’s been a lot of college for the Yankees the last few cycles and if Hacopian gets to #35 I think they would be absolutely thrilled. It’s one of the more well-rounded bats you can find in the college ranks. Low whiff and chase, takes his walks, makes a ton of contact and hits the ball plenty hard. Simply an elite offensive profile. Defensively there are some questions on where it might fit on the dirt after college but he’ll have the chance to prove himself to evaluators at short this spring. -JC

36. Philadelphia Phillies: Rocco Maniscalco, SS, Oxford (MS)
Back in ‘24, the Phillies took an older prep in nineteen year old Dante Nori with their first round selection in the draft. We now have them selecting one of the youngest draft eligible prospects ever in the 1st round. Maniscalco is a re-classification, but still stands as one of the best prospects in this draft class. A switch hitting shortstop, the consensus here is that it’s a no-brainer to stick at short while the long athletic frame adds muscle and improves his offensive ceiling. It’s a simple swing and projects to hit for average, while the power will come later in his development. It’s hit over power right now. The overall toolset and upside here is too much to pass up on at pick #36 for the Phillies. -MA

37. Colorado Rockies: Daniel Cuvet, CIF, Miami
The Rockies grab a bat with real offensive potential in Cuvet at No. 37 overall. A physical corner infielder with present strength and power traits, Cuvet profiles as a run-producer if the hit tool continues to develop. There is obvious offensive upside here that could play extremely well in Coors Field one day. -TH

38. Colorado Rockies: Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas
We have the Rockies dipping into the prep pool to select LHP Carson Bolemon with the 10th overall pick, and grabbing Razorbacks’ catcher Ryder Helfrick with the 38th overall pick. Helfrick has an exceptional blend of hit and power traits that show up with his feel to hit on display in the box. Helfrick could rise up the board with a loud spring for Arkansas and is in this bucket of picks. -TK

39. Toronto Blue Jays: Noah Wilson, OF, McCallie School (TN)
Definitely one of our staff’s bolder predictions as Wilson’s a prep outfielder but we think this is the type of freaky athlete and high level bat that will sneak himself into this range. There’s a very small group of prep players that fit in Noah Wilson’s level of speed (6.31) and impact and Wilson does it from the left side. It’s also the amount of times the impact/power showed itself on the tourney circuit as he gets to it as consistently as anyone in the country. Just wouldn’t be surprised if a team like the Jays in this range is very in on the offensive profile and upside. -JC

40. Los Angeles Dodgers: Will Yow, SS, St. Anne's-Belfield (VA)
The Dodgers have plenty of experience taking freaky athletic prep infielders in the past, with Kellon Lindsey being the most recent helium prospect that rose up boards and landed with LA. A true pop up performer in Jupiter, he decommitted from Richmond and got on with Virginia. Now, he is squarely on MLB club’s draft boards in high round considerations. He is an 80 runner and while he does not project to hit for tons of power at his peak, it’s a simple swing with present bat to ball skills and quality bat speed. It stands to be seen how the arm will play at short, but he will be given every chance to play the position in pro ball. It can be easy to convince oneself on the potential of these tools with Yow. -MA
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Draft | Rankings | 1/12/2026

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