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Draft  | Mock Draft | 7/11/2026

Final 2026 MLB Mock Draft

Vincent Cervino
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
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Draft | Story | 7/30/2026

2026 MLB Draft Signing Deadline Recap
Tyler Henninger
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As of Monday at 5 p.m. ET, the 2026 MLB Draft is officially complete. The signing deadline has passed, meaning we now know every team’s finalized draft class and exactly how much each player signed for. Entering the draft, it was clear there was a distinct top tier consisting of Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson, and Vahn Lackey. That separation became even more evident once contracts were signed. Cholowsky became the first player in draft history to sign for more than $10 million, agreeing to a record-setting $10,347,500 bonus with the White Sox. Emerson set a new high school signing bonus record at $9,747,500, the second-largest bonus ever awarded to a draft pick. Lackey rounded out the trio with a $9,497,500 bonus, the third-largest signing bonus in MLB Draft history. Those weren’t the only records set. Teams combined to spend $402,481,143 in signing bonuses, surpassing last...
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Tournaments | Championship | 7/30/2026

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Kinley Kitchens
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For Excel Blue Wave, the summer was never about being perfect. It was about getting better. After a season filled with challenges, growth, and plenty of learning along the way, Excel Blue Wave put everything together when it mattered most, defeating SBG Sox Prime, Al 9-3 to capture the 2026 14U Perfect Game Hoover Classic championship. For Excel Blue Wave Coach Forrest Heacock, watching the group celebrate with a championship trophy was especially meaningful because of everything it took to get there.  “It hasn’t been the easiest summer, and have battled a lot,” Coach Heacock said. “The kids have improved so much over the summer, and that is really what it’s all about at this age. It’s really just about improving at this age, and to see them be able to put it together, and just really compete together and play as a team, I couldn’t be...
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Tournaments | Championship | 7/30/2026

Excel Leaves No Doubt at 15u Hoover Classic

Kinley Kitchens
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Excel Blue Wave National wasn’t leaving Hoover empty-handed.  At least, that was the message head coach Wes Henderson gave his team.  After a summer filled with strong performances but without a tournament title to show for them, Excel Blue Wave National entered the 2026 15U Perfect Game Hoover Classic with one more opportunity to finish the season the way they wanted.  This time, they left no doubt.  Excel Blue Wave National defeated East Coast Sox 2029 Victus, 12-0 in the championship game, combining a balanced offensive attack with a strong performance on the mound to secure their first tournament title of the summer.  “It’s been a special group,” Coach Henderson said. “They fought really hard, and they played really well this summer, and this is the first championship that we’ve been able to bring home. We typically...
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Tournaments | Championship | 7/29/2026

"Excel"ling Through the Hoover Classic

Kinley Kitchens
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After a long summer of baseball, Excel Blue Wave National had one final opportunity to end it the way every team hopes to.  Together, having fun, and as champions. Excel Blue Wave National closed their summer with a 13-9 victory over Excel Blue Wave American – Morrison to capture the 2026 16U Perfect Game Hoover Classic championship. In a game that required contributions throughout the lineup and seven innings of competition, the Excel Blue Wave National relied on the same qualities and approach that had carried the group all summer. With talent, perseverance and a chemistry built far beyond the baseball field, they were unstoppable.  For head coach Brennan McCullough, there couldn’t have been a much better way for his players to finish their final weekend together .  “It’s great,” Coach McCullough said. “We’ve had a long...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/29/2026

16u West WS Scout Notes: Days 3-4

Quinton Hall
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16u West World Series Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Jason Lizotte (‘28 | NV) Smooth LHH, hunts pitches down in the zone he can rip to the middle & PS w/ a downhill & direct path. Some strength in the hands w/ feel for the barrel #PGWS pic.twitter.com/kbK5Ayvhd7 — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 27, 2026 Jason Lizotte (2028 | Las Vegas, NV) The 5-foot-9, 145-pound left-handed hitter and outfielder was a spark plug all weekend for MTBA Dawgs 2028, finishing with seven hits, eight runs scored, one double, one triple, four RBI, three stolen bases, and four walks without a strikeout. Lizotte refused to give away an at-bat, consistently working hitter’s counts before spraying line drives all over the field. The left-handed swing stays short and direct with plenty of feel for the barrel, and once he reached base, he immediately put pressure on the defense with...
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Tournaments | Championship | 7/29/2026

SBA Sox Save Best for Last

Kinley Kitchens
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Sometimes the best ending comes after a season of figuring things out. For SBG Sox American, the summer wasn’t always seamless. The team spent their early weeks learning where players fit best, building chemistry and searching for the combination that would allow them to play their best baseball. By the final weekend, they found it.  SBG Sox American closed their summer with a 7-5 victory over Dirtbags Midsouth 2027 Black to capture the 2026 17U Perfect Game Hoover Classic championship, putting together one final winning performance in the last tournament this group would share this summer.  For SBG Sox Coach Cooper Williams, that made taking home the championship trophy even more meaningful. “It’s been great, especially for it being their last summer event,” Coach Williams said. “It’s really cool for them to kind of pull this thing out for...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/29/2026

East World Series Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Evan Brand (2027, Acworth, Ga.) has been solid at the plate all summer and did not slow down late in the summer. This week, Brand was able to hit just under the .700 mark and tallied three extra base hits, including a homer. The switch hitter has a fluid barrel path with plus feel for the barrel to all fields. The lower half also moves with some rhythm, and the switch hitting ability with the accuracy to the barrel provides plenty of intrigue. The middle infielder is committed to Georgia Tech. Atley Schwarzrock (‘27 GA) catches of all of the first pitch he sees launching it over the wall in left for a 2-run 💣 sending it with some heat; stays loose in his progressing ripping the barrel thru the zone with some strength behind it and staying tall on impact. #EastWS… pic.twitter.com/oGxbPQN1W0 — Perfect Game Georgia (@PG_Georgia) July 27, 2026 Atley Schwarzrock (2027,...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/29/2026

17u World Series Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
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All American Game | Story | 7/29/2026

Victorino & Girardi Tabbed PGAAC Managers

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    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   SHANE VICTORINO AND JOE GIRARDI NAMED MANAGERS FOR PERFECT GAME DICK'S ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC AT CITIZENS BANK PARK   Former Phillies Stars to Lead Nation's Top High School Baseball Players on August 16 in Philadelphia   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Wednesday, July 29, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that former Phillies All-Star outfielder Shane Victorino and former Phillies manager Joe Girardi will serve as managers for Team East and Team West, respectively, at the 2026 Perfect Game DICK'S All-American Classic, taking place on Sunday, August 16, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa.   Joining Girardi and...
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Coppy's Corner: July 28 Summer Edition

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The amateur players in the Cape Cod Baseball League are the future stars of the 2027 MLB Draft. The league runs from June 13th through August 2nd. Games are played at historic stadiums in Old New England towns. It’s beautiful and charming. Hollywood even made a movie about the Cape Cod League ~25 years ago called Summer Catch. It scored an 8% (!) on Rotten Tomatoes, but, on the plus side, it featured 2001 Jessica Biel in a starring role.  It was so much fun writing Coppy’s Column this spring. My hope is to highlight a pitcher and position player each week from the Cape. And, who knows, maybe somewhere out there Jessica Biel is reading it.    Player of the Week: Blake Schaaf – Bourne Braves  Schaaf had a big week, going 12-for-22 (.545 AVG) with 3 Doubles, 4 Stolen Bases, and 9 Runs Scored. It’s been the continuation of a terrific summer for the...
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