The 2026 MLB Draft is underway in Philadelphia as part of All-Star Weekend. The Chicago White Sox had the No. 1 pick and went with UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky. From there, the Tampa Bay Rays grabbed high school shortstop Grady Emerson at No. 2, the Minnesota Twins picked Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey at No. 3, the San Francisco Giants chose college righty Jackson Flora fourth and the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted LSU outfielder Derek Curiel to round out the top five.

Every team is hoping to find a franchise cornerstone among the high school and college players who will hear their names called this weekend. Some will. Others will find All-Stars and depth pieces, or even trade bait.

Over the course of two days, 613 athletes will be drafted across 20 rounds, and while we won’t know for years how much impact they will have, each is a flash of hope for their new team.

Twenty-six of the first 40 picks were drafted out of college. Among those same 40 selections, 11 shortstops and 11 right-handed pitchers were drafted, along with nine outfielders, four left-handed pitchers, three catchers, a third baseman and a second baseman.

Below you’ll find CBS Sports’ complete 2026 MLB Draft tracker, including every pick in the class and analysis on each of the 25 first-round selections from Mike Axisa.

MLB Draft: First-round picks, analysis

1
White Sox
Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA: Cholowsky was the consensus No. 1 draft prospect entering the spring and did nothing to hurt his stock. The White Sox didn’t go against the grain. They took the best player. Cholowsky projects to be an all-around impact performer. He has a great approach at the plate and power, plus he’s a terrific defender who should stay at shortstop for a good long time. Cholowsky is polished and should not need much time in the minors. It won’t be long before he joins an up-and-coming White Sox team.
2
Rays
Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian HS (TX): It had to be tempting to take Georgia Tech backstop Vahn Lackey given their perpetual need for a top-flight catcher, but the Rays instead focused on upside and grabbed Emerson. The strong belief is that he has the best chance to become a superstar among 2026 draftees. He has power, contact skills, strong defensive chops, plus he can run. Emerson is not quite as electric as Bobby Witt Jr., but he’s pretty much the next best thing.
3
Twins
Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech: This draft class was considered to have three elite talents, and they came off the board with the top three picks. Lackey had an incredible junior season and went from a projected late first-rounder in January to the No. 3 pick in July. He has power, can run (and not just by catcher standards), has uncommon athleticism for a backstop and good defensive tools. Lackey will fit nicely into Minnesota’s recent history of strong offensive catchers.
4
Giants
Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara: The Giants get the draft’s best pitcher with the No. 4 pick. They were mostly connected to hitters this spring, then rumors emerged that unless one of Cholowsky, Emerson, or Lackey got to them, they would pivot to Flora. Flora sits upper-90s and has two distinct sliders, both of which miss bats at a high rate. His changeup is coming along as well. He’s not quite as polished as the usual “best college pitcher in the draft,” but Flora has considerable upside.
5
Pirates
Derek Curiel, OF, LSU: The draft’s first surprise, though not to say that Curiel is out of place inside the top 10. He has arguably the best contact skills in the draft class and figures to be a hit-over-power top-of-the-lineup guy who produces a lot of line drives. Curiel is a good runner who can play center field well, plus he’ll be a fan favorite for his hair-on-fire playing style. There are some questions about how he’ll handle pro pitching given the lack of power, which is not ideal this high in the draft.
6
Royals
Zion Rose, OF, Louisville: The Royals have a Competitive Balance pick (No. 30) and went under-slot with this pick. Rose put up ridiculous numbers this spring (.417/.491/.646) around ankle and hamstring issues. He produces big exit velocities and pairs them with great contact rates, though he’s an aggressive hitter who chases too much. Iron out his approach and Rose has a chance to be a middle-of-the-order bat. His defense is not all that good, however. This pick clearly sets Kansas City up to go over-slot with the No. 30 pick.
7
Orioles
Eric Booth Jr., OF, Oak Grove HS (MS): No surprise here, the O’s went with a hitter. They haven’t taken a pitcher earlier than the second round in the Mike Elias era. Booth is an Orioles type. He’s a great athlete with high-end power potential and speed. They’ve had success developing guys like this and Booth has a chance to be a 30-30 player down the road. There are questions about a hitch in his swing, though. Booth has considerable upside but will likely need a few years in the minors.
8
Athletics
Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech: That’s two Yellow Jackets inside the top 10. Burress is a do-it-all type who hit .357/.484/.720 with 60 home runs in his three years at Georgia Tech. There’s some thought that there’s even more power in the tank with some swing adjustments. Burress is on the smaller side (listed at 5-foot-9 but probably an inch or two shorter), but, if it all comes together, he could really be a heck of a player. Someone who contributes at the plate, in the field, and on the bases. He aligns nicely with what the A’s develop well.
9
Braves
AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia: Gracia’s an interesting dude. He has terrific contact rates and he hit some mammoth home runs in college, but he’s incredibly passive as a hitter. A little more aggressiveness at the plate would serve him well. That’s not always the easiest thing to instill in a hitter, though. Not swinging can be in your DNA the same way swinging at everything can. Gracia is probably a left fielder long-term, defensively, so there will be some pressure on his bat.
10
Rockies
Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky: Bell might have been a top-five pick had he not torn the labrum in his non-throwing shoulder on a diving play in Kentucky’s season-opener. He missed three weeks, came back, played through the injury and still mashed. The skill set is terrific. Bell’s a switch-hitter with contact skills, power, and patience, plus he can really play short. He’s said to be a great clubhouse dude, too. Bell may need surgery and that rehab could cut into his 2027 season, though that is unconfirmed.
11
Nationals
Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M: Divisive is not the right word, but there are definitely split opinions about Hacopian. He’s one of the best and most decorated college hitters of the 2020s (career .339/.449/.604 hitter), but he hits the ball on the ground more often than the typical first-round college bat and his defense might move him to third base or even first base long-term. Hacopian hits all kinds of pitching, though, and he rarely swings and misses. Unlock some launch angle and he could be a heck of a hitter.
12
Angels
Jared Grindlinger, OF/LHP, Huntington Beach HS (CA): The Angels went after quick-moving college players under GM Perry Minasian and it wasn’t clear if they would stick to that plan after he got fired last month. Obviously, they did not. Grindlinger is a legitimate two-way player who is a better prospect as a power-hitting outfielder, but has real talent on the mound (he was seen as a second- or third-round type as a pitcher only). The Angels let Shohei Ohtani be a two-way player back when no one thought it was possible. I assume they’ll give Grindlinger a chance to play both ways. Fun!
13
Cardinals
Trevor Condon, OF, Etowah HS (GA): Condon has a A LOT of fans within baseball. He plays very hard, he makes a lot of contact, runs very well and he can really play center field. There has been enough power in showcase events to think he’ll get to 20 dingers in time, too. Condon will be a fan favorite for sure.
14
Marlins
Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep HS (FL): Lombard was projected to go No. 4 to the Giants much of the spring. Instead, the Marlins get him at No. 14. He’s a gifted athlete who can really impact the baseball. There are swing-and-miss concerns, though, and all the high-end contact guys taken in the top 13 picks suggests teams are leaning in that direction. Lombard has significant upside, though, and he has good bloodlines. His father, George Lombard, played six years in the big leagues and is the Tigers bench coach. His older brother, George Jr., is one of the best prospects in the game.
15
Diamondbacks
Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas: You can find people who prefer Helfrick to Vahn Lackey. Helfrick has huge power and is more refined than Lackey behind the plate. Arkansas let Helfrick call pitches, which is very rare in college. That’s how much his coaches trusted him. There are some swing-and-miss concerns, but good defensive catchers who can hit are really hard to find.
16
Rangers
Gio Rojas, LHP, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (FL): Rojas is the prototype. He’s big, he lives in the upper-90s, he has advanced secondary pitches, he commands everything, and he has great mound presence. Rojas is the best high school pitcher in the draft class, but teams often shy away from high school arms because there is so much injury risk (and because they have more analytical data on college pitchers). Getting a talent like this in the back half of the first round is a huge win for Texas.
17
Astros
Logan Hughes, OF, Texas Tech: The Astros have a Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick for Hunter Brown finishing third in the Cy Young voting last year (No. 28) and the expectation is they would use their first two picks on college hitters who could get to Houston quickly. Hughes was a top performer throughout his college career and he annihilates fastballs, but he has issues with spin and won’t contribute a whole lot defensively. This is more of a safe, higher-floor pick than a guy with a big ceiling.
18
Reds
Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama: BREAKING: Lebron to Ohio. Justin was the favorite to go No. 1 overall heading into the 2025 season, but he had some uneven performances the last two years, and there are swing-and-miss and approach concerns. Lebron is as tooled up as any player in the draft class, though: elite athleticism, elite power, elite speed. It’s very boom-or-bust.
19
Guardians
Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida: Peterson is a very Guardians pick. They are arguably the best pitching development team in the sport and Peterson is a wonderful ball of pitching clay. He’s sat in the mid-90s throughout his college career and showed a feel for spin. But he’s unrefined and needs pro instructors to get him moving in the right direction. Cleveland can definitely help with that.
20
Red Sox
Jake Schaffner, SS, North Carolina: The Red Sox picked up a Competitive Balance pick (No. 67) in the Kyle Harrison/Caleb Durbin trade with the Brewers and it looks like they’re planning to go over slot with that pick. Schaffner was considered a solid second or third-round pick because he’s a plus bat-to-ball guy and a rangy defender, though he doesn’t have much power and may not have the arm for shortstop at the next level. Figure he’ll sign below slot so the Red Sox can spend later.
21
Padres
Coleman Borthwick, 3B, South Walton HS (FL): Surprise! The Padres took a high school player. That’s 10 straight years they’ve taken a high schooler as their top pick. Borthwick lives right around 100 mph and his slider has shown the potential to be a wipeout pitch, though it was inconsistent this year. His changeup is developing and throwing strikes can be a challenge. Borthwick is an arm strength development project as much as anything (he can hit and has power, but is viewed as a pitcher long-term).
22
Tigers
Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina Flukey was arguably the second-best college pitcher in the draft behind Flora. His curveball might be the best breaking ball in the draft class, and his fastball has plenty of velocity. He also throws strikes with relative ease. Flukey suffered a rib fracture in his first start and missed roughly two months, so teams didn’t get much of a look at him this spring. That led to him being undervalued.
23
Cubs
Cade Townsend, RHP, Mississippi A little bout of shoulder soreness in March created some pause with Townsend, but he returned quickly and threw the ball well, which calmed those concerns. At his best, he’ll sit mid-90s with four other pitches he’ll use regularly (curveball, slider, splitter, cutter). His strike-throwing improved quite a bit this year. Townsend could climb through the minors pretty quickly.
24
Mariners
Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State: Reese is a big guy (6-foot-4 and 220 pounds) and an imposing figure in the box. He hit .336/.432/.721 with 24 homers in 62 games this spring and most of those 24 homers were truly titanic. Reese has as much power as anyone in the draft class. He’ll chase out of the zone and he might wind up at first base (or left field) long-term, but you can’t teach this much raw power.
25
Brewers
Trey Ebel, SS, Corona HS (CA): Milwaukee drafted both Ebels. They picked Trey’s older brother, Brady, with the No. 32 pick last year. Their father, Dino, is the Dodgers third base coach. Ebel (Trey, not Brady or Dino) is very Brewers coded as a bat-to-ball guy with just OK power potential, good defensive chops, and baseball smarts. It’s possible he will wind up at second base long-term.

Prospect Promotion Incentive pick

26. Atlanta Braves: Carter Beck, OF, Indiana State

CBT penalty

27. New York Mets (10-pick penalty): Carson Wiggins, RHP, Arkansas

Prospect Promotion Incentive pick

28. Houston Astros: Jack Radel, RHP, Notre Dame

Competitive Balance Round A

29. San Francisco Giants: Carson Bolemon, LHP, Southside Christian HS (SC)
30. Kansas City Royals: Taylor Rabe, RHP, Mississippi
31. Arizona Diamondbacks: Blake Bryant, RHP, Citizens Christian HS (GA)
32. St. Louis Cardinals: Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee
33. Tampa Bay Rays: Taj Marchand, SS, James Island HS (SC)
34. Chicago White Sox: Landon Thome, SS, Nazareth Academy HS (IL)

CBT penalty

35. New York Yankees (10-pick penalty): Hunter Dietz, LHP, Arkansas
36. Philadelphia Phillies (10-pick penalty): Tyler Spangler, SS, De La Salle HS (CA)

Continued Competitive Balance Round A

37. Colorado Rockies: Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia

Second round

38. Colorado Rockies: Logan Reddemann, RHP, UCLA

CBT penalty

39. Toronto Blue Jays (10-pick penalty): Cole Carlon, LHP, Arizona State
40. Los Angeles Dodgers (10-pick penalty): Bo Lowrance, SS, Christ Church Episcopal HS (SC)

Continued second round

41. Chicago White Sox: Cole Prosek, 2B, Magnolia Heights HS (MS)
42. Washington Nationals: Chase Brunson, OF, TCU
43. Minnesota Twins: Carson Tinney, C, Texas
44. Pittsburgh Pirates: Aiden Ruiz, SS, Stony Brook School (NY)
45. Los Angeles Angels: Jarren Advincula, 2B, Georgia Tech
46. Baltimore Orioles: Ty Head, OF, NC State
47. Athletics: Mason Edwards, LHP, USC
48. Atlanta Braves: Kaiden McCarthy, RHP, Vermont Academy (VT)
49. Tampa Bay Rays: Ben Blair, RHP, Liberty
50. St. Louis Cardinals: Rocco Maniscalco, SS, Oxford HS (AL)

Supplemental second round

51. Pittsburgh Pirates: Chris Rembert, 2B, Auburn

Second round

52. Miami Marlins: Ethan Kleinschmit, LHP, Oregon State
53. Arizona Diamondbacks: Carson Kerce, SS, Georgia Tech
54. Texas Rangers: Connor Comeau, SS, L.C. Anderson HS (TX)
55. San Francisco Giants: Kaden Waechter, RHP, Jesuit HS (FL)
56. Kansas City Royals: Jack Slightom, RHP, Lyons Township HS (IL)
57. Houston Astros: Wes Mendes, LHP, Florida State
58. Cincinnati Reds: Eric Becker, SS, Virginia
59. Cleveland Guardians: Logan Schmidt, LHP, Ganesha HS (CA)
60. San Diego Padres: Elliot Lascelles, SS, Upper Canada College (ON)
61. Detroit Tigers: Tyson LeBlanc, SS, Kansas
62. Chicago Cubs: Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M
63. New York Yankees: Sean Duncan, LHP, Terry Fox SS (BC)
64. Philadelphia Phillies: Caden Bogenpohl, OF, Missouri State
65. Seattle Mariners: Jake Brown, OF, LSU
66. Milwaukee Brewers: Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU

Competitive Balance Round B

67. Boston Red Sox: Owen Hull, OF, North Carolina
68. St. Louis Cardinals: Andrew Williamson, OF, Central Florida
69. Detroit Tigers: Evan Dempsey, RHP, Florida Gulf Coast
70. Cincinnati Reds: Mulivai Levu, 1B, UCLA
71. Miami Marlins: Ryan Peterson, RHP, Sam Houston
72. St. Louis Cardinals: Dawson Montesa, RHP, West Virginia
73. Athletics: Gabe Gaeckle, RHP, Arkansas
74. Minnesota Twins: Brett Renfrow, RHP, Virginia Tech

Compensation picks

75. Chicago Cubs: Myles Bailey, 1B, Florida State

Third round

76. Colorado Rockies: Jack Natili, C, Cincinnati
77. Chicago White Sox: Joey Volchko, RHP, Georgia
78. Washington Nationals: Luke Williams, SS, Franklin Regional HS (PA)
79. Minnesota Twins: Ethan Wachsmann, RHP, Grandview HS (CO)
80. Pittsburgh Pirates: Jason DeCaro, RHP, North Carolina
81. Los Angeles Angels: Gavin Grahovac, 3B, Texas A&M
82. Baltimore Orioles: Dominic Voegele, RHP, Kansas
83. Athletics: Jacob Dudan, RHP, North Carolina State
84. Atlanta Braves: Jensen Hirschkorn, RHP, Kingsburg HS (CA)
85. Tampa Bay Rays: Gavin Giese, RHP, Dana Hills HS (CA)
86. St. Louis Cardinals: Caden Ferraro, OF, Texas Tech
87. Miami Marlins: Cam Kozeal, SS, Arkansas
88. Arizona Diamondbacks: Brayden Dowd, OF, Florida State
89. Texas Rangers: Brody Bumila, LHP, Bishop Feehan HS (MA)
90. San Francisco Giants: Peyton Bonds, OF, Rutgers
91. Kansas City Royals: Maxx Yehl, LHP, West Virginia
92. New York Mets: Aiden Robbins, OF, Texas
93. Houston Astros: Keon Johnson, SS, First Presbyterian HS (GA)
94. Cincinnati Reds: Tyner Horn, RHP, Nebraska
95. Cleveland Guardians: Tre Broussard, OF, Houston
96. Boston Red Sox: Jace Mataczynski, SS, Hudson HS (WI)
97. San Diego Padres: Ryan Lynch, RHP, North Carolina
98. Chicago Cubs: Carson Jasa, RHP, Nebraska
99. New York Yankees: Brendan Brock, C, Oklahoma
100. Philadelphia Phillies: Ruger Riojas, RHP, Texas
101. Seattle Mariners: Nathan Taylor, RHP, Cincinnati
102. Milwaukee Brewers: Kyle Jones, OF, Florida
103. Toronto Blue Jays: Ryan Cooney, SS, Oregon

Fourth round

104. Colorado Rockies: Ben Davis, RHP, Mississippi State
105. Chicago White Sox: Eric Segura, RHP, Oregon State
106. Washington Nationals: Cooper Harris, RHP, Flower Mound HS (TX)
107. Minnesota Twins: Tommy LaPour, RHP, TCU
108. Pittsburgh Pirates: Andruw Giles, OF, Basic HS (NV)
109. Los Angeles Angels: Rylan Lujo, OF, Georgia
110. Baltimore Orioles: Kevin Roberts Jr., OF, Jackson Prep HS (MS)
111. Athletics: Roman Martin, SS, UCLA
112. Atlanta Braves: Cole Dennis, RHP, Bishop Snyder HS (FL)
113. Tampa Bay Rays: Collin Bland, OF, Houston
114. St. Louis Cardinals: Dee Kennedy, SS, Kansas State
115. Miami Marlins: Wessley Roberson, SS, Glynn Academy HS (GA)
116. Arizona Diamondbacks: Josh McDevitt, RHP, Missouri
117. Texas Rangers: Hudson Calhoun, RHP, Mississippi
118. San Francisco Giants: Carlos Martinez, RHP, Hofstra
119. Kansas City Royals: Dominic Battista, OF, Oswego East HS (IL)
120. New York Mets: Shane Sdao, LHP, Texas A&M
121. Houston Astros: Kam Durnin, SS, Missouri
122. Cincinnati Reds: Ethan Norby, LHP, East Carolina
123. Cleveland Guardians: Kade Lewis, 3B, Wake Forest
124. San Diego Padres: Robbie Lavey, C, George Washington
125. Detroit Tigers: Dominic Pellegrin, SS, Holy Cross HS (LA)
126. Chicago Cubs: Dylan Marionneaux, RHP, Northwestern State (LA)
127. New York Yankees: Paul Gutierrez-Contreras, Cal State Fullerton
128. Philadelphia Phillies: Deven Sheerin, RHP, LSU
129. Seattle Mariners: Trevor Lucas, 3B, UNC Wilmington
130. Milwaukee Brewers: Julian Garcia, RHP, St. John Bosco HS (CA)
131. Toronto Blue Jays: Will Brick, C, Christian Brothers HS (TN)
132. Los Angeles Dodgers: Russell Sandefer, RHP, Florida

Compensation picks

133. Houston Astros: Beau Peterson, IF, Mill Valley HS (KS)
134. San Diego Padres: Alex Conover, OF, Oklahoma State (OK)
135. Philadelphia Phillies: Jaxon Jelkin, RHP, Kentucky

Fifth round

136. Colorado Rockies
137. Chicago White Sox
138. Washington Nationals
139. Minnesota Twins
140. Pittsburgh Pirates
141. Los Angeles Angels
142. Baltimore Orioles
143. Athletics
144. Atlanta Braves
145. Tampa Bay Rays
146. St. Louis Cardinals
147. Miami Marlins
148. Arizona Diamondbacks
149. Texas Rangers
150. San Francisco Giants
151. Kansas City Royals
152. New York Mets
153. Houston Astros