Roch Cholowsky (pictured center) is still a top-three pick, but there is a new name in the No. 1 spot for the White Sox. Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Icon Sportswire / Getty, Ric Tapia / GettyAnalysisJune 10, 2026 5:30 am EDT Updated We’re now 30 days away from the start of the 2026 MLB Draft. Only a handful of prospects are still playing at this point in the calendar and teams are beginning to pare and order their lists (or to feed info to the model monster) in advance of talks about signability, medicals and so on. There’s been some more conversation in the last week about teams’ interests in certain players or categories of players, which means there are some significant differences here from my previous mock draft, starting right at pick No. 1.Reminder that this isn’t a ranking, and my opinions of players do not factor into this at all. I don’t have any draft picks this year, although I hope the new CBA will address that injustice. This mock draft is based on what I’ve heard from industry sources, as well as my understanding of how different teams value players and who might fit their preferred philosophies. There’s also a substantial amount of what-if here — if this team takes player X, then this is what the teams drafting right after it might do in response.I’ll do at least two more mock drafts before the actual draft begins on July 11. For more detail on these players, you can see my Big Board, which I have been updating with longer player capsules over the last few weeks, and will fully re-rank in a couple of weeks.Expand allCollapse allPlayer ProfileSchool: Georgia Tech, Bats: R, Throws: RI had the White Sox with Grady Emerson in my first mock draft, and mentioned Jacob Lombard as well. In this case, nothing has actually changed — I believe their mix still includes those two, and, yes, Roch Cholowsky. It has just sounded a little more like they’re leaning towards Lackey in the last week or so.Bio InfoHeight6-2Weight215PositionCDOB07-07-05Position Player4-Year CollegeCPlayer ProfileSchool: Kentucky, Bats: B, Throws: RHeard this one a few times in the past several days, and since Tampa Bay took Bell out of high school, it’s plausible that they’d still view him in a similar light now that he’s raked for two years in college — this year with a bum shoulder, too. I believe they’d also consider Roch Cholowsky and Vahn Lackey. The Rays might be Jackson Flora’s only real suitor in the top four.Bio InfoHeight6-1Weight190PositionSSDOB06-30-05Position Player4-Year CollegeSSPlayer ProfileSchool: UCLA, Bats: R, Throws: RI’m assuming the Twins take the obvious pick, but I have heard that their internal model has Drew Burress at or near the top, and if 1-2 were Cholowsky and Vahn Lackey, then Burress might be the pick.Bio InfoHeight6-2Weight202PositionSSDOB04-05-05Position Player4-Year CollegeSSPlayer ProfileSchool: Fort Worth Christian (North Richland Hills, Texas), Bats: L, Throws: RThe rumor here is that the Giants would back up the truck for Emerson, maybe using some of the extra pool money they got by acquiring a pick in the Patrick Bailey trade. I currently don’t think they’d take Jackson Flora. Eric Booth Jr. is a dark horse here.Bio InfoHeight6-2Weight180PositionSSDOB02-21-08Position PlayerHigh SchoolSSPlayer ProfileSchool: UC Santa Barbara, Bats: R, Throws: RThis pick is based solely on the scenario that has unfolded above. I imagine this would be an absolute dream for the Pirates, picking fifth and getting the best pitcher on the board.Bio InfoHeight6-5Weight205PositionRHPDOB05-25-05Pitcher4-Year CollegeRHPPlayer ProfileSchool: Gulliver Prep (Pinecrest, Fla.), Bats: R, Throws: RI’ve heard for a while that the Royals would love to get Grady Emerson or Lombard. If Jackson Flora is available, I think they’d take him. I don’t think they’d take Eric Booth Jr. If everything fell apart, I think they could pick Gio Rojas to sign him at a discount.Bio InfoHeight6-3Weight185PositionSSDOB09-27-07Position PlayerHigh SchoolSSPlayer ProfileSchool: Oak Grove HS (Hattiesburg, Miss.), Bats: L, Throws: LI’ve only heard the Orioles connected with bats, again, although as with the Royals, I wonder if Jackson Flora is the one arm they’d take regardless because he’s too good for the pick. I also think they’re on Drew Burress and Ryder Helfrick, maybe on Derek Curiel.Bio InfoHeight6-0Weight207PositionOFDOB07-04-08Position PlayerHigh SchoolOFPlayer ProfileSchool: LSU, Bats: L, Throws: LI’ve heard the A’s all over the place in terms of player types, and I think they’d take any of the college bats I have going ahead of this pick, or maybe Ryder Helfrick instead of Curiel. If they go with a pitcher, it could be Hunter Dietz, assuming Jackson Flora is long gone.Bio InfoHeight6-2Weight192PositionOFDOB05-24-05Position Player4-Year CollegeOFPlayer ProfileSchool: Georgia Tech, Bats: R, Throws: RI’ve heard a billion times that Atlanta wants Burress. They’re also high on Gio Rojas. I’d heard them earlier in the spring with Cade Townsend, but he fell off as the season progressed. If the board blows up entirely, like Burress going at pick three, look for them to cut a deal at this spot.Bio InfoHeight5-9Weight185PositionOFDOB12-05-04Position Player4-Year CollegeOFPlayer ProfileSchool: Arkansas, Bats: R, Throws: RI have heard the Rockies connected with Helfrick, Eric Booth Jr., Hunter Dietz and Eric Becker. I don’t think they could go that wrong here given the needs of the system, but I think their options are much stronger on the college side.Bio InfoHeight6-1Weight210PositionCDOB02-17-05Position Player4-Year CollegeCPlayer ProfileSchool: Texas A&M, Bats: R, Throws: RThis link has come up a few times; Hacopian has a great swing and strong batted-ball data, although his lower back injury from earlier in the year worries me. The Nationals also come up often as a potential landing spot for two-way player Jared Grindlinger.Bio InfoHeight6-1Weight210PositionSS, 3BDOB08-30-04Position Player4-Year CollegeSS3BPlayer ProfileSchool: Stoneman Douglas HS (Parkland, Fla.), Bats: R, Throws: LRojas has settled in as the consensus top prep arm in the class, and this may be his floor, although I think he’s a Plan B or C for teams in the top 10. I’ve heard the Angels connected with Hunter Dietz as well, and could see them taking a flier on Justin Lebron, who is definitely sliding because of his lack of production in SEC play.Bio InfoHeight6-4Weight190PositionLHPDOB06-28-07PitcherHigh SchoolLHPPlayer ProfileSchool: TCU, Bats: L, Throws: LThis selection would be more of a concession to the board, a solid pick but maybe not one the Cardinals are excited about. The pick would get them one probable everyday player in the bag to then go for upside at picks 32 and 50. I think they’d be on Derek Curiel if he got here, but probably not on any high school arms.Bio InfoHeight6-2Weight200PositionOFDOB06-26-05Position Player4-Year CollegeOFPlayer ProfileSchool: Arkansas, Bats: R, Throws: LThe Marlins went heavy on college players with strong underlying data or characteristics last year, and I expect them to do the same again, especially since they don’t have an extra pick until after the second round. Dietz’s stuff grades out extremely well, although he has a medical flag from two prior arm surgeries and could end up sliding further than this. If the Marlins go with a hitter, it could be one of the hard-contact bats like Sawyer Strosnider, Chris Hacopian or maybe Daniel Jackson. If they do go with a high school player, I could see them selecting Bo Lowrance.Bio InfoHeight6-6Weight235PositionLHPDOB03-03-05Pitcher4-Year CollegeLHPPlayer ProfileSchool: Christ Church Episcopal (Greenville, SC), Bats: L, Throws: RLowrance is 6-foot-5, so he may be too tall for the Diamondbacks, but he’s separated himself enough from the rest of that second tier of high school bats to put himself into this range. The Diamondbacks are one of the teams I’ve heard who are specifically on him. I could also see them with Eric Becker or Zion Rose if they go with a college pick.Bio InfoHeight6-5Weight200Position3BDOB09-19-07Position PlayerHigh School3BPlayer ProfileSchool: Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS, Bats: L, Throws: LThe Rangers haven’t been afraid to go for high upside in the Chris Young era, and Grindlinger offers that, both as a hitter and a pitcher, probably going out as both to start his career.Bio InfoHeight6-3Weight180PositionOF, LHPDOB04-16-09Position Player/PitcherHigh SchoolOFLHPPlayer ProfileSchool: Alabama, Bats: R, Throws: RThis is an educated guess here, because all spring the assumption has been Lebron would go in the top 10, maybe the top five, but then he didn’t hit well at all in SEC play and has only bounced back against weaker competition in the NCAA tournament. The upside is still here — elite defense at shortstop, above-average speed, great athlete, 20-homer power if he gets to it — and I think the run of teams that would be on him even with the bad spring starts with Texas and probably ends with Detroit.Bio InfoHeight6-2Weight180PositionSSDOB11-03-04Position Player4-Year CollegeSSPlayer ProfileSchool: Florida, Bats: R, Throws: RI think the Reds are a little more likely to take a pitcher than a hitter, and Peterson is the best college starter I have available in this scenario.Bio InfoHeight6-5Weight205PositionRHPDOB06-10-05Pitcher4-Year CollegeRHPPlayer ProfileSchool: Virginia, Bats: L, Throws: RCleveland has gone after the “player who was supposed to go higher, then slid” category a few times before, notably last year with Jace LaViolette (although that’s not going well so far), but also with Chase DeLauter four years ago. Becker fits that category here. I haven’t heard them directly with Cameron Flukey, but he does have some of the characteristics they like in college starters — good control and at least one above-average secondary pitch. I feel like I have to mention them with Jared Grindlinger, as they have long valued youth highly in the draft, and he’s the second-youngest prospect in the class, as well as Chris Rembert, who’s a possible first-rounder and one of the youngest college prospects this year.Bio InfoHeight6-3Weight190PositionSSDOB04-28-05Position Player4-Year CollegeSSPlayer ProfileSchool: Louisville, Bats: R, Throws: RI’ve heard the Red Sox are the floor for Bo Lowrance, but have not heard them with other high schoolers, hitters or pitchers. (No, I haven’t heard them taking Brody Bumila, because most teams don’t just take the local kid for its own sake.) If Lowrance is gone, I think they’re more likely to turn to the next group of college bats, which would include Rose, Chris Rembert, Caden Sorrell, Daniel Jackson or Chase Brunson (guys in that group, not necessarily all players I’ve heard connected to Boston).Bio InfoHeight6-1Weight200PositionOFDOB05-26-05Position Player4-Year CollegeOFPlayer ProfileSchool: Bishop Feehan HS (Attleboro, Mass.), Bats: L, Throws: LThe Padres are supposed to be the floor for Bumila, for Justin Lebron, for Gio Rojas, for Jacob Lombard, for Jared Grindlinger … I mean, they can only take one of these guys. I don’t think Lombard or Rojas will actually slide this far. If all of those guys are gone, I could see them taking Carson Bolemon or two-way high schooler Archer Horn.Bio InfoHeight6-9Weight245PositionLHPDOB01-28-08PitcherHigh SchoolLHPPlayer ProfileSchool: Coastal Carolina, Bats: R, Throws: RFlukey had a good bit of top-10 buzz coming into the spring, then got hurt. He came back and pitched well but also didn’t do much to run himself back up the board. This is me saying the Tigers would be opportunistic if he actually gets to this point.Bio InfoHeight6-6Weight210PositionRHPDOB04-13-05Pitcher4-Year CollegeRHPPlayer ProfileSchool: Virginia, Bats: L, Throws: LGracia is a model-friendly hitter with power and strong contact rates, along with what’s probably going to end up being above-average defense in a corner. I still hear them connected with Zion Rose, and I could see them being interested in Chase Brunson.Bio InfoHeight6-3Weight195PositionOFDOB10-27-04Position Player4-Year CollegeOFPlayer ProfileSchool: Southside Christian School (Simpsonville, SC), Bats: B, Throws: LI’ve heard Seattle as one of the few teams on high school pitching in the first round, which — while that’s not my preferred strategy — has some merit in a year when the strength of the draft is that category of player, especially once you get past pick 20 or so. That could be Bolemon, Logan Schmidt or Brody Bumila, if he’s here. Beyond those names, the pick would probably be a player with an under-slot deal. Bio InfoHeight6-4Weight210PositionLHPDOB04-05-07PitcherHigh SchoolLHPPlayer ProfileSchool: Georgia, Bats: R, Throws: RJackson went 0 for 4 on May 1, and hasn’t gone hitless in a game since — right through the Super Regional. The big finish has probably pushed him into the first round, and the Brewers have gone for similar hitters the last two years in Blake Burke and Andrew Fischer.Bio InfoHeight6-2Weight200PositionC, OFDOB11-24-04Position Player4-Year CollegeCOFPlayer ProfileSchool: Christian Brothers (Memphis), Bats: R, Throws: RI’ve heard Atlanta connected more with bats, both high school and college. That could be Brick, Will Adams or local kid Trevor Condon.Bio InfoHeight6-2Weight195PositionCDOB06-06-08Position PlayerHigh SchoolCPlayer ProfileSchool: St. Ignatius HS (San Francisco), Bats: L, Throws: RI’ve heard high school hitters connected with the Mets, guys like Horn (a two-way player, like Carson Benge and Mitch Voit were as amateurs), Trevor Condon, Will Brick and maybe Will Adams.Bio InfoHeight6-2Weight205PositionSS, RHPDOB02-02-08Position Player/PitcherHigh SchoolSSRHPPlayer ProfileSchool: Mississippi, Bats: R, Throws: RIn the first mock draft, the Mississippi starter in the first round was Cade Townsend, but he has slipped. Rabe, the Ole Miss Sunday starter, has emerged as a probable top 40 pick with a very strong finish, while a few other top college starters have either gotten hurt or seen their stock drop.Bio InfoHeight6-5Weight200PositionRHPDOB08-27-04PitcherHigh SchoolRHPJun 10, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. 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