liveUpdated 12m agoFollow our live coverage as the first four rounds of the draft will welcome promising talents to the next stage.The Athletic Live Team July 11, 2026 at 8:45 AM EDTThe MLB Draft is back in action today with the first four rounds. Getty Images2026 MLB Draft — latestThe 2026 MLB Draft gets underway in Philadelphia today with the first four rounds.The Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins will get the festivities started with the first three picks in the first round. This year's draft features record bonus pools and a top-heavy draft class.Today's selections will shape the league's future and mark a triumphant achievement in the careers of these promising young players.Start time: 1 p.m. ETWatch: NBC/Peacock, Fubo (try for free) for the first 10 picks, MLB Network for picks 11-40Get involved in the chat in the Discuss tab or email live@theathletic.comWhite Sox zag in Law's MLB Mock Draft 3.0 Getty ImagesHow will the Chicago White Sox utilize the draft's top pick? Keith Law envisions the White Sox picking a player other than his No. 1 prospect, and the top pitcher lasting until the fifth pick.Check out Law's Mock Draft 3.0 for a full rundown of his predictions for the first 30 picks.How Emerson emerged as a contender for first player picked USA Today Network The consensus top high school player in the draft, shortstop Grady Emerson, has No. 1 pick potential and skills.Emerson's decision to attend Fort Worth Christian and play under former pro Rusty Greer paid off magnificently. He was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year with a .508 batting average, eight home runs and 56 RBIs, and he led Fort Worth Christian to a runner-up finish in the state.Read more about Emerson in this terrific profile from Dan Hayes.Inside the 'pro-style' mentality behind Cholowsky's success Imagn ImagesIntense preparation and a "pro-style" mentality have characterized shortstop Roch Cholowsky's journey through baseball and his emergence as UCLA's cornerstone player. That mentality, combined with his exceptional production and skills, has forged him into the sport's top prospect.Earlier in the college baseball season, our Ira Gorawara explained how Cholowsky's mentality has differentiated him from a young age and fueled his rise.2026 MLB Draft bonus pools Getty ImagesWith the ascending revenues of MLB, the size of the bonus pools and the assigned values to each draft selection have also climbed.The Chicago White Sox, owners of the first overall pick, have an assigned value of $11,350,600 for their top selection, which sets a record for a single draft selection, and a bonus pool of $17,592,100 across their first 10 rounds.Here are the top five bonus pools in this year's draft, per MLB.com:Pittsburgh Pirates: $19,130,700Tampa Bay Rays: $19,009,300Chicago White Sox: $17,592,100San Francisco Giants: $17,350,600Minnesota Twins: $16,929,600You can find bonus pools for each team here.Get involved in the chat! The AthleticWho do you think the White Sox should select with the top pick in today's draft? Which player from this draft class will make the biggest impact?We want to hear from you! Make your voice heard by sending us an email at live@theathletic.com or by clicking the Discuss tab in the top right and leaving a comment. We will post the best entries on the blog and look forward to hearing your thoughts.Players outside the top 100 to keep an eye onWith 20 rounds in this year's MLB Draft, plenty more players will be drafted than are in the top 100.Want to know more about the players who are flying under the radar but could soar up draft boards and make an impact? Keith Law has you covered.Here are 27 scouting reports from Keith on names to know ahead of the MLB Draft.Cholowsky leads top 100 prospectsUCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky leads Keith Law's ranking of the top 100 prospects in the MLB Draft. Cholowsky is one of three shortstops to make the top four and earns high grades for his defense and contact at the plate.Here is Law's top 10 from his ranking:Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLAVahn Lackey, C, Georgia TechTyler Bell, SS, KentuckyGrady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth ChristianJackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa BarbaraDrew Burress, OF, Georgia TechDerek Curiel, OF, LSULiam Peterson, RHP, FloridaEric Booth Jr., OF, Oak Grove HSLogan Reddemann, RHP, UCLAYou can read the entire top 100 prospect ranking here.2026 MLB Draft order Getty ImagesThe Chicago White Sox are on the clock! Here are the first 15 picks of the MLB Draft's first round:Chicago White SoxTampa Bay RaysMinnesota TwinsSan Francisco GiantsPittsburgh PiratesKansas City RoyalsBaltimore OriolesAthleticsAtlanta BravesColorado RockiesWashington NationalsLos Angeles AngelsSt. Louis CardinalsMiami MarlinsArizona DiamondbacksClick here to see the full MLB Draft order.Subscribe to The Athletic The AthleticThere is no better time to be a subscriber to The Athletic for all the sporting insight, analysis and live coverage you need during the World Cup and beyond.As well as the World Cup, you can get your soccer fix with us for the rest of the year with our Champions League and Premier League coverage, plus Europe’s top leagues.Meanwhile, the Formula 1 season is in full swing, and we have golf, tennis and more on the cards.Subscribe to The Athletic on an exclusive offer here.How to watch the MLB Draft Imagn ImagesBuckle in ... this year's MLB Draft broadcast situation is quite the setup:First 10 selections will be broadcast by NBC and PeacockSelections 11-40 will be broadcast by MLB Network and stream on MLB.com and MLB TVAll later selections today will stream on MLB.com and MLB TVYou can also watch the first 40 picks on Fubo (try for free).What time does the MLB Draft start? Imagn ImagesThe first round of the MLB Draft starts at 1 p.m. ET in Philadelphia. That is 12 p.m. CT and 10 a.m. PT.Welcome to our MLB Draft coverage! Getty ImagesThe future of baseball has arrived! Today, more than 100 young men will realize their professional baseball dreams in the opening rounds of the MLB Draft.Major League Baseball is holding the first four rounds of its annual draft, with the Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins holding the first three picks. On the prospect side, shortstops Roch Cholowsky, Tyler Bell and Grady Emerson are the leading candidates to hear their names in the top three selections.We have a wealth of insights and stories about this year's draft class ready for you to check out, and we will provide comprehensive coverage of today's draft action.