The 2026 MLB draft is here as the first round kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday in Philadelphia. This year’s class features three players at the top widely considered to be a tier above the rest of their peers. UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky was long presumed to be the eventual No. 1 pick, but prep shortstop Grady Emerson and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey have made up ground as the draft has approached. Now, the White Sox have a difficult decision to make with the first pick. Our final mock draft of the year explored that dilemma and how we see the subsequent picks playing out. For more draft preview content, scroll past the live blog below.2026 MLB draft live blog and tracker2026 MLB draft orderThe White Sox have the No. 1 pick, and will be followed by the Rays, then the Twins. Cholowsky, Emerson and Lackey are expected to come off the board in those three picks, but nothing is ever certain when it comes to the MLB draft. The first day of the draft will cover four rounds and consist of 135 picks. Those include the 120 picks in the first four rounds, and the compensatory, competitive balance and promotion incentive rounds. Here’s a look at the order for the 37 picks before the second round begins. The first round will have 25 picks, then there will be three promotion incentive picks, and nine competitive balance picks. PICKTEAM1Chicago White Sox2Tampa Bay Rays3Minnesota Twins4San Francisco Giants5Pittsburgh Pirates6Kansas City Royals7Baltimore Orioles8Athletics9Atlanta Braves10Colorado Rockies11Washington Nationals12Los Angeles Angels13St. Louis Cardinals14Miami Marlins15Arizona Diamondbacks16Texas Rangers17Houston Astros18Cincinnati Reds19Cleveland Guardians20Boston Red Sox21San Diego Padres22Detroit Tigers23Chicago Cubs24Seattle Mariners25Milwaukee Brewers26Atlanta Braves27New York Mets28Houston Astros29San Francisco Giants30Kansas City Royals31Arizona Diamondbacks32St. Louis Cardinals33Tampa Bay Rays34Pittsburgh Pirates35New York Yankees36Philadelphia Phillies37Colorado Rockies2026 MLB draft bonus poolsThe Pirates have the biggest bonus pool for the 2026 draft at $19,130,000. That makes sense, since they own four of the first 51 picks. The Rays have the second biggest pool ($19,009,300), while the White Sox ($17,592,100), Giants ($17,592,100) and Twins ($16,929,600) round out the top five. A look at all the bonus pools is below.TEAMBONUS POOLPittsburgh Pirates$19,130,700Tampa Bay Rays $19,009,300Chicago White Sox$17,592,100San Francisco Giants$17,350,600Minnesota Twins$16,929,600St. Louis Cardinals$16,612,300Kansas City Royals$15,954,000Atlanta Braves$15,870,800Colorado Rockies$15,557,600Athletics$13,840,300Houston Astros$13,712,700Arizona Diamondbacks $13,603,100Baltimore Orioles$13,114,000Washington Nationals$12,278,300Miami Marlins$11,960,100Los Angeles Angels$11,755,400Cincinnati Reds$10,758,500Texas Rangers$10,219,200Chicago Cubs$9,644,100San Diego Padres$9,479,000Cleveland Guardians$9,303,700Detroit Tigers$9,165,100Boston Red Sox$8,219,200Seattle Mariners$8,218,200Milwaukee Brewers$8,042,900Philadelphia Phillies$7,773,000New York Yankees$7,342,800New York Mets$6,730,900Toronto Blue Jays$5,543,100Los Angeles Dodgers$3,951,900Roch Cholowsky scouting reportCholowsky has been projected as the top pick since he hit .353 with a 1.109 OPS and 23 home runs as a sophomore in 2025. He did nothing to diminish that status this year, slashing .320/.452/.636 with 21 home runs and 60 RBIs. The 21-year-old is 6'2" and 200 pounds and has outstanding raw power to mix with good swing decisions—he's walked more than he's struck out in college. He has average speed, but should stick at shortstop thanks to a plus arm, paired with good actions and instincts. Grady Emerson scouting reportEmerson is a potential five-tool shortstop who could legitimately go No. 1. The 18-year-old has excellent bat control and makes great decisions at the plate. His left-handed swing generates hard contact to all fields, and more power is likely to come as he matures. While not a speedster, he has enough quickness to handle shortstop and possesses a plus arm. He would have been the No. 1 pick in several draft classes over the past decade.Vahn Lackey scouting reportLackey is 6’2” and 215 pounds and possesses excellent all-around ability behind the plate. He finished 2026 hitting .397 with a 1.291 OPS, 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases while walking more than he struck out. He’ll need to add lift to his swing to produce more power as he ages, but he should develop faster than most backstops. More MLB from Sports IllustratedAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow