The 2026 MLB Draft is shaping up to be a fascinating affair, with a lot of speculation and intrigue surrounding the top picks. Grady Emerson, Roch Cholowsky, and Vahn Lackey are all expected to be among the top three picks, with the Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, and Minnesota Twins, respectively, being the most likely teams to select them. The draft's Big Three are all likely to go in the first three picks, and, for the moment, Grady Emerson still lands here as the No. 1 pick.
The White Sox have narrowed down their pick to Emerson, Cholowsky, and Lackey, with all three being good choices and none likely to come at a significant discount. The only shift I’ve heard this week is that the White Sox were “more engaged” with Cholowsky, which could be a strategic move to negotiate a better bonus deal with him. Or maybe they just like Emerson more.
The Rays, on the other hand, are reportedly interested in Emerson and would likely take Lackey over Cholowsky. Rumors of them cutting a deal with someone else have died down in the last week, indicating that they are serious about their interest in Emerson.
The Twins are also expected to take Cholowsky if he’s available, and they might also consider Lackey. However, they may also take Drew Burress or Jackson Flora if Lackey and Cholowsky are off the board.
The Giants, meanwhile, are reportedly interested in Emerson or Cholowsky, but they may not get either. In that case, they are likely to take Lombard or Eric Booth Jr. over Jackson Flora.
The Pirates, for their part, are expected to take Flora, Eric Booth Jr., and one of the college bats like Burress. They are not in on Jacob Lombard or Justin Lebron.
The Royals, meanwhile, could go high school bat, as they are reportedly interested in college bats like Burress or Tyler Bell. They have also been linked to USC left-hander Mason Edwards at a discount.
The Orioles, on the other hand, are reportedly interested in Booth, Drew Burress, and Jacob Lombard. They have no realistic hope of getting Jackson Flora and have a mixed camp on Lombard.
The A’s, meanwhile, are reportedly interested in Drew Burress and would only consider Jackson Flora if everything else falls apart. They could also do an under-slot deal with a college bat here.
The Rockies, for their part, have a pretty open pool of players, with most likely being a college player, hitter, or pitcher. They are not on Gio Rojas.
The Nats, meanwhile, are reportedly interested in Hacopian, but they may be using this as a smokescreen to hide their interest in someone else.
The Angels, on the other hand, are likely to change strategy after the departure of their former GM, Perry Minasian. They are reportedly more interested in pitching, but they could also be interested in high school players.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, are reportedly more interested in college arms than anything else, and they may not consider a high school arm.
The Marlins, for their part, are reportedly more interested in college players, hitters, or pitchers, with Lebron being a possibility. They have a model that favors defense, so Lebron might fit.
The Brewers, meanwhile, are reportedly interested in college bats, although they don’t always steer that way. They could also take Cameron Flukey or Tegan Kuhns if they go pitching.
The Mets, for their part, are reportedly more interested in college bats and are not expected to go high school arm here.
The Padres, meanwhile, are reportedly more interested in high school players, especially left-handed pitchers, unless Gio Rojas gets here.
The Tigers, for their part, are reportedly more interested in upside, though they may also consider lower-ceiling infielders.
The Cubs, meanwhile, are reportedly interested in Rose, and if he’s gone, they may consider Logan Hughes.
The Mariners, on the other hand, are reportedly more interested in college hitters with strong data, but they may also be interested in Kuhns or Logan Hughes.
The Brewers, for their part, are reportedly interested in college bats, although they don’t always steer that way. They could also take Cameron Flukey or Tegan Kuhns if they go pitching.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, are reportedly interested in at least one player in each of the four categories — college hitters, college pitchers, high school hitters, and high school pitchers.
The Tigers, for their part, are reportedly more interested in upside, though they may also consider lower-ceiling infielders.
The Cubs, meanwhile, are reportedly interested in Rose, and if he’s gone, they may consider Logan Hughes.
The Mariners, on the other hand, are reportedly more interested in college hitters with strong data, but they may also be interested in Kuhns or Logan Hughes.
The Brewers, for their part, are reportedly interested in college bats, although they don’t always steer that way. They could also take Cameron Flukey or Tegan Kuhns if they go pitching.
