2026 MLB Mock Draft Way Too Early

The 2025 MLB Draft has come and gone. Now, the 2026 MLB Draft class is on the clock. It’s time for SGPN to step up to the plate and deliver a “Way Too Early” 2026 MLB Mock Draft piece. Where will college stars like Roch Cholowsky and Drew Burress be picked? What about the high school stars of the ’26 class like Grady Emerson and Jacob Lombard?

My name is Noah Bieniek, and I host The College Baseball Experience and follow amateur baseball all year long. This was a super fun exercise for me to gauge the talent for next Spring.

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2026 MLB Mock Draft Way Too Early

Notoriously the 2025 MLB Draft class was kind of underwhelming, especially from the college hitters demographic. The ’26 class has plenty of college bats that have put up gaudy numbers so far in their careers.

At the top of many big boards, you will see shortstops like UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky, plus prepsters Grady Emerson, and Jacob Lombard. A cluster of college pitchers, featuring Liam Peterson from Florida and Cameron Flukey from Coastal Carolina backfill the 2026 draft class’ 99th percentile of talent.

Often, MLB organizations do not draft the best player available. Instead, they draft players that fit their organizational strengths. They do this because they typically develop those players best. All the picks in this way too early 2026 MLB Mock Draft are based on each organization’s past draft history.

In recent years, the MLB has deployed a lottery to determine the top 6 picks in the draft. I was too fascinated with Tankathon’s MLB Draft Simulator not to use it. I used a lucky number of seven clicks. Afterwards I received a fun iteration of teams that I will use for today’s exercise.

Due to relatively new rules to discourage tanking, the MLB will not allow the Rockies, Nationals, Angels, and Cardinals to pick inside the Top 9 next year.

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Pirates	GRADY EMERSON	SS	Argyle (TX)
		Pittsburgh hired away Boston’s Scouting Director, Justin Horowitz, in the offseason of 2023. The Pirates have selected a high school player in all five of the Top 50 draft picks since. Grady Emerson is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound Texas commit who is an absolute toolshed. Emerson is a fast runner, great fielder, has a strong arm, and is an elite left-handed hitter. With his stature power will eventually come. But right now Emerson has a smooth, quiet, and quick swing that results in consistent hard line drives into the outfield gaps.
2	Braves	LIAM PETERSON	RHP	FLORIDA
		Nine of Atlanta’s last 12 first round picks have been pitchers. Liam Peterson is a 6-foot-5, 200 pounder that has a high-90s fastball with good ride. Peterson supports the FB with a plus slider, a good curveball, and he’ll show a changeup as well. The Florida righthander improved his ERA by almost two full runs (4.28) while striking out 20 more batters (96) in just 6.2 more innings. Entering his Junior year, if the Game 2 starter for the USA Baseball Collegiate National team takes another jump in production there’s a great chance that he’s the first pitcher off the board.
3	Athletics	ROCH CHOLOWSKY	SS	UCLA
		The Athletics have had 10 Round 1 picks in the last nine years. They’ve selected six college hitters. Roch Cholowsky has a great case to be the No. 1 overall pick next Summer. Obviously with the way the cards fell in this simulated lottery and Mock Draft the A’s are a very lucky organization. Cholowsky, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound shortstop, could play in the MLB today. The UCLA star shines defensively with his athleticism, quick hands and strong arm. Offensively Chowlowsky took a big step forward in the power department during his Junior year. The College World Series participant blasted 23 home runs while hitting .353 with a 1.190 OPS, 80 R, and 74 RBI.
4	Guardians	AJ GRACIA	OF	VIRGINIA
		Cleveland has drafted 9 hitters with their last 15 first-round picks. Their front office has a notable affinity for middle infielders. Also, the Guardians have noticeably liked left-handed hitters. AJ Gracia is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound power hitting outfielder. Gracia has a long, athletic body and uses it well to create a sweet left-handed uppercut swing. The bat will be the carrying tool for the 2025 USA Baseball Collegiate National team participant. In two college seasons Gracia tallied 29 home runs with a .299 average, 1.003 OPS.
5	White Sox	DREW BURRESS	OF	GEORGIA TECH
		The White Sox have selected a college hitter with 9 of their last 13 first-round picks. Drew Burress is a 5-foot-9, 180-pound brickhouse. The right-handed hitting outfielder bursted onto the college scene by hitting 25 home runs during his Freshman year with a .381 AVG, 1.333 OPS, 73 R, and 67 RBI. Burress then struggled in the Cape Cod League. He picked up where he left off at Georgia Tech in his sophomore season. Burress has a unique batting stance but it works. The Yellow Jacket has a strong arm, is a good runner, and currently plays centerfield.
6	Orioles	JACOB LOMBARD	SS	Gulliver Prep (FL)
		In nine straight MLB Drafts, Baltimore has selected tooled-out hitters with their early picks. Jacob Lombard is the son of Detroit Tigers bench coach George Lombard, and brother of Lombard Jr who was drafted by the Yankees in 2023. Jacob is 6-foot-3, 185 pounds and is a speedster with great fielding ability, plus a good arm that could make him a great MLB shortstop. Lombard is a patient yet potent hitter. His short swing creates real bat speed that impacts the ball with backspinned line drives.
7	Marlins	CAMERON FLUKEY	RHP	COASTAL CAROLINA
		In his first two drafts Miami’s President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix has led the Marlins in selecting five college players with their eight Top 100 picks. Cameron Flukey is a 6-foot-6, 205-pound long and lanky right-handed pitcher. Flukey’s fastball traits had many drooling during the 2025 College World Series. He throws his heater in the mid-to-high-90s with big time ride and it garnered 19.2 iVB in the CWS. Flukey also works a big curveball off of the FB plane and the bender drew a 49% whiff rate. He rounds out his arsenal with a solid slider and changeup.
8	Royals	GIO ROJAS	LHP	Marjory Stoneman Douglas (FL)
		Through three drafts with Kansas City, Scouting Director Brian Bridges has led the charge in taking 7 prep players with their last 12 Top 100 selections. Four of those seven high school players have been pitchers. Gio Rojas is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound southpaw who was named Perfect Game’s Underclass Pitcher of the Year in 2025. During his Junior season at Stoneman Douglas (FL) Rojas went 12-0, with a 0.72 ERA, in 68 IP, while punching 120 tickets, and walking just 16. Rojas spins the ball exceptionally well for his age. The fastball sits in the mid-90s with 2700 rpm and he supports that with a bending slider (2700 rpm) and a good changeup.
9	Diamondbacks	TYLER SPANGLER	SS	De La Salle (CA)
		Arizona has selected high school hitters with eight of their last 14 Round 1 picks. Tyler Spangler is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound left-handed hitting shortstop. Spangler utilizes a bat waggle into a sweet swing with great bat speed that makes consistent strong contact due to his physicality. There is a potential for Spangler to be a well rounded 5-tool player. For his size he runs well and is a good fielder with a strong arm.
10	Rockies	TYLER BELL	SS	KENTUCKY
		The Rockies have selected six college players with their last seven 1st Round picks. In 2024 Tyler Bell was drafted in the 2nd Round by Tampa Bay. Bell was viewed as a glove-first prospect but bet on himself by joining Kentucky. He answered the Bell with a .296 AVG, .907 OPS, with 10 home runs. Bell earned Freshman All American honors and played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. The 6-foot-1, 200 pounder has a great frame and is a silky smooth defender, one of the best in the 2026 MLB Draft class.
11	Nationals	KEVIN ROBERTS	OF/RHP	Jackson Prep (MS)
		Brad Ciolek is the Nationals’ new Senior Director of Amateur Scouting. He came from the Orioles Organization and they always take tooled-out hitters early in drafts. Through two drafts Washington has followed suit picking Seaver King in 2024 and Eli Willits in 2025. Kevin Roberts is a 6-foot-5, 215-pound athlete. Roberts will be one of the youngest prospects come draft day and is very raw. He was high school teammates with 2024 Pirates 1st round pick Konnor Griffin who also had some raw tools out of high school and is now a future MLBer. Roberts is tall with broad shoulders and has quick hands and feet. His best tool is his strong arm. On the mound Roberts currently sits in the mid-90s with his fastball that he supports with an average changeup and curveball.
12	Angels	CHRIS HACOPIAN	SS	TEXAS A&M
		The Angels have selected seven straight college players with their most recent first-round picks. Four of the seven have been hitters that were perceived as quick moving bats through the minor leagues. Chris Hacopian is a 6-foot-1, 200-pound gamer. Hacopian batted .323 with a 1.009 OPS and 15 homers during his Freshman year at Maryland. He followed that up by hitting .375 in Year 2 with a 1.158 OPS and 14 dingers. In the 2025 offseason Hacopian transferred to Texas A&M. Hacopian has the type of prospect profile where if he doesn’t hit well in the SEC he may not be a first rounder because there’s not a whole lot more projection to be had.
13	Twins	CADEN SORRELL	OF	TEXAS A&M
		Minnesota has selected a hitter with 12 of their 14 first-round picks. Eight of those selections were out of college. The Twins are an organization that drafts position players based off batted ball data. Caden Sorrell is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound athletic outfielder. Sorrell has a balanced, crouched stance that creates a rubber band effect as he loads that way he can create maximum power. During his Sophomore season Sorrell only played 26 games due to a hamstring injury. Sorrell batted .337 with a 1.219 OPS and 12 homers. Defensively he will be an above average corner outfielder.
14	Rangers	SAWYER STROSNIDER	OF	TCU
		General Manager Chris Young has had a hand in selecting four college players with the Rangers’ last five 1st Round picks. Sawyer Strosnider is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound outfielder out of TCU. Strosnider was awarded Big 12 Player of the Year with a .350 AVG, 1.070 OPS, 11 HR, 52 R, and 51 runs batted in. Due to Strosnider’s physical build and bat speed suggests he has raw power. He has outstanding running abilities and a good arm that allows him a chance to play centerfield professionally.
15	Reds	GABE GAECKLE	RHP	ARKANSAS
		Cincinnati has selected three straight college right-handed pitchers with their last four picks in the first round. Gabe Gaeckle was a Freshman All-American closer. In nine starts during his Sophomore season Gaeckle provided mixed results. Arkansas moved Gaeckle back into a high leverage relief role and pitched to a 1.80 ERA (7 ER) in his final 35 IP. Gaeckle has high octane stuff that creates a lot of swing and miss. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder has a high-90s fastball with run and ride, a plus-slider with 3,000 rpm, and also a 3,000 rpm curveball. Gaeckle will certainly begin the year as the Opening Day starter once again in 2026 and if he sails smoothly he’s a no brainer 1st round pick.
16	Rays	BRADY HARRIS	OF	Trinity Christian Academy (FL)
		In their last 15 first-round picks, Tampa Bay has selected 11 hitters (six high school). Brady Harris is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound centerfielder. Harris has a balanced and strong righthanded swing that projects to have some of the best power in the high school class. The Florida commit has big time speed and arm strength to allow him to play an outstanding CF.
17	Cardinals	JASON DECARO	RHP	NORTH CAROLINA
		The Cardinals have selected 6 college pitchers in their last 11 first-round picks. This will be the first draft where John Mozeliak is not in the room and Chaim Bloom will have the final say. With that being said Bloom did participate in St Louis drafting Liam Doyle in 2025. Jason DeCaro is a 6-foot-5 projectable unit of a RHP. Due to his teammates’ injuries DeCaro was thrown into the fire as North Carolina’s Friday Night starter during his freshman season. DeCaro rose to the occasion with a 6-1 record with a 3.81 ERA. He started slow in Year #2 but slashed his total walks from 44 to 26. DeCaro has a very repeatable delivery with a mid-90s fastball, a big curveball, and sweeper.
18	Giants	JUSTIN LEBRON	SS	ALABAMA
		San Francisco has selected college players with seven of their last eight first-round picks, five of which have been position players. Justin Lebron was a phenom playing shortstop in his first year at Alabama in 2024. He was named a Freshman All-American with a .338 AVG and .975 OPS. Lebron bursted out the gate in 2025 but compared to his .342 batting average in the SEC during ‘24, the 6-foot-2, 170-pounder hit just .252 in conference with a whopping 31.9% strikeout rate. Lebron has a well rounded set of tools that project him as a shortstop at the professional level.
19	Mariners	ROOKIE SHEPARD	SS	Faith Lutheran (NV)
		Seattle has selected a high school player with nine of their last 16 first-round picks. Eight of the prepsters picked were position players. Rookie Shepard is 5-foot-11, 185 pounds and is a shortstop, Miami commit. Shepard has a stocky build and quick, left-handed swing. He has pull-side power but I fear how much more projectability there is to be had. Shepard is a solid defender but isn’t elite with any of his defensive actions and is probably a second baseman at the next level.
20	Red Sox	AIDAN KNAAK	RHP	CLEMSON
		Boston has taken eight college players with their last 11 Top 100 picks. Five of those eight college guys have been pitchers. Aidan Knaak is a 6-foot, 200-pound right-handed pitcher that has consistently performed at the college level. The National Freshman Pitcher-of-the-Year posted a 3.35 ERA with 108 strikeouts, and 29 walks, in 83.1 innings in 2024. Knaak followed that stellar year with a First Team All-ACC ‘25 that resulted in a 4.18 ERA, 110 punchouts, and 29 walks, in 90.1 innings. He has a plus-changeup that has fade and drop. Knaak will throw the change-piece to both RHH & LHH and pitch most ABs off of it. It is a low-to-mid-90s fastball with some ride.
21	Padres	MATT PONATOSKI	SS	Archbishop Moeller (OH)
		San Diego has drafted 13 prepsters with their last 15 first-round picks. Seven of the high schoolers have been pitchers. Matt Ponatoski doesn’t have a corner infield or outfield risk, he has a football risk. Yes, Ponatoski won Ohio’s Gatorade Football Player of the Year while breaking his school’s single season passing yards record. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound athlete will be considered a tough sign as he’s committed to Kentucky to play on both the gridiron and diamond. The Padres have never shied away from a HS talent though. Ponatoski has fast hands with great bat speed, he creates consistent contact, and hits for power. The only knock against his player profile is that he’s not the most fleet of foot.
22	Mets	CADEN BOGENPOHL	OF/RHP	MISSOURI STATE
		David Stearns is the new General Manager of the Mets. He comes from Milwaukee, where the Brewers had selected four straight college hitters until this year. Stearns and the Mets selected a college hitter with each of their first 4 picks in the 2024 MLB Draft. New York also has a noticeable affinity for two-way players. Caden Bogenpohl is a 6-foot-5, 235-pound raw ribeye steak that just needs more time on the cast iron skillet. Throughout the high school and summer scene Bogenpohl was a two-way player. At Missouri State Bogenpohl plays centerfield and was a Freshman All American. In two seasons playing in the Missouri Valley Conference the toolbox has hit .294, 1.046 OPS, 33 HR, 24 2B, 123 R, and 89 RBI. He is an excellent athlete that runs well for his size and has a strong arm to utilize in the outfield.
23	Yankees	TOMMY LAPOUR	RHP	TCU
		12 of the Yankees last 14 Top 100 picks have been college players. Seven of those 12 +21-year-olds have been pitchers. Tommy LaPour is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound unit of a right-handed pitcher. The workhorse tossed 90.1 innings in 2025, he tallied 88 strikeouts and 27 walks with a 3.09 ERA. LaPour was named an All-American and pitched on USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. LaPour’s fastball sits in the mid-to-high-90s but if he wants to, he can reach back and grab triple digits. He supports the FB with a good slider and an above average changeup.
24	Blue Jays	BRETT RENFROW	RHP	VIRGINIA TECH
		Seven of Toronto’s last 11 Round 1 picks have been college players (five pitchers). Brett Renfrow is a back-to-back USA Baseball Collegiate National Team invitee and pitched against Japan in 2025. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound right-hander punched 84 tickets in 74 frames during his Sophomore season with a 3.89 ERA. Renfrow’s fastball hovers in the mid-90s and has good ride in the top of the strike zone. He supplements the FB with a slider and changeup that both see a lot of swings and misses.
25	Phillies	NOAH WILSON	OF	McCallie (TN)
		Philadelphia has picked a prep player with six of their last seven first-round selections. Noah Wilson is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound gamer. Wilson has a good all around player profile. He is athletic, has speed, and hits very well. He has an unorthodox load but it results in a short sweet swing and with his solid hand-eye coordination Wilson has raw power to all fields.
26	Brewers	ERIC BECKER	SS	VIRGINIA
		Matt Arnold is the new General Manager of the Brewers. Milwaukee has had four 1st round picks, they’ve selected four left-handed hitters. Two from college and two out of high school. Eric Becker is a 6-foot-3, and 185-pound contact lord. Becker has a normal batting stance with a slight weight shift load that translates into a level swing that often results in line drives into the outfield. In two seasons with Virginia Becker has tallied nearly 400 plate appearances. He has a career .366 batting average, 1.096 OPS, 17 HR, 30 2B, 98 RBI, and 90 runs scored.
27	Astros	ZION ROSE	OF/C	LOUISVILLE
		Houston has selected a college hitter with 6 of their last 9 picks in the 1st round. Zion Rose is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound electric factory. First of all Rose has way too much speed to be a catcher so Louisville played him in the outfield in 2024. Rose has a quick swing and excellent bat-to-ball skills. He posted a .380 batting average in 166 at bats during his Freshman year and then in Year 2 he had a .310 AVG in 252 at bats. Rose only has 18 career home runs but he impacts the ball very well with exit velocities into the hundred-teens. The power will come.
28	Cubs	DEREK CURIEL	OF	LSU
		The Cubs have selected eight college players in their last nine Top 100 selections. Six of those +21-year-olds have been hitters. Derek Curiel is a 6-foot-2, 175-pound outfielder that is an advanced hitter. In 2025 Curiel had a Freshman of the Year season that culminated in helping LSU win a National Championship. Curiel slapped .345 with a .990 OPS, 7 HR, 20 2B, 67 R, and 55 RBI. He posted a whopping 94% in-zone contact rate. Curiel is a corner outfielder with average speed and an average arm. If the SEC picks on him during the second go-around the floor could be a bit lower than this for Curiel.
29	Dodgers	DANIEL CUVET	3B/1B/OF	MIAMI FL
		The Dodgers have used 11 of their last 16 Top 100 picks to select college players. Los Angeles has drafted six college hitters in that sample size. Daniel Cuvet has been a consistent top-tier producer at the college level in his two seasons. Cuvet is a back-to-back All-American and a two-time USA Baseball Collegiate National Team participant. In his career Cuvet has racked up 42 home runs, with a 1.161 OPS, .361 AVG, 165 R, and 159 runs batted in. Cuvet has developed power and has good bat-to-ball skills to back it up. Where he plays defense professionally is still up in the air.
30	Tigers	AIDEN RUIZ	SS	The Stony Brook (NY)
		The Tigers have had seven Top 100 picks in the President of Baseball Operations, Scott Harris, era. Harris hails from the Farhan-Zaidi-Giants organization, which valued prep players highly. In result Detroit has drafted six prep players with the seven selections (four left-handed hitters). Aiden Ruiz is a 5-foot-10, 160-pound shortstop. Ruiz is viewed as the best defender in the 2026 High School MLB Draft class. He is quick, has great hands, and outstanding footwork. Ruiz rarely swings and misses and slaps line drives into the outfield consistently.

2026 MLB Mock Draft Way Too Early

Tune into The College Baseball Experience podcast and show to hear about any more 2026 MLB Draft developments. Stick with Noah Bieniek and TCE throughout the NCAA Baseball offseason for periodical transfer portal and coaching carousel updates as well as any other news along the way.