2026 MLB Mock Draft: Final Predictions for the First Round

Written By Brayden Zielke

Angels Prospects

July 9, 2026 - Written by Brayden Zielke

With the 2026 MLB Draft just days away, this serves as the final mock draft from InsideHalos before names begin coming off the board Saturday morning. This mock covers all 37 first-round selections, along with the first three picks of the second round due to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays having their selections moved back.

1. Chicago White Sox - Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA (MLB Rank: No. 2)

Cholowsky had been the consensus No. 1 prospect until very recently, and I think the White Sox keep it simple here. He is one of the best pure hitters in the class while also grading out as an excellent defender. Cholowsky has the ability to move quickly through Chicago's system and become an impact player sooner rather than later.

2. Tampa Bay Rays - Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian HS (TX) (No. 1)

Emerson sits atop MLB's draft rankings and it is easy to understand why. A true five-tool talent, Emerson has the potential to become one of baseball's premier shortstops in just a few years. Scouts struggle to find weaknesses in his game.

3. Minnesota Twins - Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech (No. 3)

If Lackey reaches this spot, it is hard to imagine Minnesota passing on the opportunity to draft its catcher of the future. Lackey offers legitimate 30-home run upside while providing above-average defense behind the plate and enough athleticism to potentially move to third base if necessary.

4. San Francisco Giants - Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara (No. 4)

Flora features an electric fastball that regularly reaches triple digits and complements it with three additional plus pitches. After posting a 1.06 ERA this season, he enters the draft as the clear top pitcher available.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates - Eric Booth Jr., OF, Oak Grove HS (MS) (No. 6)

The Pirates have shown a preference for high-upside prep talent in recent years and Booth fits that mold perfectly. While he projects more as a contact hitter, his bat speed and exit velocities suggest 20-home run potential at the next level.

6. Kansas City Royals - Jared Grindlinger, LHP/OF, Huntington Beach HS (CA) (No. 16)

This is where things get interesting. Grindlinger may not be viewed as a top-10 talent by most evaluators, but Kansas City could fall in love with his versatility and upside as a two-way player. The fact that he won't turn 18 until next April only adds to the appeal.

7. Baltimore Orioles - Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech (No. 7)

Burress has been a star throughout his college career, slashing .357/.484/.657 with 60 home runs and 189 RBIs over 179 games. Despite his smaller frame, he profiles as a true five-tool player.

8. Athletics - Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS (FL) (No. 8)

The Athletics desperately need pitching and Rojas has the upside of a future front-line starter. While he is older for a prep arm, his talent is undeniable.

9. Atlanta Braves - Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep HS (FL) (No. 5)

Atlanta would likely sprint this card to the podium if Lombard falls this far. He projects as a long-term shortstop and fills a major organizational need.

10. Colorado Rockies - Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky (No. 10)

Bell may not possess superstar upside, but his consistency and well-rounded skill set make him one of the safest bats in the class.

11. Washington Nationals - Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State (No. 18)

The Nationals have been linked heavily to college bats and Reese could become the best power hitter in this entire draft class.

12. Los Angeles Angels - Derek Curiel, OF, LSU (No. 12)

The Orange Lutheran product feels like a perfect fit for the Angels under John Mozeliak. Curiel may not provide huge home run totals, but he projects as a high-contact leadoff hitter capable of producing consistently at the top of a lineup.

13. St. Louis Cardinals - AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia (No. 19)

Gracia broke out following his transfer to Virginia and offers intriguing power potential that should translate to professional baseball.

14. Miami Marlins - Trevor Condon, OF, Etowah HS (GA) (No. 13)

Condon combines elite athleticism with strong hit tools and could develop into one of the better all-around outfielders in this class.

15. Arizona Diamondbacks - Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama (No. 9)

Lebron's stock slipped slightly after an inconsistent season, but his power, speed, and arm strength remain incredibly attractive.

16. Texas Rangers - Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M (No. 14)

With Marcus Semien no longer in the picture, Hacopian makes plenty of sense as a potential long-term answer in the middle infield.

17. Houston Astros - Mason Edwards, LHP, USC (No. 36)

Edwards has climbed draft boards rapidly after posting a 2.07 ERA with 169 strikeouts in 95.2 innings.

18. Cincinnati Reds - Hunter Dietz, LHP, Arkansas (No. 17)

Dietz offers one of the deepest arsenals in the draft with four pitches grading 55 or better on the scouting scale.

19. Cleveland Guardians - Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina (No. 15)

Injuries impacted his season, but Flukey's previous body of work should keep him firmly in the first round.

20. Boston Red Sox - Brody Bumila, LHP, Bishop Feehan HS (MA) (No. 23)

Standing 6-foot-9 and touching triple digits, Bumila possesses one of the most intriguing fastballs in the draft.

21. San Diego Padres - Taj Marchand, SS, James Island HS (SC) (No. 37)

The Padres love prep talent and Marchand offers enough upside to continue that trend.

22. Detroit Tigers - Carson Bolemon, LHP, Southside Christian HS (SC) (No. 24)

Bolemon combines four quality pitches with excellent command and could move quickly through a farm system.

23. Chicago Cubs - Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas (No. 11)

Helfrick's defensive skills and power profile make him one of the top catching prospects available.

24. Seattle Mariners - Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU (No. 22)

Strosnider brings power, speed, and patience at the plate, with the ability to potentially remain in center field.

25. Milwaukee Brewers - Logan Reddemann, RHP, UCLA (No. 31)

One of my favorite prospects in the class, Reddemann posted a 2.87 ERA and flashed frontline stuff before arm fatigue shortened his season.

Picks 26 through 37

26. Atlanta Braves

Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida (No. 20)

27. New York Mets

Gavin Grahovac, 1B, Texas A&M (No. 38)

28. Houston Astros

Cole Prosek, 3B/C, Magnolia Heights HS (MS) (No. 27)

29. San Francisco Giants

Bo Lowrance, 3B, Christ Church Episcopal HS (MS) (No. 21)

30. Kansas City Royals

Zion Rose, OF, Louisville (No. 30)

31. Arizona Diamondbacks

Cole Carlon, LHP, Arizona State (No. 26)

32. St. Louis Cardinals

Coleman Borthwick, RHP, South Walton HS (FL) (No. 43)

33. Tampa Bay Rays

Cade Townsend, RHP, Ole Miss (No. 35)

34. Pittsburgh Pirates

Landon Thome, 2B/3B, Nazareth Academy HS (No. 34)

35. New York Yankees

Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia (No. 28)

36. Philadelphia Phillies

Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee (No. 25)

37. Colorado Rockies

Jack Radel, RHP, Notre Dame (No. 44)

Bonus: Early Second Round Projections

This concludes the 1st round. However, I have mocked the first 3 selections of the 2nd round due to the Dodgers and Blue Jays having their selections moved back.

38. Colorado Rockies

Connor Comeau, SS/3B, Anderson HS (TX) (No. 55)

39. Toronto Blue Jays

Aiden Robbins, OF, Texas (No. 29)

40. Los Angeles Dodgers

James Clark, SS, St. John Bosco HS (CA) (No. 39)

The 2026 MLB Draft begins Saturday morning at 10am PST, and it will be fascinating to see how closely the actual draft board follows these projections.

Disclaimer : (1) Links of players are property of MLB, MiLB, and Baseball Reference. (2) InsideHalos is a fan-made site not affiliated with Angels Baseball.

Brayden Zielke
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