Major League Baseball's 2026 Draft has arrived and Roch Cholowsky is the No. 1 pick. The Chicago White Sox, who won the draft lottery over the winter, selected the UCLA shortstop with the first pick.
The 20-round draft process got underway Saturday afternoon at Convention Hall in Philadelphia, kicking off four days of All-Star festivities. After the White Sox, the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates rounded out the top five.
The Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Phillies and Blue Jays all moved down 10 picks for spending above the luxury tax thresholds.
Below, you'll find our grades for every first-round selection.
1. Chicago White Sox: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA - Grade: A
2. Tampa Bay Rays: Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian HS (TX) - Grade: A
3. Minnesota Twins: Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech - Grade: A
4. San Francisco Giants: Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara - Grade: A
5. Pittsburgh Pirates: Derek Curiel, OF, LSU - Grade: B
6. Kansas City Royals: Zion Rose, OF, Louisville - Grade: C
7. Baltimore Orioles: Eric Booth Jr., OF, Oak Grove HS (MS) - Grade: A
8. Athletics: Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech - Grade: A
9. Atlanta Braves: AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia - Grade: B
10. Colorado Rockies: Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky - Grade: A
11. Washington Nationals: Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M - Grade: B
12. Los Angeles Angels: Jared Grindlinger, OF, Huntington Beach HS (CA) - Grade: A
13. St. Louis Cardinals: Trevor Condon, OF, Etowah HS (GA) - Grade: A
14. Miami Marlins: Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep HS (FL) - Grade: A
15. Arizona Diamondbacks: Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas - Grade: B
16. Texas Rangers: Gio Rojas, LHP, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (FL) - Grade: A
17. Houston Astros: Logan Hughes, OF, Texas Tech - Grade: C
18. Cincinnati Reds: Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama - Grade: B
19. Cleveland Guardians: Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida - Grade: B
20. Boston Red Sox: Jake Schaffner, SS, North Carolina - Grade: D
21. San Diego Padres: Coleman Borthwick, 3B, South Walton HS (FL) - Grade: B
22. Detroit Tigers: Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina - Grade: A
23. Chicago Cubs: Kade Townsend, RHP, Mississippi - Grade: B
24. Seattle Mariners: Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State - Grade: B
25. Milwaukee Brewers: Trey Ebel, SS, Corona HS (CA) - Grade: C
Milwaukee drafted both Ebels. They picked Trey's older brother, Brady, with the No. 32 pick last year. Their father, Dino, is the Dodgers third base coach. Ebel (Trey, not Brady or Dino) is very Brewers coded as a bat-to-ball guy with just OK power potential, good defensive chops, and baseball smarts. It's possible he will wind up at second base long-term. Grade: C
Reese is a big guy (6-foot-4 and 220 lbs.) and an imposing figure in the box. He hit .336/.432/.721 with 24 homers in 62 games this spring and most of those 24 homers were truly titanic. Reese has as much power as anyone in the draft class. He'll chase out of the zone and he might wind up at first base (or left field) long-term, but you can't teach this much raw power. Grade: B
A little bout of shoulder soreness in March created some pause with Townsend, but he returned quickly and threw the ball well, which calmed those concerns. At his best, he'll sit mid-90s with four other pitches he'll use regularly (curveball, slider, splitter, cutter). His strike-throwing improved quite a bit this year. Townsend could climb through the minors pretty quickly. Grade: B
Flukey was arguably the second best college pitcher in the draft behind Flora. His curveball might be the best breaking ball in the draft class period, and his fastball has plenty of velocity. He also throws strikes with relative ease. Flukey suffered a rib fracture in his first start and missed roughly two months, so teams didn't get much of a look at him this spring. That led to him being undervalued, I think. Grade: A
Surprise, the Padres took a high school player. That's 10 straight years they took a high schooler with their top pick. Borthwick lives right around 100 mph and his slider has shown the potential to be a wipeout pitch, though it was inconsistent this year. His changeup is developing and throwing strikes can be a challenge. Borthwick is an arm strength development project as much as anything (he can hit and has power, but is viewed as a pitcher long-term). Grade: B
The Red Sox picked up a Competitive Balance pick (No. 67) in the Kyle Harrison/Caleb Durbin trade with the Brewers and it looks like they're planning to go over-slot with that pick. Schaffner was considered a solid second- or third-round pick because he's a plus bat-to-ball guy and a rangy defender, though he doesn't have much power and may not have the arm for shortstop at the next level. Figure he'll sign below slot so the Red Sox can spend later. Grade: D
Peterson is a very Guardians pick. They are arguably the best pitching development team in the sport and Peterson is a wonderful ball of pitching clay. He's sat in the mid-90s throughout his college career and he showed a feel for spin, but he's unrefined and needs pro instructors to get him moving in the right direction. Cleveland can definitely help with that. Grade: B
BREAKING: Lebron to Ohio. Justin was the favorite to go No. 1 overall heading into the 2025 season, but he had some uneven performances the last two years, and there are swing-and-miss and approach concerns. Lebron is as tooled up as any player in the draft class though. Elite athleticism, elite power, elite speed. It's very boom-or-bust. Grade: B
The Astros have a Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick for Hunter Brown finishing third in the Cy Young voting last year (No. 28) and the expectation is they would use their first two picks on college hitters who could get to Houston quickly. Hughes was a top performer throughout his college career and he annihilates fastballs, but he has issues with spin and chasing out of the zone, and won't contribute a whole lot defensively. This is more of a safe, higher-floor pick than a guy with big ceiling. Hughes was seen a second round target much of the spring. Grade: C
Rojas is the prototype. He's big, he lives in the upper-90s, he has advanced secondary pitches, he commands everything, and he has great mound presence. Rojas is the best high school pitcher in the draft class, but teams often shy away from high school arms because there is so much injury risk (and because they have more analytical data on college pitchers). Getting a talent like this in the back-half of the first round is a huge win for Texas. Grade: A
You can find people who prefer Helfrick to Vahn Lackey. Helfrick has huge power and is more refined than Lackey behind the plate. Arkansas let Helfrick call pitches, which is very rare in college. That's how much his coaches trust him. There are some swing-and-miss concerns, but good defensive catchers who can hit are really hard to find. Grade: B
Lombard was projected to go No. 4 to the Giants much of the spring. Instead, the Marlins get him at No. 14. He's a gifted athlete who can really impact the baseball. There are swing-and-miss concerns though, and all the high-end contact guys taken in the top 13 picks suggests teams are leaning in that direction. Lombard has significant upside though, and he has good bloodlines. His father, George Lombard, plays six years in the big leagues and is the Tigers bench coach. His older brother, George Jr., is one of the best prospects in the game. Grade: A
Condon has a A LOT of fans within baseball. He plays very hard, he makes a lot of contact and runs very well, and he can really play center field. There has been enough power in showcase events to think he'll get to 20 dingers in time too. Condon will be a fan favorite for sure. Grade: A
The Angels went after quick-moving college players under GM Perry Minasian and it wasn't clear if they would stick to that plan after he got fired last month. Obviously they did not. Grindlinger is a legitimate two-way player who is a better prospect as a power-hitting outfielder, but has real talent on the mound (he was seen as a second- or third-round type as a pitcher only). The Angels let Shohei Ohtani be a two-way player back when no one thought it was possible. They may give Grindlinger a chance to play both ways, but they did announce him exclusively as an outfielder. Fun! Grade: A
Divisive is not the right word, but there are definitely split opinions about Hacopian. He's one of the best and most decorated college hitters of the 2020s (career .339/.449/.604 hitter), but he hits the ball on the ground more often than the typical first-round college bat, and his defense might move him to third base or even first base long-term. Hacopian hits all kinds of pitching, though, and he rarely swings and misses. Unlock some launch angle and he could be a heck of a hitter. Grade: B
A memorable moment (or four) ...
We're at the point in the draft when things really open up. There's not considered to be much difference between, say, the 11th-best player and the 25th-best player in this draft class.
Bell might have been a top five pick had he not torn the labrum in his non-throwing shoulder on a diving play in Kentucky's season-opener. He missed three weeks, came back and played through the injury, and still mashed. The skill set is terrific. Bell's a switch-hitter with contact skills, power, and patience, plus he can really play short. He's said to be a great clubhouse dude too. Bell may need surgery and that rehab could cut into his 2027 season, though that is unconfirmed. Grade: A
Gracia's an interesting dude. He has terrific contact rates and he hit some mammoth home runs in college, but he's incredibly passive as a hitter. A little more aggressiveness at the plate would serve him well. That's not always the easiest thing to instill in a hitter though. Not swinging can be in your DNA the same way swinging at everything can. Gracia is probably a left fielder long-term, defensively, so there will be some pressure on his bat. Grade: B
That's two Yellow Jackets inside the top 10. Burress is a do-it-all type who hit .357/.484/.720 with 60 home runs in his three years at Georgia Tech. There's some thought there's even more power in the tank with some swing adjustments. Burress is on the smaller side (listed at 5-foot-9 but probably an inch or two shorter), but, if it all comes together, he could really be a heck of a player. Someone who contributes at the plate, in the field, and on the bases. He aligns nicely with what the A's develop well. Grade: A
No surprise here, the O's went with a hitter. They haven't taken a pitcher earlier than the second round in the Mike Elias era. Booth is an Orioles type. He's a great athlete with high-end power potential and speed. They've had success developing guys like this and Booth has a chance to be a 30-30 player down the road. There are questions about a hitch in his swing though. Booth has considerable upside but will likely need a few years in the minors. Grade: A
The Royals have a Competitive Balance pick (No. 30) and went under-slot with this pick. Rose put up ridiculous numbers this spring (.417/.491/.646) around ankle and hamstring issues. He produces big exit velocities and pairs them with great contact rates, though he's an aggressive hitter who chases too much. Iron out his approach and Rose has a chance to be a middle-of-the-order bat. His defense is not all that good, however. This pick clearly sets Kansas City up to go over-slot with the No. 30 pick. Grade: C
On March 10, Vahn Lackey (No. 3 to Twins) had one of the best games in Division I this season. He went 3 for 4 with a double, a triple, a home run, and a walk against West Georgia. He also played every position except pitcher. Here's the lineup card:
Lackey played a fair amount of third base for the Yellow Jackets in 2025, though he's improved so much behind the plate that he's now seen as a no-doubt long-term catcher. If nothing else, playing every position in one game speaks to his athleticism and baseball instincts.
The draft's first surprise, though that's not to say Curiel is out of place inside the top 10. He has arguably the best contact skills in the draft class and figures to be a hit-over-power top-of-the-lineup guy who produces a lot of line drives. Curiel is a good runner who can play center field well, plus he'll be a fan favorite for his hair-on-fire playing style. There are some questions about how he'll handle pro pitching given the lack of power, which is not ideal this high in the draft. Grade: B
The Giants get the draft's best pitcher with the No. 4 pick. They were mostly connected to hitters this spring, then rumors emerged that unless one of Cholowsky, Emerson, or Lackey got to them, they would pivot to Flora. Flora sits upper-90s and has two distinct sliders, both of which miss bats at a high rate. His changeup is coming along as well. He's not quite as polished as the usual "best college pitcher in the draft," but Flora has considerable upside. Grade: A
This draft class was considered to have three elite talents, and they came off the board with the top three picks. Lackey had an incredible junior season and went from a projected late first rounder in January to the No. 3 pick in July. He has power, he can run (and not just by catcher standards), uncommon athleticism for his position, and good defensive tools. Lackey will fit nicely into Minnesota's recent history of strong offensive catchers. Grade: A
Here's why the White Sox used the No. 1 pick on Mr. Cholowsky (not Chaloosky, as Rob Manfred said).
