Top-10 Prospects To Know Before Saturday's MLB Draft

The 2026 MLB Draft begins Saturday, July 11. The first four rounds of the 20-round affair will take place Saturday, as more than 600 players prepare to hear their names called.

In a bizarre turn of events, the first-place Chicago White Sox have the privilege of picking No. 1 overall. The White Sox are followed by the first-place Tampa Bay Rays, who will select second.

MLB Draft Order:

White Sox
Rays
Twins
Giants
Pirates
Royals
Orioles
Athletics
Braves
Rockies

Even the most hardcore baseball fan will not know many of the names they hear called over the weekend, but here are ten players who are sure to go in the first round that you should get to know.

There is a clear-cut top-three in this draft class: Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson and Vahn Lackey. The problem is, every team in the league views each of the three differently.

Roch Cholowsky

In the interest of safety, I will rank Roch Cholowsky No. 1 in the draft class. Cholowsky is the shortstop for the UCLA Bruins. He was a top-50 recruit coming out of high school, but chose to go to college anyway.

While at UCLA, Cholowsky dominated the college baseball scene. He slashed .329/.447/.624 with 52 home runs over 178 career games.

Grady Emerson

Grady Emerson is a 6-foot-3, 18-year-old prospect from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. He, too, is a shortstop who has been mentored by America’s best, Bobby Witt Jr.

Emerson was recognized as the best high school baseball player in the country this past season, as he posted a batting average of .536.

Emerson became only the second high school baseball player in 48 years to be a semi-finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, an honor usually held for the best players in College Baseball.

Vahn Lackey

Vahn Lackey is simply a ball player. He did most of his work at Georgia Tech behind the plate, but his talents were put to work all over the diamond.

In March, Lackey played every position on the field besides pitcher in a single game against Florida State. Oh yeah, and he finished a single shy of the cycle.

Jackson Flora

Jackson Flora is far and away considered the best pitcher in this draft. He posted a 1.06 ERA with 133 strikeouts in just 102 innings for the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Drew Burress

I’ve already set the precedent that college baseball players will get the nod over the high school prospects, so the No. 5 ranking goes to Georgia Tech’s Drew Burress.

Burress is a 5-foot-9 righty/righty outfielder. Despite his size, he is a multi-time triple crown winner for the Yellow Jackets. He leads the school in home runs since the BBCOR era began, and he is one of College Baseball’s leading sluggers this century.

Eric Booth Jr.

Eric Booth Jr is one of, if not the, best athlete in this draft class. He ran a 6.33-second 60-yard dash at the East Coast Pro Showcase. Now committed to Vanderbilt, Booth is a rangy outfielder from Mississippi.

Jacob Lombard

Jacob Lombard is another shortstop prospect. He hails from a baseball family. His father was drafted in the second round of the 1994 MLB Draft and his brother was a first-rounder just a few seasons ago and is currently the New York Yankees number one prospect.

Gio Rojas

Gio Rojas is a 6-foot-4, 17-year-old left-handed pitcher. He is the highest-ranked lefty in the class, and with his skill and stature, he has the potential to grow into an MLB ace.

Justin Lebron

I don’t know much, but I know if your name is Lebron you’ve got a pretty good shot. This shortstop stole 42 bases for Alabama last season and has respectable size and power.

Ryder Helfrick

Ryder Helfrick is a pro’s-pro catcher. He called the games for Arkansas during his college career. He is a defensive catcher with plus power, which will make him an exciting prospect at a position where the MLB is strapped for talent.

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