Astros Selects Potential Steal in Alabama Shortstop in MLB Mock Draft

With the NCAA tournament underway, the draft buzz will begin to get louder.

May 30, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama batter Justin Lebron (1) celebrates his solo homer in the Tuscaloosa NCAA Regional winner’s bracket game between Alabama and USC Upstate in Sewell-Thomas Stadium. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As baseball season begins to creep into June, the NCAA baseball tournament begins and takes over weekends as big time draft prospects are playing at the highest level to improve their draft projections.

As the top prospects begin to seperate themselves, the order in which players are selected begins to take more shop. With that come the mock drafts, a useful tool that analysts use to provide the public with more information as to who their favorite team will be taking.

MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis released his newest mock draft on Thursday ahead of the weekend's Super Regional games.

The Houston Astros have the 17th pick in this year's draft, about 10 picks higher than they've been used to over the last decade. Having a high pick means the chance at a better prospect and Callis has them getting a steal in Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron.

Astros Get Dynamic Athlete in Mock Draft Scenario

Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

According to Callis, Lebron was the top prospect just over a year ago, which is why getting him at No. 17 is such as steal.

The 21-year-old is one of the toolsiest players in the draft. Given a 55 overall grade by Pipeline on the 20-80 scale, Lebron's only below average tool is his hit tool, which sits at a 45 due to a swing and miss issue.

After striking out 68 times in 2025, he's cut it down to 53 times through 57 games in 2026.

There is a lot else to like about Lebron. A good athlete at 6'2", 180 pounds, Lebron is a good defender with range and an above average arm.

He uses his 60-grade run tool to help that defense, but it also powers an elite power-speed combo. After swiping 17 bags last season, he bumped it up a notch and stole 40 bags this year, tied for seventh in the country.

Lebron is slashing .274/.382/.543 with a .925 OPS and 17 home runs. His slashline has mostly dropped from his numbers in 2025, which has contributed to his fall, but the numbers he's putting up are ridiculous either way.

Of course, this is just one scenario for Houston. If it's one that comes to frution, it's a best player available situation, as are most MLB draft picks. This wouldn't be a pick based on what they need quickly because shortstop is already filled by a pretty good player in Jeremy Peña.

More than anything, mock drafts are meant to show the caliber of player and some options in the range a team picks. If Lebron were to fall here, the Astros would be smart to scoop him up.

It's hard to find a player with that many tools this late in the draft and Houston's farm system is one of the worst in the league. A player with the tools of Lebron is something Houston doesn't have among their prospects and it would be a great step in rebuilding their system after drafting Walker Janek in 2025.