Rays Predicted to Draft Talented Shortstop in 2026 MLB Mock Draft

Which talented prospect did the Tampa Bay Rays take in a 2026 MLB Mock Draft?

Sep 26, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) in the dugout during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

In the midst of the winter meetings, the Tampa Bay Rays received some luck in the MLB Draft Lottery with the second overall pick. 

It has been a busy time of year for the Rays, who have been focused on trying to improve their roster this offseason. So far, the team has been active in doing so, but there is still work to be done. Tampa Bay doesn’t have the same financial resources as some of the other teams in the division, but that hasn’t stopped them from competing in the past. 

The Rays generally do a good job of scouting and developing players in their system, and that is a significant reason for their success. In the upcoming MLB Draft, they will be getting a golden opportunity to add a talented prospect after catching a break and getting the second overall pick. 

Tampa Bay will undoubtedly be under pressure to hit with the right prospect, and it has been quite some time since they drafted in the first round. 

Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline recently released his MLB Mock Draft, which had the Rays selecting shortstop Grady Emerson with the second overall pick. 

Deep Shortstop Class

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

While it is still early in the scouting and draft process, this appears like it is going to be a strong class in terms of talented shortstops. In the mock draft, Callis had the Chicago White Sox taking the extremely talented Roch Cholowsky from UCLA with the first overall pick. 

Furthermore, with Emerson going second to the Rays, four of the top five players selected were shortstops. As a critical position and one of need for Tampa Bay currently, this is good news after they received the surprisingly high pick. 

In terms of Emerson, while he is a high school prospect, he’s got a massive upside. MLB Pipeline has him with a grade of 60 overall already, with making contact being one of his best strengths. Furthermore, his worst grade currently in the major categories is a 55 in both the power and speed departments. 

While he might not be as polished as Cholowsky as a 17-year-old, he could be just as good, if not better, as he develops. It might be very early in the process, but Emerson will be a name to watch for the Rays when their time to make a selection comes up.