Some 2026 MLB draft prospects to know after Twins land third pick

The Twins didn't move down nearly as much as they could've in Tuesday's draft lottery.

Mar 29, 2025; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron (1) goes deep in the hole behind second to field a ball hit up the middle but was unable to throw to first in time for an out during the game with Oklahoma at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Oklahoma evened the series with a 6-5 win. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Twins entered Tuesday's MLB Draft Lottery with the second-best odds to land the first overall pick, so not exiting the day with a top-two selection in next July's draft qualifies as a slight disappointment. The White Sox stayed at No. 1 and will likely end up with consensus top pick Roch Cholowsky, the UCLA shortstop. The Rays then jumped up five spots and will pick second.

But the Twins fell just one spot, receiving the third overall pick. Considering they could've dropped as low as eighth, winding up at three is a fairly positive outcome. They should find themselves in position to land a stud prospect at that spot.

Or, if history repeats itself, they could miss on their draft pick but end up winning the World Series. Twins fans would sign up for that outcome.

Twins have had the #3 pick in two previous drafts.

1991 — David McCarty, college first baseman
1987 — Willie Banks, high school starting pitcher

Bad news: Neither pick went well.

Good news: They won the World Series in both seasons.

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) December 9, 2025

Unlike the NBA and NHL, whose lotteries are held less than two months prior to their drafts, the MLB lottery takes place seven whole months before the picks are made. There's an entire baseball season to be played during that time, both at the college and high school levels. So even if scouts currently have an idea of who the top players in the class are, a lot can and will change.

At this moment, here are a few players to know who could be in the mix for the Twins at No. 3 overall in seventh months' time.

Grady Emerson, SS, high school (TX)

Emerson is currently the top prep prospect in the 2026 class and is the consensus No. 2 pick behind Cholowsky in early mock drafts. He's got a smooth lefty swing and the glove to stay at shortstop. The last time the Twins ended up with a top-five pick, they took prep outfielder Walker Jenkins fifth overall in 2023.

Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama

The pick for the Twins in early mocks from MLB Pipeline and ESPN is Lebron, a 21-year-old heading into his third season with the Crimson Tide. He hit .338 as a freshman, then hit .316 last year but tapped into more power by launching 18 home runs, hitting 18 doubles, and bumping his OPS from .975 to 1.058. He also stole 17 bases.

Here's the scouting report from ESPN's Kiley McDaniel:

"The 6-foot-2 shortstop is now a plus runner, thrower and defender with above-average raw power. His pitch selection is fine with the only question being about his bat-to-ball ability due to worse-than-average miss rates last season, fueled somewhat by an uphill, power-driven approach. If Lebron can find a happy medium between his swing plane, contact and power, he could challenge Cholowsky as the top pick."

If Twins fans want one player to keep an eye on in the upcoming college baseball season, Lebron would be the logical choice for now.

Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech

The top non-shortstop in the draft class at this moment is probably Burress, a 5'9" righty outfielder who has absolutely raked over two years at Georgia Tech. In his two college seasons, he's hit .357 with 44 home runs and a 1.246 OPS across 118 games. He's walked far more than he has struck out, and Burress is also a plus defender in the outfield.

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Jacob Lombard, SS, high school (FL)

Another top prep prospect in the class is Lombard, who is the son of former big leaguer (and potential future MLB manager) George Lombard, and the younger brother of George Lombard Jr., the top prospect in the Yankees' system. Jacob possesses substantial power, speed, and defensive ability in a 6'3" frame.

Carson Bolemon, LHP, high school (SC)

There are plenty of other prospects we could mention, including several intriguing pitchers. The current consensus seems to be that the top overall pitching prospect in the class is Bolemon, an imposing 6'4" lefty with four plus pitches that he commands well. His high school stats from last season are predictably silly: 0 earned runs and 101 strikeouts in 42.1 innings pitched.

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