This year’s rookie draft is officially underway, and we’ll be updating this post throughout the day with every first-round pick. Additional details and scouting reports on all of these young players are available on the pre-draft rankings from Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. Also, Pipeline has a breakdown of the slot values awarded to each pick in the first 10 rounds, as well as bonus money available for all 30 teams.
Here are the first round picks….
- Chicago White Sox: Roch CholowskySS, UCLA
- Tampa Bay Rays: Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian High School (TX)
- Minnesota Twins: Vahn LackeyC, Georgia Tech
- San Francisco Giants: Jackson FloraRHP, UC Santa Barbara
- Pittsburgh Pirates: Derek CurielKWA, LSU
- Kansas City Royals: Zion RoseOF, University of Louisville
- Baltimore Orioles: Eric Booth Jr., OF, Oak Grove High School (MS)
- Athletics: Drew BurressOF, Georgia Tech
- Atlanta Braves: AJ GraciaOF, University of Virginia
- Colorado Rockies: Tyler BellSS, University of Kentucky
- Washington Nationals: Chris Hacopian2B, Texas A&M
- Los Angeles Angels: Jared Grindlinger, LHP/OF, Huntington Beach High School (CA)
- St. Louis Cardinals: Trevor Condon, OF, Etowah High School (GA)
- Miami Marlins: Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep (FL)
- More places to stay at the Arizona Diamondbacks: Ryder HelfrickC, University of Arkansas
- Texas Rangers: Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas High School (FL)
- Houston Astros: Logan HughesAT, Texas Tech
- Cincinnati Reds: Justin LeBronSS, University of Alabama
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Liam PetersonRHP, University of Florida
- Boston Red Sox: Jake SchaffnerSS, University of North Carolina
- San Diego Padres: Coleman Borthwick, RHP, South Walton High School (FL)
- Detroit Tigers: Cameron FlukeyRHP, Coastal Carolina University
- Chicago Cubs: Cade TownsendRHP, University of Mississippi
- Seattle Mariners: Ace Reese3B, Mississippi State
- Milwaukee Brewers: Trey Ebel, SS, Corona High School (CA)
The first round officially consists of only 25 picks since the Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, and Dodgers all had their first round picks lowered 10 spots. Five teams each exceeded the third category of the luxury tax ($281MM) in 2025, and as a result their penalty included moving down 10 slots in their opening draft picks. The Mets’ first pick will be the 27th overall pick, while the Yankees will pick 35th, the Phillies 36th, the Jays 39th, and the Dodgers 40th.
The 2026 draft is split over two days. Rounds 5-20 will take place tomorrow, and the first 135 draft picks will come off the board today. Those 135 picks include four eligible first rounds, two Competitive Balance Rounds, four compensatory picks for teams that lost eligible waived free agents, and Prospect Promotion Incentive picks for the Braves and Astros. The Pirates will also have two players in the second round, having received 51 unsigned compensation. Angel Cervantes50th overall pick in the 2026 draft.
