’s final mock draft for the 2026 MLB draft landed Saturday morning with a clear top end and a still-open question at the very top: Roch Cholowsky is projected to go No. 1 to the Chicago White Sox, with Grady Emerson to the Tampa Bay Rays at No. 2 and Vahn Lackey to the Minnesota Twins at No. 3.
That projection matters now because Mlb Draft Time is here. The 2026 MLB draft starts Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, and the last update before the picks begin gives a cleaner read on the opening three choices than on anything that follows. ’s mock covers the first two rounds, but the first round is described as wide open after the top three, which is where the real uncertainty begins.
For the White Sox, the mock is a snapshot rather than a lock. The team is still debating among Cholowsky, Emerson and Lackey at No. 1, even though ’s final order puts Cholowsky first. That is the point of the projection: it turns a three-player debate into a ranking, but it does not end the debate. If the White Sox are leaning one way, the Rays and Twins then have the next two calls, and the mock suggests the first three players are likely to come off the board in some order.
The rest of the top 13 is less settled but still readable. Jackson Flora seems like the leader for the Giants at No. 4, Pittsburgh is down to Drew Burress and Derek Curiel at No. 5 unless Flora reaches them, and the Orioles want Burress or Eric Booth Jr. Tyler Bell is projected to the Braves at No. 9, Justin Lebron to the Rockies at No. 10, Jacob Lombard to the Nationals at No. 11 and Ryder Helfrick to Los Angeles at No. 12. Jared Grindlinger is projected to the Cardinals at No. 13, though Liam Peterson also has a shot there.
There are still a few loose threads that could reshape the second half of the opening round. Ace Reese and Zion Rose have late momentum to the Angels at No. 12, while Rose also has potential spots through the teens, including Arizona at No. 15, and even a floor with the Padres at No. 21. The Padres at No. 21 might also be a home for Tyler Spangler. Cade Townsend could factor for the Braves at No. 9 and No. 26, the Diamondbacks are on LSU outfielder Jake Brown in the second round, Daniel Jackson might still go in the 20s with a floor in the 30s, and the Reds are on Ohio prep right-hander Matt Ponatoski, who is likely headed for the third or fourth round for an overslot bonus.
So the answer heading into Saturday is simple at the top and messy everywhere else. Cholowsky is ’s pick for No. 1, but the White Sox are still making the final call, and once that choice is made, the draft is expected to move quickly through a first round that becomes far less predictable after the first three names are read.
