Top Picks of 2026 MLB Draft Day One Announced
The first round of the 2026 MLB Draft saw the Chicago White Sox select shortstop Roch Cholowsky, while the Rays chose high-school shortstop Grady Emerson, and other clubs filled their early selections with college and high-school talent.
The 2026 Major League Baseball Draft began on Saturday with the first four rounds broadcast across multiple networks. The Chicago White Sox used the No. 1 overall pick to select shortstop Roch Cholowsky from UCLA, a player ranked second by MLB Pipeline and noted for his power hitting and Golden Spikes Award finalist status.
The Tampa Bay Rays selected high-school shortstop Grady Emerson of Fort Worth, Texas, at No. 2, citing his five above-average tools and his Gatorade National Player of the Year honors.
The Minnesota Twins chose catcher Vahn Lackey from Georgia Tech with the third pick, highlighting his 1.291 OPS, 20 home runs and 15 steals in his junior season.
The San Francisco Giants took right-handed pitcher Jackson Flora of UC Santa Barbara at No. 4, noting his strong arm and local ties to northern California.
Other first-round selections included the Oakland Athletics' pick of outfielder Drew Burress (Georgia Tech) at No. 7, the Baltimore Orioles' choice of outfielder Eric Booth Jr. (Oak Grove High School, Mississippi) at No. 6, and the Atlanta Braves' selection of outfielder AJ Gracia (Virginia) at No. 19, praised for his contact skills and power potential.
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected outfielder Derek Curiel of LSU at No. 12, while the Kansas City Royals chose outfielder Zion Rose from Louisville at No. 30, both noted for their offensive abilities and potential cost savings under the teams' bonus pool strategies.