This mock takes a way-too-early look at the '26 Draft

The 2025 Draft ended on Monday. How long should we wait to start thinking about the Class of 2026?

How does now sound?

The scouting industry hasn't waited. The high school summer showcase circuit and wood bat college leagues like the Cape Cod League were being scouted even before this year's Draft began. Who the top players in the class might be is starting to take shape, and while that obviously will change a lot between now and the 2026 Draft next July, we thought this an opportune time to take a look at a top 20 in the form of a "way-too-early mock draft."

It's worth paying attention now. Last year's version of this story listed nine players who went in the first round proper (top 27 picks), while four more went in the comp/sandwich round (top 43 picks). All but one of the 20 players went in the top five rounds.

We used a randomizer to determine the Draft order below, which ultimately will be decided by the Draft Lottery in December, followed by reverse order of the standings at the end of the year. The Rockies and Nationals can't pick higher than 10th in next year's Draft, which is why they're at 10 and 11 respectively.

1. White Sox: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA
A true No. 1 overall pick candidate, Cholowsky is a major contributor on both sides of the ball. He's an outstanding defender at shortstop and took a huge step forward at the plate during an All-American sophomore season in which he compiled a slash line of .353/.480/.710 with 23 homers for the Bruins.

2. Braves: Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep (Fla.) HS
Son of George, brother of Yankees top prospect George Jr., Lombard is a double-plus runner (he's an elite athlete who has also excelled in soccer) with an outstanding right-handed swing that should enable him to hit for average and power. He can stay at shortstop for a long time with good instincts and an ability to slow the game down.

3. Twins: Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
He's a tick behind Cholowsky on the college shortstop front, but not by much. After a big freshman season (.338/.429/.546), he hit 18 homers and finished with a 1.058 OPS as a sophomore for the Crimson Tide. He's another one who has the chops to stick at short.

4. Pirates: Grady Emerson, SS, Argyle (Texas) HS
He was the runner-up in this year's High School Home Run Derby, which surprised some because he has a hit-over-power profile, but clearly the raw pop is in there. He could be a plus hitter from the left side and has solid all-around skills, including clean actions and good arm strength from shortstop.

5. Orioles: Gio Rojas, LHP, Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Fla.) HS
Stoneman Douglas last had a lefty starter this good back in 2016, when Jesús Luzardo was a seven-figure over-slot signing by the Nationals in the third round despite needing Tommy John surgery. Rojas has two plus pitches in his lively fastball up to 95 mph and his breaking ball, both of which he lands for strikes, as well as feel for a changeup.

6. Royals: Derek Curiel, OF, Louisiana State
A highly regarded prospect coming out of Orange Lutheran High School in California, Curiel headed on to LSU and had an outstanding freshman season, finishing with a .345/.470/.519 line and nearly as many walks (53) as strikeouts (56). That sets the stage for what could be a huge Draft-eligible sophomore season, especially with a move to center field in the works, though he'll still have to prove he can drive the ball.

7. Athletics: Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech
Burress is coming off a .333/.469/.693 year with 19 homers and 10 steals as a sophomore at Georgia Tech. It's an advanced bat with more thump than you'd expect from a 5-foot-9 hitter, giving off a little bit of a right-handed Sal Frelick vibe, but with more impact.

8. Marlins: Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
Peterson has been a part of the Gators' rotation for two years now and showed improvement from his freshman to his sophomore season. Expect another jump forward for the 6-foot-5 right-hander who has a fastball that sits 95-96 mph and touches 99. He also has the ability to miss bats with both a mid-80s slider and changeup, with an occasional slower curve for good measure.

9. Guardians: AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia
When coach Chris Pollard left Duke to take the helm at Virginia, Gracia went with him. He's a 6-foot-3 left-handed hitter who shook off a slow start to his sophomore season and finished with 15 homers after hitting 14 his freshman year. He doesn't swing-and-miss much (12.6 percent K rate in 2025) and draws plenty of walks, with a chance to be a fast-moving college bat.

10. Rockies: Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina
Anyone who saw Flukey go toe-to-toe with LSU's Kade Anderson in the College World Series put him on the 2026 first-round radar immediately. The 6-foot-6 righty throws a ton of strikes with a fastball up to 98 mph, a distinct upper-70s curve, a low-80s slider and some feel for a mid-80s changeup.

11. Nationals: Savion Sims, RHP, Edmond Santa Fe (Okla.) HS
There may not be anyone else in this class who throws harder than the 6-foot-8 Sims. He's already touched triple digits with his fastball and has the chance to have a very good slider. He does have a long arm stroke, but he's improved his ability to repeat his delivery and find the strike zone.

12. Diamondbacks: Tyler Spangler, SS, De La Salle (Calif.) HS
A 6-foot-3 left-handed-hitting shortstop, Spangler has all the tools necessary to stick at short with plenty of arm strength, actions and instincts. He also has a knack for finding the barrel and making a ton of contact at the plate, with more impact to come.

13. Angels: Chris Hacopian, SS, Texas A&M
After two big years at Maryland (.347/.465/.614 and 29 home runs combined), Hacopian is taking his bat to Texas A&M for 2026. He can drive the ball everywhere with power, and while he might end up needing to move to third base, he has the run-producing power potential to profile well there.

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14. Rangers: Brady Harris, OF, Trinity Christian Academy (Fla.)
Harris hits everywhere he is, with a smooth right-handed swing and an ability to keep the barrel in the zone for a long time. He's a plus runner who should be able to stick in center field in the future.

15. Reds: Kevin Roberts, OF/RHP, Jackson Prep (Miss.) HS
A multisport athlete with a big 6-foot-5 frame, Roberts is primarily a hitter now, one with huge raw power from the right side of the plate and excellent athleticism. His easily plus arm works well from the outfield and pumps fastballs up into the mid-90s from the mound.

16. Rays: Gavin Grahovac, 3B, Texas A&M
After hitting 23 homers as a freshman, college baseball fans were excited for an encore in 2025, but left shoulder surgery limited him to just six games. He could come back with his right-handed power back with a vengeance in 2026.

17. Cardinals: Caden Bogenpohl, OF, Missouri State
Bogenpohl has hit 33 homers in his first two seasons at Missouri State, and he provides some of the loudest contact and highest exit velocities in the class. It comes with some swing-and-miss concerns (25.8 percent K rate over those two years), giving a bit of a Jace LaViolette vibe.

18. Giants: Cole Koeninger, SS/RHP, Keller (Texas) HS
Keep an eye on this guy because he could emerge from the summer showcase tour with a big up arrow next to his name. Big and strong with loud tools, he has solid right-handed power and is a plus runner as a hitter while showing off a mid-80s heater on the mound.

19. Mariners: Jackson Flora, RHP, Santa Barbara
After making a successful transition from the bullpen to the Gauchos' rotation this past spring, Flora could be ready to follow in 2025 first-rounder Tyler Bremner's footsteps with the ability to throw strikes with a fastball that flirts with triple digits and a low-80s slider that misses bats.

20. Red Sox: Joey Volchko, RHP, Transfer Portal
Those paying close attention to underclassmen in the scouting industry thought Volchko was primed to put himself in position to be a top 10-type pick, but he had a rough year at Stanford (6.01 ERA in 15 starts). He's now in the portal looking for a new college home, with the kind of stuff (fastball up to 99 mph and low-90s slider, for starters) that could have him moving up this board with a rebound season.