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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 14: 2026 prep class prospect Grady Emerson bats between rounds of the Home Run Derby at Truist Park on July 14, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the 2026 MLB Draft just hours away I thought now would be a good time to put out a full first round mock draft.. This mock draft is more about what I think will happen more than what I want/would like to see happen. With the Atlanta Braves having two first round picks and three Top 50 picks this year, this draft will be that much more interesting for Braves fans.
1.Chicago White Sox – Grady Emerson, SS, Texas HS
I’m feeling pretty good about this pick and believe the Sox actually prefer Emerson to Roch, not just about the money.
2.Tampa Bay – Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech
Tampa wants Emerson, but he’s not there. I believe they prefer Lackey to Roch here.
3.Minnesota – Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA
This is a tougher call because I think the Giants want to buy Roch down if he falls out of the first two picks, but the talent is too much to pass up.
4.San Francisco – Eric Booth Jr., OF, Mississippi HS
I know the Giants want Roch, and with him gone I think this becomes a Booth versus Flora decision for them.
5.Pittsburgh – Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
Pittsburgh wants a bat, but I’ve heard how much they like Flora and I think he’s their top guy on the board after those top three names come off.
6.Kansas City – Jacob Lombard, SS, Florida HS
KC loves toolsy guys with upside, and Lombard gives them that.
7.Baltimore – Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech
This is another connection that I’m buying into with the predraft talk.
8.A’s – Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas
This pick makes some sense because I’ve heard some talk of Bell and Hacopian having medicals that have scared some teams away.
9.Braves – Derek Curiel, OF, LSU
The Braves I feel good about going with a college bat. For a good chunk of the last 24 hours I’ve felt better about the chances it’s Curiel over Tyler Bell. Burress and Helfrick would very much have been in play had they been around.
10.Colorado – Cam Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina
I would have had them with Curiel, but with him gone Flukey is the name getting the most attention here.
11.Washington – Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M
This one seems like a college bat. I really thought about Justin Lebron here, but Hacopian made more sense.
12.Los Angeles Angels – Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
A tough pick because of a recent front office change. I’m going with Lebron over Liam Peterson here.
13.St. Louis – Trevor Condon, OF, Georgia HS
This one felt like prep versus college in Condon versus AJ Gracia.
14.Miami – Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky
Bell is a bit of a tough one to place because of the medicals, and I have him falling just a bit.
15.Arizona – Jared Grindlinger, LHP/OF, California HS
Arizona has been linked to Grindlinger for a bit now.
16.Texas – Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
This is another college versus prep debate with Peterson versus Gio Rojas. I think it’s a very close call, but I’m picking the prep arm to drop.
17.Houston – Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU
Houston has their choice of a number of college hitters here, and grab the best one available.
18.Cincinnati – Hunter Dietz, LHP, Arkansas
The Reds are mostly linked to arms at this point and Dietz is the best one of the remaining.
19.Cleveland – AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia
Cleveland gets a chance to take Gracia, who should hit for both average and power, and is a steal at this point.
20.Boston – Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State
A number of talented options are here, but I think Reese’s bat just makes sense for Boston.
21.San Diego – Gio Rojas, LHP, Florida HS
The Padres are going to likely take a prep, and they stop Rojas’ slide.
22.Detroit – Landon Thome, SS, Illinois HS
I don’t feel very confident here other than that I think this comes down to prep player versus college arm. They have been linked to Thome, and it
23.Chicago Cubs – Zion Rose, OF, Louisville
Rose has been rising over the past two months and I have a hard time dropping him out of the Top 25 right now.
24.Seattle – Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee
Seattle has been linked to Kuhns a bit and this pick almost seems to easy.
25.Milwaukee – Cole Prosek, SS, Mississippi HS
I have a very strong belief in the Brewers taking Prosek.
26.Braves – Cade Townsend, RHP, Mississippi
The Braves have been linked to Townsend for what seems like forever at this point, most of which came to him being tied to the 9th pick. His missing time and not quite looking the same has dropped his stock a little, but he is still a first rounder. I think it comes down to Townsend versus Logan Reddeman here.
27.New York Mets – Mason Edwards, LHP, USC
This feels like the floor for Edwards to me. He’s been very productive this year, but lacks the top velocity.
28.Houston – Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia
I was tempted to give them Logan Hughes, but after taking a college outfielder earlier in the first I think they switch it up here and take Jackson.
29.San Francisco – Tyler Spangler, SS, California HS
I think this pick comes down to Archer Horn versus Tyler Spangler, at least provided Roch doesn’t end up sliding to 4th and eating away at the Giants pool, as both of these two will be expensive local players.
30.Kansas City – Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M
Sorrell is a guy linked to KC that fits the toolsy profile they like.
31.Arizona – Taylor Rabe, RHP, Mississippi
This feels like close to a floor for Rabe.
32.St. Louis – Jack Slightom, RHP, Illinois HS
Slightom is a riser late and is likely to go in the back of the first. The Cards are one of the teams who have been linked to him.
33.Tampa Bay – Aiden Ruiz, SS, New York HS
Ruiz is also a guy likely to go in the first and the Rays are a team linked to him.
34.Chicago White Sox – Dominic Santarelli, 1B/OF, Wisconsin HS
This pick was just dealt in the last 24 hours. I think getting local product and son of a legend in Thome is the ideal pick, but he’s gone and they grab another guy they’ve been connected with.
35.New York Yankees – Bo Lowrance, 3B, South Carolina HS
Lowrance is another prep going somewhere in the first. This feels like his floor.
36.Philadelphia – Taj Marchand, SS, South Carolina HS
Marchand is a high probability first and the Phillies are one of the teams with a strong link.
37.Colorado – Aiden Robbins, OF, Texas
After going with a college arm before the Rockies take a college bat. This could also easily be a prep player with a college bat potentially going to the Rockies with pick 38 to start the second round.
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