2026 MLB mock draft: Who every team SHOULD take wi...
Key takeaways
- I also am in the process of updating my rankings, so call this a soft launch of some bigger moves in those rankings.
- This isn't as easy a call as you might think with a pretty clear top tier of Cholowsky, Grady Emerson and Vahn Lackey in this class.
- With the White Sox contending right now and running a lower payroll, the lean is toward college players, so that gets us to Cholowsky and Lackey.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
How high should UC Santa Barbara ace Jackson Flora go in the MLB draft? Let's play GM for all 30 teams. David Buono/Icon Sportswire Kiley Mc Daniel Jun 18, 2026, 07:00 AM ETClose ESPN MLB Insider Kiley Mc Daniel covers MLB prospects, the MLB Draft and more, including trades and free agency. Has worked for three MLB teams. Co-author of Author of 'Future Value' Follow on XMultiple Authors Email Print Open Extended Reactions In our previous MLB mock drafts, we've focused on who teams are most likely to take with each pick -- mixing industry intel with what their draft history tells about preferences -- but now it's time for something a little different: a mock looking at who each team should take come July 11.
The idea here is to pick who I would pick if I were in charge based on how I rank this year's prospects, though because so many of these situations are coin flips between a small group of similar players, the tiebreaker goes to the kinds of players this team has taken in the past, who they've been able to develop/improve or who fits their current competitive situation (record, payroll, etc.).
For example, if a decision came down to a raw high school player or polished college player of similar value for a lower-payroll team that's a current contender, the team is going with the college player who likely arrives in the majors sooner.