Major League Baseball’s 2026 draft opens Saturday and Sunday in Philadelphia as part of the All-Star Game festivities hosted by the Philadelphia Phillies, and teams will face key decisions as Round 1 begins, according to the report.
Chicago (No. 1, $17,592,100 bonus pool) faces a muddled top choice. What appeared to be a clear call for college shortstop Roch Cholowsky over high school shortstop Grady Emerson has been complicated by the rise of Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey, with some scouts also mentioning college pitcher Jackson Flora and high school shortstop Jacob Lombard as plausible top options. A quick text poll of scouts from outside the top 10 found most treating the decision as a virtual three-way coin flip, and none of those scouts had identical boards, according to the report. The writer added that White Sox fans likely will debate the decision for years.
Tampa Bay (No. 2, $19,009,300) faces a question of emphasis: whether its choice will signal a preference for upside, signing price or proximity to the majors. College players Lackey and Cholowsky are projected to reach the big leagues quicker, while Emerson would take longer; some scouts view Emerson as having a higher ceiling, while others do not see much separation. The report also notes that the signing cost for any of the three likely would not vary dramatically at No. 2 because an unselected player would be expected to go third.
Minnesota (No. 3, $16,929,600) faces a decision reminiscent of its 2023 No. 5 pick. In that case, the Twins took the best player available and offered full slot value but no extra money. With this draft widely viewed as a three-player affair, the most likely path, according to the report, is to take whoever is available at No. 3 and award the third-highest bonus after the first two sign.
San Francisco (No. 4, $17,350,600) has reportedly been trying to land either Emerson or Cholowsky at its pick. The club has been linked in buzz to both names for months, and when the draft previously seemed to have Cholowsky and Emerson as clear top options, that pursuit appeared logical, according to the report.
