2026 MLB draft tracker live updates: Picks and analysis

The 2026 MLB draft has begun, with the Chicago White Sox taking UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky with the first overall pick. With the second pick, the Tampa Bay Rays selected .

What will the Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates do as they follow Chicago and Tampa Bay in the top five? And who will be the biggest steals — and stretches — of Day 1?

Follow along for pick-by-pick coverage, with ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield and Dan Mullen breaking down everything you need to know about who your favorite team took in the first round as the picks come off the board.

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Day 1 results, analysis

Draft ranking: 1

Who is Cholowsky? The consensus top prospect heading into the 2026 season, Cholowsky more or less maintained that position even though his numbers were down slightly from his sophomore season with the Bruins (from a 1.190 OPS to 1.088). A 6-foot-2 right-handed batter, Cholowsky has plus tools across the board other than his speed and was regarded by some as the best college shortstop since Troy Tulowitzki. With his defense, raw power and good approach at the plate, he should move quickly to the majors, with his on-base skills amplified by a Craig Biggio-like ability to get hit by pitches (25 times this season in 299 plate appearances).

Why the White Sox took him here: Cholowsky has been the wire-to-wire top prospect in this class and, despite late buzz about Grady Emerson and Vahn Lackey closing the cap, Chicago took the consensus No. 1 player on the board. While the knock is he might not have the superstar upside teams expect at the top of the draft, Cholowsky comes with a high floor and an All-Star ceiling with the bonus of being a potentially fast-mover for a surprise contender suddenly focused on now as much as the future. — Mullen

2. Tampa Bay Rays: Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian HS (Texas)

Draft ranking: 2

Who is Emerson? Emerson emerged as the top high school position player, jockeying with Cholowsky for the top slot on draft boards. A left-handed batter, Emerson was the Gatorade National Player of the Year, playing his senior season under former Rangers outfielder Rusty Greer, who also helped mentor Bobby Witt Jr. in high school. Emerson may not have Witt’s loud tools (who does?), but he’s a skilled hitter with projectable power and is viewed as a lock to stick at shortstop. Compared to other top high school shortstops in recent drafts – Eli Willits, Ethan Holliday, Konnor Griffin, Bryce Rainer – Emerson rates higher, although that doesn’t guarantee he’s going to explode like Griffin did.

Why the Rays took him here: Many scouts view Emerson as the top player in the draft, and while teams don’t draft for positional need, it’s convenient that Emerson fits a need for Tampa Bay. Carson Williams was supposed to be the shortstop of the present and future for the Rays, but he continues to struggle with strikeouts. The Rays also don’t shy away from high school players, with their top two prospects, Theo Gillen and Nathan Flewelling, coming out of high school in the 2024 draft, and Daniel Pierce, last year’s first-round pick, also a high school selection. — Schoenfield

First round

3. Minnesota Twins
4. San Francisco Giants
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Kansas City Royals
7. Baltimore Orioles
8. Athletics
9. Atlanta Braves
10. Colorado Rockies
11. Washington Nationals
12. Los Angeles Angels
13. St. Louis Cardinals
14. Miami Marlins
15. Arizona Diamondbacks
16. Texas Rangers
17. Houston Astros
18. Cincinnati Reds
19. Cleveland Guardians
20. Boston Red Sox
21. San Diego Padres
22. Detroit Tigers
23. Chicago Cubs
24. Seattle Mariners
25. Milwaukee Brewers

Note: The Mets, Blue Jays, Yankees, Phillies and Dodgers all received a 10-pick penalty on their first pick for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of MLB’s competitive balance tax.

Prospect Promotion Incentive picks

26. Atlanta Braves (For Drake Baldwin NL ROY win)
27. New York Mets (10-pick CBT penalty)
28. Houston Astros (For Hunter Brown top-three Cy Young finish)

Competitive Balance Round A

29. San Francisco Giants (Acquired from CLE)
30. Kansas City Royals
31. Arizona Diamondbacks
32. St. Louis Cardinals
33. Tampa Bay Rays (Acquired from BAL)
34. Chicago White Sox (Acquired from PIT)
35. New York Yankees (10-pick CBT penalty)
36. Philadelphia Phillies (10-pick CBT penalty)
37. Colorado Rockies

Second round

38. Colorado Rockies
39. Toronto Blue Jays (10-pick CBT penalty)
40. Los Angeles Dodgers (10-pick CBT penalty)
41. Chicago White Sox
42. Washington Nationals
43. Minnesota Twins
44. Pittsburgh Pirates
45. Los Angeles Angels
46. Baltimore Orioles
47. Athletics
48. Atlanta Braves
49. Tampa Bay Rays
50. St. Louis Cardinals
51. Pittsburgh Pirates
52. Miami Marlins
53. Arizona Diamondbacks
54. Texas Rangers
55. San Francisco Giants
56. Kansas City Royals
57. Houston Astros
58. Cincinnati Reds
59. Cleveland Guardians
60. San Diego Padres
61. Detroit Tigers
62. Chicago Cubs
63. New York Yankees
64. Philadelphia Phillies
65. Seattle Mariners
66. Milwaukee Brewers