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MLB Draft 2026 live updates: Start time, latest mock draft, predictions, news and analysis
Follow our live coverage as the first four rounds of the draft will welcome promising talents to the next stage.
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The Athletic Live Team
July 11, 2026 at 11:50 AM EDT
2026 MLB Draft
The 2026 MLB Draft begins today in Philadelphia with the first four rounds
Check out the complete list of picks here and our final mock draft here from Keith Law
- Start time: 1 p.m. ET
- Watch:NBC/Peacock, Fubo (try for free) for the first 10 picks, MLB Network for picks 11-40
- Get involved in the chat in the Discuss tabor email live@theathletic.com
A look back to 2025 MLB Draft
Before the new prospects hear their names called today, let’s quickly take a look back at the top 10 picks in the 2025 MLB Draft
- Eli Willits, SS, Nationals
- Tyler Bremner, RHP, Angels
- Kade Anderson, LHP, Mariners
- Ethan Holliday, SS, Rockies
- Liam Doyle, LHP, Cardinals
- Seth Hernandez, RHP, Pirates
- Aiva Arquette, SS, Marlins
- JoJo Parker, SS, Blue Jays
- Steele Hall, SS, Reds
- Billy Carlson, SS, White Sox
It’s worth noting that just three of these players, Anderson, Doyle and Arquette, have advanced to Double-A
Georgia Tech quartet gives program plenty to celebrate
With four Georgia Tech players in Keith Law’s Top 100 draft prospects, there’s bound to be a lot of celebrating in Atlanta come draft night
So who among Vahn Lackey, Drew Burress, Jarren Advinculaand Carson Kerceis footing the bill for the first dinner as pro players?
“It looks right now like it might be Vahn, but we’ll see,” Burress said
Cholowsky on pre-draft meetings
Top draft prospect Roch Cholowskysaid he met with three teams at the MLB combine a couple of weeks back:
- White Sox (No. 1 selection)
- Rays (No. 2)
- Giants (No. 4)
Why not the Twins (No. 3)?
💬 “I don’t know. I stay out of those talks. I just do whatever’s on my schedule. I don’t make those calls.”
What does that mean? Whose decision was it? The Twins? Cholowsky? Ultimately, it might mean nothing. The meeting could have happened beforehand or after. But as we approach the White Sox being on the clock, all we have is a few more minutes of speculation
2026 MLB All-Stars and the draft
Of the 65 players participating in the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night, 20 were selected in the first round of the MLB Draft, and 16 were taken in the first five rounds. More impressively, Travis Bazzana, Chase Burns and Nick Kurtz, who were all selected in the top five of the 2024 draft, have already earned their spot in the showcase
At the same time, this highlights the randomness of this process at times, as 29 players appearing in this iteration of the All-Star Game were not selected in the top five rounds of the draft or were international signings
Flora’s evolution into top pitching prospect in class
A lot can change in a year, and if there’s one prospect who is emblematic of that, it’s UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora
After posting a 3.20 ERA last season for the Gauchos in 13 games (11 starts), Flora came roaring back in 2026. He finished the season with a 1.06 ERA over 16 starts, striking out 133 batters against 32 walks
So what changed besides having a 70-grade changeup (out of the traditional 20-80 scouting scale)?
“I think I was just more of a polished pitcher,” Flora said at last month’s MLB Draft Combine. “Instead of just throwing the ball as hard as I could all the time and just spinning it. I think I learned a lot about pitching backwards, how to execute pitches, how to pitch to my strengths and the hitters’ weaknesses at the same time.”
Cardinals in control
The St. Louis Cardinals enter the All-Star break with a 48-44 record, which currently leaves the team on the outside looking in at the NL playoff picture
On the bright side for St. Louis, no team will make more picks on Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft than the Cardinals, slated to make seven selections today. The Houston Astros have six picks, and the Pittsburgh Pirates will each make five selections
Waechter savors his time at Tropicana Field with father
The son of former MLB right-hander Doug Waechter, Kaden Waechterdoesn’t quite remember his father as a big leaguer. The older Waechter’s career spanned six years, four of which were with the Tampa Bay Rays
But Waechter is old enough to have reaped the benefits of Doug’s career as a member of the Rays’ broadcast crew. More often than not, you can find Waechter at Tropicana Field
“Still to this day, I’m there once (or) twice a week, just taking everything in,” Waechter said at the MLB Draft Combine last month. “I’d say this offseason more than ever. I just wanted to make sure I was spending time with my parents, but being around them and being at the games. I’m there a lot.”
So, if he was too young to remember his dad in a big league uniform, when did it hit him that he’s pretty lucky?
“I’d say this last summer,” Waechter said. “Before I thought about it, but it really hit me. This is special (and) I need to take advantage of this.”
Fun fact about No. 1 overall picks
Did you know that just four No. 1 overall picks have ever been inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame, and prior to 2016, none had accomplished this immortalizing feat?
It sounds wild, but it’s true. Who are those four players, you may ask?
Ken Griffey Jr. (2016), Chipper Jones (2018), Harold Baines (2019) and Joe Mauer (2024)
Where will Reddemann land on Day 1?
Whereas most top prospects invited to MLB’s Draft Combine only participate in medicals and team interviews, UCLA ace Logan Reddemannmade the rare decision to throw off the mound in front of scouts at the June event
Early in the season, Reddemann was trending towards being a top-10 pick in this year’s draft, but he was shut down with “arm fatigue” in April and missed the rest of the Bruins’ season. There had been talk that Reddemann would be available to pitch in the NCAA postseason had the Bruins advanced past Regionals, but they were upset by Saint Mary’s
With no live games available for him to prove he was healthy, Reddemann was adamant about participating in on-field drills at the combine last month
“I feel like it’s really important to do that,” Reddemann said. “Obviously, it’s not gonna look how it would be if it was hitters in the box and whatnot, or in a game against USC or something like that
“Just to get out there and kind of put yourself out in front of everyone to kind of show we (have) nothing to hide. (I) think that’s kind of the main thing.”
Seeing his draft stock plummet as the season went on was frustrating, and Reddemann wanted to show that very little had changed between the beginning of the season and the end, specifically with his stuff. He finished his season with a 2.87 ERA and an 87:11 K:BB in 59 ⅔ innings in 10 starts before the arm issues popped up
“I truly believe that I’m that guy that was throwing very well back earlier in the season in April, and it’s just kind of showing that I’m still that guy,” Reddemann said
In a draft year light on elite college starting pitching, where Reddemann goes in the draft will be one of the most interesting storylines on Day 1
A historic pay day
As you might expect, the top pick in the 2026 draft carries the highest slot value in MLB history at a whopping $11,350,060. This does not mean that this is the amount the top pick will get but it is the maximum he will be able to sign for
Here are the last four years of top picks, their slot value and the sum they signed for:
2025: Eli Willits
- Slot value: $11,075,900
- Signed for: $8,200,000
2024: Travis Bazzana
- Slot value: $10,570,600
- Signed for: $8,950,000
2023: Paul Skenes
- Slot value: $9,721,000
- Signed for: $9,200,000
2022: Jackson Holiday
- Slot value: $9,050,000
- Signed for: $8,190,000
Cholowsky has baseball bloodlines
While the last name Cholowsky is relatively unknown to most baseball fans, it’s a known commodity within the baseball community. Roch Cholowsky’s father, Dan, was a first-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1991. He played eight years in the minor leagues before becoming a professional scout. He’s currently a scout for the Cincinnati Reds. Dan is also a member of the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame
Even still, Cholowsky was not pressured into baseball. The consensus top prospect in this year’s draft class took up the sport on his own
“They were super hands off growing up,” Cholowsky said of his parents while at the MLB Draft Combine last month. “I was able to play whatever I wanted, whether it was football, basketball or baseball, and then the decision came to me on what I wanted to do. They had never pushed anything on me, any decision. They really left everything up to me growing up.”
Cholowsky said he believed playing multiple sports growing up aided him in his baseball career
“(It helps with) the competitive side of things, and also with everything being an athlete,” Cholowsky said. “There’s a lot of things that you can work on in football and basketball that helps with baseball, and then just competing in different environments, I think helps, too.”
Bumila offers tantalizing talents
As a 6-foot-9 lefty pitcher, Brody Bumila is not the typical prospect. The 54th-ranked prospect in Keith Law’s top 100 prospects, Bumila throws a 102-mph fastball and brings athleticism from his basketball career to the mound
He is also seeking to become the third Massachusetts-born lefty to sign out of high school and reach the majors
Our Jen McCaffreyshares more about this can’t-miss prospect and how he established himself as a powerful pitcher in a less accomplished baseball state
GO FURTHER
Towering lefty Brody Bumila looking to make Massachusetts history in the MLB Draft
Some late rumors
Draft morning rumors!
- The Giants are more likely to take Eric Boothor a college player at No. 4 than Jacob Lombard. Lombard’s floor isn’t clear right now, and he may slide into the teens due to concerns over his contact rate. If Booth goes at No. 4, I’d change the A’s pick to either Drew Burress or Ryder Helfrick, depending on who’s available. It could put Lombard in play at No. 14 for the Marlins, as I don’t think he has a market between No. 7 and that pick.
- A late rumor had the Cubs on Vermont high school right-hander KaidenMcCarthy, especially if Zion Roseis gone. I find it a little hard to believe a team that has been allergic to high school pitching might take a 6-foot prep righty in the first round, but it’s that kind of year.
- Friday night’s trade that sent the 34th pick to the White Sox for Jacob Gonzalezprobably doesn’t change anything in the top 5, but does open the White Sox to grab an over-slot high school player who might not have made it to their second-round pick, while also giving them substantially more pool money to play with. I’ve linked them to Landon Thome, but they have far more options than just him and will have their pick of most of the high school pitching in the class given how the first round seems likely to shake out.
Gauff next in his family for stardom
Catching prospect Codey Gauff is ready to make the jump to the professional level, just like his older sister in the tennis world. Coco Gauff is well-established as a two-time Grand Slam winner, and Codey is aiming to carve out his own legacy
💬 “At the end of the day, I’m myself. I want to keep doing my name for myself. She’s worldwide, so obviously people are going to ask. I’m not ashamed of it or anything. If anything, it’s just being the next up in the family.”
Read more about Gauff’s journey and pro potential in this feature from Sam Blum
GO FURTHER
Coco Gauff’s brother is blazing his own path to glory as MLB Draft nears
White Sox add Day 1 pick in trade
Because the MLB Draft isn’t complicated enough, the Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates threw a late wrinkle into today’s event with a late-night trade on Fridaythat sent the No. 34 pick in the draft from Pittsburgh to Chicago, along with minor-league left-hander JadenWoods. In exchange, the Pirates received 2023 first-round pick Jacob Gonzalez, who appeared in 30 games for the White Sox while Munetaka Murakami was on the injured list
For our draft purposes, this trade is interesting because it not only gives the White Sox an extra pick in the Competitive Balance Round A portion of the draft, but it also bumps their bonus pool to the top of the heap. They now have $20,489,500 to play with, as well as five total picks on Day 1 of the draft
The White Sox, of course, have the first pick, and they will control how the top of the draft unfolds when they decide who to take at No. 1, a choice that is most likely between Grady Emerson, Roch Cholowskyand Vahn Lackey. But with that extra pick and that extra money, could they be targeting a high-upside high school player at 34? Might Landon Thome, son of Hall of Famer Jim Thome (and a beloved former Sox slugger), be their focus?
Also, fun fact, but the Pirates almost had all the Jacob Gonzalezes in their organization. The 2017 second-round pick version of Jacob Gonzalez (who is also the son of World Series hero Luis Gonzalez) played in the Pirates organization in 2022 and 2023 but retired after the 2023 season. — Melissa Lockard”
GO FURTHER
How the White Sox’s Jacob Gonzalez went from first-round bust to potential star
Fennell’s competitiveness drives pitching dominance
What Vanderbilt pitcher Connor Fennelllacks in velocity, he more than makes up for in command and competitiveness
Fennell broke out as one of the best pitchers in the SEC in 2025 with a 2.53 ERA and a staggering 40.8 percent strikeout rate. His 2026 season was a bit rockier, but he has the potential to be selected in the draft’s middle rounds
Check out this feature from Mitch Lighton Fennell’s rise to prominence at Vanderbilt
Family affair for Willits
A year after Eli Willits soared to the top of draft boards and was selected first overall by the Washington Nationals, his older brother is ready for his turn to hear his name called
Jaxon Willits is coming off a prolific three-year career at shortstop with the Oklahoma Sooners and could be selected in the first five rounds of the 2026 MLB Draft
Read more about Willits’ career and the support of his accomplished baseball familyin this feature from Melissa Lockard
GO FURTHER
Jaxon Willits helped his brother go No. 1. Now the OU star is ready for his draft day
How did Class of 2023 prospects fare in college ranks?
The decision to go straight to the MLB or stay in college can be an agonizing one for players and coaches alike
The Class of 2023 boasted some terrific talents who chose the college route, but they did not share the same outcomes in their careers
Our Mitch Lightlooks at how Class of 2023 prospects, including Keith Law’s top prospect, Roch Cholowsky, performed in college
GO FURTHER
How Roch Cholowsky, Drew Burress and the top Class of 2023 baseball recruits fared in college
Keep an eye on these All-America catchers
Daniel Jacksonand Vahn Lackey rose from relative obscurity in Georgia high school baseball to All-America selections at the state’s premier college athletic programs
Lackey ranks No. 2 in Keith Law’s prospect rankings, and Jackson comes in at No. 52
Read more about the journeys of Jackson and Lackey in this feature by Teddy Cahill
GO FURTHER
Daniel Jackson’s and Vahn Lackey’s paths from overlooked recruits to All-America catchers
