Kiley Mock. 50/50 Roch/Grady? Sharing the top 10.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48742802/2026-mlb-mock-draft-10-kiley-mcdaniel-first-pick-chicago-white-sox

1. Chicago White Sox

Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA

I can already feel White Sox fans tensing up, because projecting this pick has only become more complicated since my last projection about a month ago. The industry buzz is that Cholowsky vs. Grady Emerson is edging closer to a true 50/50 internally for Chicago. I still think Cholowsky wins a toss-up and because of that, he's probably 55% or 60% more likely to be the pick.

Emerson is perceived by other teams as having slightly higher upside and would come with some savings (to be spent on later picks) compared to Cholowsky, with the pro-Cholowsky camp arguing that he'll be a big league shortstop in 12 months and there's less variance/risk in his overall projection.

The other complication here is the competition from below. The Giants have been rumored all spring to be aggressively trying to land Cholowsky or Emerson at No. 4 via an overslot bonus. They just traded Patrick Bailey to Cleveland in a deal that included getting the 29th pick, which comes with just under $3.3 million more pool money.

The industry chatter is that the Giants are both looking at prep lefties with the recently acquired pick and wanted more pool space to hopefully affect the top of the draft. Can the Giants offer enough money to embolden Cholowsky or Emerson to put their foot down on a price that would cause other teams to pass on one or both? Unlikely, but this scenario now has to be considered. It was a different regime, but this strategy is similar to how the Giants landed their current team president Buster Posey in the 2008 draft.

2. Tampa Bay Rays

Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian HS (TX)

I would expect Emerson, Cholowsky or possibly Vahn Lackey to be the pick here. I don't think Lackey would offer enough of a discount (because he likely goes third) to be a real threat to be the pick here, but he is the alternative.

3. Minnesota Twins

Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech

There is a pretty solid industry consensus that Lackey is the clear third-best player behind the clear top two. Minnesota is in a great spot and should just take whichever of these three lands here. There's no indication that bonus demand would affect the Twins' pick, which is why the Giants' gambit seems unlikely to work.

4. San Francisco Giants

Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep HS (FL)

Lombard is the hot name here, with Jackson Flora and Eric Booth Jr. the likely alternatives. The Giants seem to be setting a new course in the draft, leaning hard into upside and high school players: Lombard checks both boxes.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates

Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara

Lombard, Booth Jr. and Flora are the most rumored names here, and they should all go by the seventh pick. There has been a bit of buzz that Pittsburgh's competitive window opening will move the Pirates toward the potential quick-moving college player from that group rather than trying another moonshot with a prep hitter who needs some refinement.

6. Kansas City Royals

Eric Booth Jr., CF, Oak Grove HS (MS)

This series of events would lead K.C. to the player who might have the highest upside in the entire draft class, but Booth will need some offensive refinement to tap into that 30/30 upside. There's some buzz that the prep lefty pitcher group will get some attention here on a bonus deal.

7. Baltimore Orioles

Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas

Helfrick's contact rate has improved dramatically this season, filling in the main hole in his profile entering the spring. He and Drew Burress both fit Baltimore's drafting style, if Lombard and Booth Jr. are off the board. Alabama SS Justin Lebron seems to be falling, but also fits Baltimore's draft history

8. Athletics

Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M

There is some variance in the industry about Hapocian's upside and he could be selected up to a dozen picks after this if things don't fall his way.

The A's have been scouting Booth Jr. as well, but I don't think he gets this far and Burress and Cameron Flukey could also fit here.

9. Atlanta Braves

Drew Burress, CF, Georgia Tech

The Braves tried to sign local product Burress out of high school three years ago and now opinions on him are mixed enough (will he make enough contact and will he play center field long term?) that they'll get a solid chance to land him at this pick.

Hacopian and Jared Grindlinger both make some sense here, too. I think the underslot option here would be someone from the best of the prep lefties, all mocked below.

10. Colorado Rockies

Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina

This is the first pick for Colorado's new regime, and the industry thinks they'll play it relatively safe with an accomplished collegiate, then look to the prep pitcher demographic (probably a lefty) at one of their next picks.

Flukey just returned from a rib injury, so he could still move a bit in either direction. The college position players that went just before this pick all could fit here if any slide, too.

Edited 17 hours ago17 hr by DirtySox

“It was a different regime, but this strategy is similar to how the Giants landed their current team president Buster Posey in the 2008 draft.“

Yeah, it was also completely different draft rules.

UCLA on Big Ten Network tonight, Friday, and Saturday.

Keith Law has posted his top 100. We are two months out. Will post the top 15, including the notes on White Sox relevant players. Will also share some writeups/rankings of players we've talked about with the White Sox, and some players that interest me if they make it to 41.

Some thoughts as well. Keith Law seems much higher on Becker than others. Has him 6th versus 33rd at BA. Similar situation with Tyler Bell who he even has in front of Grady. He has Lombard all the way down at 17. Fearful of that hit tool.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7271408/2026/05/14/mlb-draft-2026-top-100-prospects-roch-cholowsky/

1 Roch Cholowsky SS UCLA

Cholowsky has been a prospect for some time, as his dad is the Reds’ area scout for the Four Corners, and Cholowsky was No. 23 on my draft board in 2023 when he was a senior in high school. So it’s hardly surprising that he’s become the consensus top prospect in this year’s class, even if the field has gotten closer to him as this spring has progressed. He’s a plus defender at shortstop with a plus arm, showing good instincts and a solid first step to make up for below-average foot speed. He had an outstanding sophomore year for the Bruins, hitting .353/.480/.710 with a hard-hit rate of 60 percent and strikeout rate below 10 percent, though his junior year has been just slightly below that across the board. He has plus power with an average to slightly above-average hit tool. He’s wrecked Big Ten pitching, but hasn’t seen a lot of premium velocity, and in a limited sample, hasn’t done much with it. Barring injury, I don’t see a world where he’s not at least an everyday MLB shortstop who hits 15-20 homers — his ceiling is 25-30 homers with a high OBP — and he'll play plus defense in any scenario. One bit of Roch trivia: He struck out looking only three times as a sophomore, but was already at six through May 5.

2 Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech

Lackey’s surge at the plate in his draft year has lifted him from late first-round territory to the uppermost echelon, thanks to offseason work on his swing to help him get the ball off the ground and further in the air. He was hitting .371/.491/.682 through May 5, ranking in the top 5 percent of all Division 1 hitters in OBP and slugging, third among catchers playing in major conferences. He’s extremely athletic with 55 speed and outstanding agility, getting up out of the crouch quickly on blocks or weak groundballs, with an 80 arm that just needs to be more consistent. He’s an excellent hitter for contact, with a 15 percent whiff rate this year, but he doesn’t have the raw power that Roch Cholowsky offers. I think the two are very close as prospects, with Lackey’s appeal in his ability to stay behind the plate and add value at such a scarce position, while Cholowsky has more power upside.

3 Jackson Flora RHP UC Santa Barbara

Flora has been the most dominant starter in Division 1 this year, stepping in for 2025 No. 2 pick Tyler Bremner as the Gauchos’ Friday night starter. Flora’s been 96-98, up to 100, with a 70 changeup and solid-average slider, and through 13 starts, he’s posted a 1.15 ERA with a 32.5 percent strikeout rate and 8.8 percent walk rate across 78 1/3 innings.

4 Tyler Bell SS Kentucky

Bell has been playing all year with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder he suffered in the season’s opening game. He missed just three weeks with the injury, and he hasn’t stopped hitting since. Through May 9, he’s hitting .368/.550/.613 with more walks than strikeouts; his OBP would lead all major-conference hitters if he qualified. He’s likely to stick at shortstop in pro ball, although he might require surgery on the shoulder and probably won’t play pro ball until next year.

5 Grady Emerson SS Fort Worth Christian (North Richland Hills, Texas)

Emerson is the consensus top high school player in the class, having hit well against the best pitching on the showcase circuit last year. He’s a high-contact hitter with fringe-average power, projecting to maybe above-average power at his peak. He shows good instincts and hands at short and should stick there despite being a below-average runner.

6 Eric Becker SS Virginia

7 Drew Burress OF Georgia Tech

8 Liam Peterson RHP Florida

9 Eric Booth Jr. OF Oak Grove HS (Hattiesburg, Miss.)

10 Derek Curiel OF LSU

11 Cade Townsend RHP Mississippi

12 Jared Grindlinger LHP, OF Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS

13 Hunter Dietz LHP Arkansas

14 Justin Lebron SS Alabama

Lebron looks like he should be the No. 1 pick, easily; 20 or 30 years ago, he probably goes there, with that era’s emphasis on tools but also vibes, the good face, all those assets that were parodied badly in Moneyball but also led to results like Mike Kelly and Corey Patterson going among the top three picks. Lebron is very athletic and twitchy, with excellent actions at shortstop and obvious bat speed at the plate. He hit .316/.421/.636 last year with 18 homers for Alabama, but struck out 68 times while posting a 30 percent whiff rate that even his proponents knew had to improve. He came out hot to start 2026, but in SEC play, the contact issues have come back; through May 9, he was hitting .235/.330/.398 in conference play with a 28 percent whiff rate that shoots up to 49 percent on sliders. He’s an easy plus defender at short and an above-average runner, with power. He has the tools to be a star, if he ever hits enough to get to it.

15 Logan Reddemann RHP UCLA

17 Jacob Lombard SS Gulliver Prep (Pinecrest, Fla.)

The younger brother of top Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr., Jacob has been on the showcase circuit since he was in junior high, and he has some of the best pure tools in the draft class, college or high school. He’s a 70 runner with plus power, working with a quick, direct swing that is geared to pull the ball in the air. He also whiffed 39 percent of the time at tracked events in 2025, getting destroyed by sliders, but even struggling with better velocity when he saw it. He’s a long-term shortstop, really just lacking the pure arm strength of the typical player there in the majors. He has the swing, strength, speed and athleticism to be a superstar, but can he hit enough to even be a regular?

24 Zion Rose OF Louisville

Rose missed a month earlier in the season with a hamstring injury, but in 31 games (about half the season), he’s hitting .408/.493/.650 against a slate that’s skewed towards ACC competition. A catcher in high school, he has almost exclusively played left field in college, but he has some speed and could try to shift to center in pro ball.

32 Landon Thome SS Nazareth Academy (La Grange Park, Ill.)

Yep, that’s Jim Thome’s kid, and yep, he’s a shortstop. Landon looks like his dad in the face, but he’s leaner and quicker, so if you’re envisioning Jim’s hulking frame trying to race back into the hole to stop a grounder from getting through, it’s OK, I promise, it’s not like that. Landon isn’t going to stick at short, probably moving to third base. As a hitter, he’s pretty upright and is clearly looking to lift the ball, potentially growing into 25-homer power. It helped that he was on Jaden Fauske’s team last year, as Fauske was heavily scouted and ended up drafted in the comp round. Thome’s committed to Florida State.

44 Brody Bumila LHP Bishop Feehan HS (Attleboro, Mass.)

Bumila has been up to 102 mph this spring from a low slot, with good extension from his 6-foot-9 frame, giving the pitch plus life up in the zone. His secondary stuff isn’t as advanced, with a slider and changeup as both works in progress. He has already had one elbow surgery, getting an internal brace on his UCL in 2025. He’s committed to Texas.

52 Blake Bryant RHP Citizens Christian Academy (Douglas, Ga.)

Bryant really looks the part of a future No. 2 starter, with a low 90s fastball, a plus slider that has very late, sharp break and a changeup where he shows good arm action without much feel yet. He’s extremely projectable and generally around the plate by high school standards. He’s committed to Clemson.

54 Joseph Contreras RHP Blessed Trinity HS (Roswell, Ga.)

The son of longtime big leaguer José Contreras, Joseph pitched briefly for Team Brazil in this year’s World Baseball Classic, two months before his 18th birthday. Like his dad, he throws every pitch in the book, with a four- and two-seamer, splitter, slider and cutter, getting up to 97 on the four-seamer. The splitter is plus and it’s going to miss bats right away in pro ball, but he’s going to have to throw more strikes, especially with the heaters, to get to the splitter. He’s still projectable, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he touched 100 at some point, but I’d rather see him get to a delivery he can repeat and maybe simplify the arsenal for now until he throws more strikes. You can squint and see No. 3 starter upside, with high risk. He’s committed to Vanderbilt.

61 Tyler Spangler SS De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)

Spangler is a polished hitter who doesn’t whiff much, despite some length to his swing, with a ton of projection to his 6-foot-3 frame that could point to future power. He’s a solid defender at shortstop with fringy speed, and he might outgrow the position and move to third. He’s been out all spring with an undisclosed injury, so at this point, he’s probably going to Stanford.

62 Will Gasparino OF UCLA

Gasparino has some of the biggest raw power in the draft. He started out very strong to begin 2025, but as the season has progressed, the same contact and plate discipline issues he had in two years at Texas have cropped up again. He has 80 raw power, with peak exit velocities in the mid-110s, and he’s already at a career-best 19 homers with a couple of weeks left to play. His swing is consistent with excellent loft to drive the ball out to left-center, and he’s strong enough to hit it out without completely squaring it up. He’s expanding the zone too often, and with two strikes is chasing pitches out of the zone 51 percent of the time (41 percent on pitches well out of the zone). He’s played a very capable center field for the Bruins and could very well stick there. Is he a right-handed Joey Gallo? I’d like to think there’s a little more hit tool here than Gallo ultimately showed, but there’s clearly downside risk given his whiff and chase issues in the Big Ten.

“Barring injury, I don’t see a world where he’s not at least an everyday MLB shortstop who hits 15-20 homers — his ceiling is 25-30 homers with a high OBP — and he'll play plus defense in any scenario.”

Hope he’s closer to that NCAA star than Brooks Baldwin power numbers with the wooden bat.

Without the presence of Teel, you’d almost have to take Lackey based on his much louder tools.

Then you start thinking to yourself…couldn’t Teel just be the LF solution, lol, with Braden/Carlson in center or right, and Bonemer … DH LF 1B 3B 2B?

I think Lackey would be the guy to go to OF, with 55 speed and a cannon.

11 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

“Barring injury, I don’t see a world where he’s not at least an everyday MLB shortstop who hits 15-20 homers — his ceiling is 25-30 homers with a high OBP — and he'll play plus defense in any scenario.”

Hope he’s closer to that NCAA star than Brooks Baldwin power numbers with the wooden bat.

Without the presence of Teel, you’d almost have to take Lackey based on his much louder tools.

Then you start thinking to yourself…couldn’t Teel just be the LF solution, lol, with Braden/Carlson in center or right, and Bonemer … DH LF 1B 3B 2B?

I actually adore Lackey. I think he might end up being the best player in the class. With his athleticism and arm I wonder if there's a world where he plays a fine CF? Though that's a tough ask when he would provide so much value at catcher. Why even begin to mess with what looks like a slam dunk in that regard.

Edited 15 hours ago15 hr by DirtySox

16 minutes ago, DirtySox said:

I actually adore Lackey. I think he might end up being the best player in the class. With his athleticism and arm I wonder if there's a world where he plays a fine CF? Though that's a tough ask when he would provide so much value at catcher. Why even begin to mess with what looks like a slam dunk in that regard.

The 55 runner is 45-50 after about five years catching.

Look at what happened to Joe Mauer the second half of his career.

Daulton Varsho athlete except with 30-40 home run power and a .285ish average...sounds like a sound Lackey comp.

Also, Cholowsky definitely wouldn't be able to easily convert to CF like a Jackson Merrill or even Billy Carlson.

Colton is a top 5 guy now at SS...so:

Don't you still take BPA if it's an NCAA/advanced bat???

Lombard hit tool is just coming under way too much scrutiny.

Eric Booth, the other polarizing athlete who could go 5/6 or slip down to 10-12.

Is Roch Cholowsky even capable of being better than CJ Abrams is right now, for example?

1-1 should be a dynamic/star talent...

What value does Roch fall to with a position change to 3B or 2B?

Edited 15 hours ago15 hr by caulfield12

17 hours ago, Lukakke Appling said:

What teams have picks to trade?

Giants, Rays, Diamondbacks, Cards, Orioles, Rockies, Royals, Pirates?

14 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

He's closer to DFA than a draft pick trade.

The only picks that can be traded are: 30. Royals, 31. DBacks, 32. Cardinals, 34. Pirates, 37. Rockies, 69. Tigers, 70. Reds, 71. Marlins, 73. A's and 74 Twins.

Quero is super young with options. DFA talk is nuts.

I think the fact that Roch is constantly #1 on every list whereas #2 keeps rotating is the best argument for him.

32 minutes ago, Quin said:

I think the fact that Roch is constantly #1 on every list whereas #2 keeps rotating is the best argument for him.

Also saving money seems way over rated by the media. There's a lot of variables involved trying to get cute. Controlling 1,1 means taking the best player imo, not trying to grab a guy at 32 or something that should have gone at 23. Who really cares if you miss on the first pick that you got "value" in the following rounds.

1 hour ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

The only picks that can be traded are: 30. Royals, 31. DBacks, 32. Cardinals, 34. Pirates, 37. Rockies, 69. Tigers, 70. Reds, 71. Marlins, 73. A's and 74 Twins.

Quero is super young with options. DFA talk is nuts.

What about Jacob Gonzalez for one of those comp picks? He is raking in Charlotte but there is nowhere to put him unless he can play outfield.

2 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

“Barring injury, I don’t see a world where he’s not at least an everyday MLB shortstop who hits 15-20 homers — his ceiling is 25-30 homers with a high OBP — and he'll play plus defense in any scenario.”

Hope he’s closer to that NCAA star than Brooks Baldwin power numbers with the wooden bat.

Without the presence of Teel, you’d almost have to take Lackey based on his much louder tools.

Then you start thinking to yourself…couldn’t Teel just be the LF solution, lol, with Braden/Carlson in center or right, and Bonemer … DH LF 1B 3B 2B?

They are taking one of the shortstops. I think the fundamental question is how much higher do you see the prep SS's ceiling vs. Roch. Reality is both are elite prospects and we would be happy to have either of them.

3 hours ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

The only picks that can be traded are: 30. Royals, 31. DBacks, 32. Cardinals, 34. Pirates, 37. Rockies, 69. Tigers, 70. Reds, 71. Marlins, 73. A's and 74 Twins.

Quero is super young with options. DFA talk is nuts.

Do we really even have anything someone would trade a pick for - that would be available? I'd think not.

52 minutes ago, Squirmin' for Yermin said:

Do we really even have anything someone would trade a pick for - that would be available? I'd think not.

I don't think so either.

1 minute ago, Autumn Dreamin said:

Said it here last week, but I'm not going to be mad with whoever they choose 1.1

53 minutes ago, Autumn Dreamin said:

Been my guy for a while. I still believe he'll be the best player in this draft.

5 minutes ago, SoxAce said:

Been my guy for a while. I still believe he'll be the best player in this draft.

To stay at SS or move to where?

He definitely has one of the prettiest swings.