FWIW, Josh Nelson over at Sox Machine is suggesting the latest into has us drafting Roch. He personally wants Emerson.

19 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

FWIW, Josh Nelson over at Sox Machine is suggesting the latest into has us drafting Roch. He personally wants Emerson.

I honestly think we’ve been locked into Roch for quite some time. And the reports the past couple weeks suggesting otherwise made me even more confident it’s going to be Roch.

My rankings of the top 3 aside, would be quite fun to watch Bonemer and Roch together in AA/AAA.

1 hour ago, Chicago White Sox said:

FWIW, Josh Nelson over at Sox Machine is suggesting the latest into has us drafting Roch. He personally wants Emerson.

It feels like all of the smoke was more to generate leverage on Roch's bonus payout. Could be wrong - but that is my gut.

Final mock from BA. Kind of excited about a dart throw name we haven't seen before since he's a guy I've been picking in all my Over-slot draft simulations. Luke Williams. Would be real happy with that selection. Sharing the top 10.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2026-mlb-mock-draft-7-0-final-predictions-for-first-40-picks/

1. White Sox — Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA

Bonus Pool: $17,592,100

Slot Value: $11,350,600

We’ve had Cholowsky as the pick for the White Sox in every iteration of the mock draft in this cycle. I’ve never felt quite good enough about my confidence in Emerson being the pick instead of Cholowsky. It does sound like it has come down to the top shortstops in the class, but I am sticking with Cholowsky here. If Vahn Lackey is in play, he seems like a distant third option.

Other Names We’re Hearing: Grady Emerson, Vahn Lackey

Dart Throw Names For Later Picks: Jack Slightom, Landon Thome, Dominic Santarelli, Keon Johnson, Luke Williams

2. Rays — Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian HS, North Richland Hills, Texas

Bonus Pool: $19,009,300

Slot Value: $10,507,000

If Cholowsky goes one, Emerson is the favorite to be the pick for the Rays here. There’s plenty of Vahn Lackey noise around this pick, but my guess is they prefer the pure-hitting lefty bat in Emerson. If the Rays had their choice of Cholowsky and Emerson, I could see them lean toward Emerson.

Other Names We’re Hearing: Roch Cholowsky, Vahn Lackey

Dart Throw Names For Later Picks: Eric Becker, Collin Bland, Aiden Ruiz, Jack Slightom, Cole Stokes

3. Twins — Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech

Bonus Pool: $16,929,600

Slot Value: $9,740,100

The Twins’ most likely scenario is to pick whichever of the top three players on the board—Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson and Lackey—is still available, and it’d be a surprise if they deviate from that grouping of three. Lackey is the most likely, and his talent warrants the pick here. There’s some chatter about a potential college player on a deal—Jackson Flora and Drew Burress most often mentioned—but not enough for me to warrant changing the pick. Burress in particular has been a rumored “model darling on a deal” player for months and months.

Other Names We’re Hearing: Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson, Jackson Flora, Drew Burress

Dart Throw Names For Later Picks: Taj Marchand, Will Adams

4. Giants — Eric Booth Jr., OF, Oak Grove HS, Hattiesburg, Miss.

Bonus Pool: $17,350,600

Slot Value: $8,988,400

I don’t know what to buy coming out of Giants camp. In most of our early iterations, it was all Jacob Lombard. After the combine, it was Booth over Lombard. In the last few days, it has been nothing but Jackson Flora. I was tempted to flip this pick to Flora because of how frequently I’ve heard his name tied to this spot, but I’ve heard for most of the spring that San Francisco really wants to go hitter at this pick. So I’ll stick with Booth, whose contact skills might help him win a draft room debate over Lombard—but I really came close to making this Flora.

Other Names We’re Hearing: Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson, Vahn Lackey, Jackson Flora, Jacob Lombard

Dart Throw Names For Later Picks: Dylan Bowen, Jack Slightom

5. Pirates — Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara

Bonus Pool: $19,130,700

Slot Value: $8,336,500

I’m not sure who is actually Pittsburgh’s preferred target. We’ve had them connected to Flora for most of the spring, and without any convincing new information to change the pick, I’m tempted to leave it. Both Eric Booth and Jacob Lombard should be in the mix here if Flora goes in front. Justin Lebron would be a surprise name for many here, and might be highly unlikely, but I could see the rationale if their top names go in front of them. Another rumor I heard recently is Derek Curiel as a potential backup option.

Other Names We’re Hearing: Eric Booth Jr, Jacob Lombard, Justin Lebron, Derek Curiel

Dart Throw Names For Later Picks: Tristan Lange, Wyatt Clatur, Connor Comeau

6. Royals — Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep HS, Miami

Bonus Pool: $15,954,000

Slot Value: $7,746,100

This is everyone’s favorite spot where the draft could get a bit weird. The Royals have the sixth pick in a draft that has six consensus top players, so they should be able to sit back and happily take one of those players no matter what happens. If they don’t see it that way, however, they could be a fit for the top high school player in the class, Gio Rojas, or even go with more of a wildcard college bat option. I’ve previously linked Drew Burress here, but now I don’t think that’s likely. It sounds like Kansas City might like players like Zion Rose, Mason Edwards and Caden Sorrell but they all could make more sense for their next pick at No. 30. Flora might be their top target. If he’s available, I think Flora’s the pick, but I see many paths where he doesn’t get here. Of the top six players in the class, Lombard might be the most likely to slip a bit.

Other Names We’re Hearing: Jackson Flora, Eric Booth Jr., Gio Rojas

Dart Throw Names For Later Picks: Mason Edwards, Zion Rose, Caden Sorrell, Jensen Hirschkorn, Jason Amalbert, Evan Dempsey, Braylen Montgomery

7. Orioles — Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech

Bonus Pool: $13,114,000

Slot Value: $7,327,200

I’m still mostly hearing hitters like Eric Booth Jr. (who may be the preferred target), Jacob Lombard and Drew Burress. Burress feels like the most likely player to be available, since he has fewer realistic landing spots in front, and I do wonder what would happen if Baltimore was picking between him and Lombard. Justin Lebron continues to get some buzz here. He is modeling well with a number of clubs.

Other Names We’re Hearing: Eric Booth Jr., Jacob Lombard, AJ Gracia, Justin Lebron, Ace Reese, Chris Hacopian

Dart Throw Names For Later Picks: Owen Hull, Kevin Roberts Jr., Jason DeCaro, Jack Beck, Jimmy Anderson

8. Athletics — Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas

Bonus Pool: $13,840,300

Slot Value: $6,982,600

In the previous mock, I mentioned Tyler Bell steam with the A’s. That could still be a possibility, but I’ve also heard that Helfrick might actually be their preferred target. I could see them being interested in Flora if he somehow gets this far. Burress could make sense as well. It’s notable how few high school profiles I’ve heard linked to the A’s for this pick. If they really want to add pitching and Jackson Flora is gone, the next tier of college pitchers includes Cameron Flukey, Liam Peterson, Mason Edwards and Taylor Rabe. Those are more speculative names from me though.

Other Names We’re Hearing: Tyler Bell, Jackson Flora, Chris Hacopian

Dart Throw Names For Later Picks: Alain Gomez-Gudiño, Logan Reddemann

9. Braves — Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky

Bonus Pool: $15,870,800

Slot Value: $6,675,300

I’ve had Bell coming off the board right in front of the Braves in each of my last two mocks, but now pivoting to Ryder Helfrick with the A’s, Bell could make a lot of sense to Atlanta. This does seem to be another potential top-10 landing spot for Gio Rojas, but I get the sense that he could be a victim of the high school pitching profile and just slide a bit further while safer college hitters get scooped up early. Perhaps the Braves feel like they can grab an arm with their next pick? It would be a sensible route if you want to dip into both demographics.

Other Names We’re Hearing: Gio Rojas, Drew Burress, Justin Lebron, Chris Hacopian, AJ Gracia, Derek Curiel

Dart Throw Names For Later Picks: Rocco Maniscalco, Eric Nachtsheim, Jack Slightom, Caden Sorrell, Archer Horn

10. Rockies — Derek Curiel, OF, LSU

Bonus Pool: $15,557,600

Slot Value: $6,393,100

I’m still leaning the college route for the Rockies, with names like Curiel, Ryder Helfrick and Drew Burress seemingly in the mix. Curiel is the player who gets here in this iteration, and his game could actually translate pretty nicely to Coors Field. I have heard a lot of college players for the Rockies, including some pitching buzz with names like Cameron Flukey and Liam Peterson. They’ve also been mentioned as a fit for Jared Grindlinger, but I’ll stick with the college prediction.

Other Names We’re Hearing: Ryder Helfrick, Drew Burress, Cameron Flukey, Liam Peterson, Jared Grindlinger

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by DirtySox

53 minutes ago, SoxBlanco said:

I honestly think we’ve been locked into Roch for quite some time. And the reports the past couple weeks suggesting otherwise made me even more confident it’s going to be Roch.

I fully agree.

Scouting reports for Luke Williams and Keon Johnson.

99. Luke Williams SS/OF

Ht: 6'0" | Wt: 180 | B-T: R-R

School: Franklin Regional HS, Murrysville, Penn. Committed/Drafted: Vanderbilt. Age At Draft: 18.5.

BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme

Adjusted Grade: 35

Williams is a dynamic, quick-twitch athlete with multiple 70-grade tools. He missed much of the 2025 showcase circuit with an ankle injury, then stood out at PBR’s Super 60 showcase in February and was one of the most interesting helium high schoolers in the class in the 2026 spring. Williams has a lean 6-foot, 180-pound frame and tremendous handspeed that allows him to whistle the barrel through the zone. While his bat speed, and the power upside that comes with it, is quite obvious, Williams’ pure hitting ability is raw—both mechanically and in terms of his approach. There’s natural loft, but his path is highly variable from swing to swing. He swings with such intent that his operation often gets out of control. He’ll need to find more contact against high-quality pitches and let his natural handspeed and strength play. Williams is a 70-grade runner with the natural athleticism and tools to stick at either shortstop or center field. He needs more refinement defensively at either position, but his double-plus arm strength would be an asset wherever he winds up. If Williams can make strides as a hitter he has huge upside potential and the ability to impact the game in many ways. He’s a Vanderbilt commit, but for a team willing to take a shot on his potential he could fit in the first three rounds.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 50 | Speed: 70 | Field: 55 | Arm: 70

119. Keon Johnson SS

Ht: 6'2" | Wt: 200 | B-T: R-R

School: First Presbyterian Day HS, Macon, Ga. Committed/Drafted: Vanderbilt. Age At Draft: 18.3.

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Adjusted Grade: 35

Johnson is a tremendously well-rounded player who might not have a carrying tool, but also has no clear weakness to his game. He’s a 6-foot-2, 200-pound shortstop and righthanded hitter who has stood out for his high-quality at-bats for years. Johnson pairs a savvy batting eye with a patient offensive approach and contact skills that should allow him to hit for average, get on base and flash solid power at physical maturity. He has a simple righthanded swing with a slight hitch and barrel tip in his load, and a quiet lower half that doesn’t feature a leg kick or toe tap timing mechanism. He understands how to use the entire field and is more of a line drive and doubles hitter now, but does have lots of physical projection to dream of more power coming. Johnson has posted plus run times in workout environments in the past, but his speed typically plays down from that in games and in 2026 he added more strength and was more consistently an average runner. He’s a reliable defender with solid instincts and soft hands. Johnson might not be the flashiest defender, but he’s the sort of player who will convert all the routine plays you expect him to with an above-average arm that is more than enough for the left side of the infield. He’s committed to Vanderbilt, but viewed as a 2-5 round talent thanks to his polished all-around game.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Speed: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55

14 minutes ago, Chisoxfn said:

It feels like all of the smoke was more to generate leverage on Roch's bonus payout. Could be wrong - but that is my gut.

My gut as well

👀

Shirley was in the booth tonight for the Sox game. I didn’t catch all of it because my wiener kids were fighting in the background, but when asked about what’s planned for after round 1 he specifically made a joke about Landon Thome. I have never been more confident about the Sox landing a player in the draft.

12 minutes ago, DirtySox said:

👀

Gonzalez has looked decent I would hope we could get more than a comp pick and we need insurance in case Murakami leaves.....I would not move him at this time.

7 minutes ago, SoCalChiSox said:

Gonzalez has looked decent I would hope we could get more than a comp pick and we need insurance in case Murakami leaves.....I would not move him at this time.

Elko Elko Elko!!!

lol

9 minutes ago, SoCalChiSox said:

Gonzalez has looked decent I would hope we could get more than a comp pick and we need insurance in case Murakami leaves.....I would not move him at this time.

We’d have to get a lot more than a comp pick.

Huzzah!