Immediately after the 2025 MLB Draft, attention quickly shifted to the 2026 class. The early consensus? The top of the 2026 group looks significantly stronger, with several prospects who might have gone No. 1 overall in 2025. While that type of chatter surfaces most years, this time it feels warranted. The class features a deep pool of up-the-middle athletes alongside hitters who combine advanced hit tools with above-average power. That exact blend made the 2024 class special, and it’s why the 2026 group could be viewed in the same realm.
Top 2026 Draft Prospects
Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA
Cholowsky would have been the first overall pick in the 2025 draft. I can say that with full confidence.
Playing on the west coast and in the Big 10, while being a 2026 prospect, limited the conversation surrounding him this spring, but he was the best player in college baseball. He finished his Sophomore campaign hitting .353/.480/.710 with 23 home runs and 19 doubles in a non-hitter-friendly conference. On top of that production, he only struck out 30 times while walking 45 times in 66 games. He currently flashes the potential to be a 70 grade hitter with 60 grade power.
Combine the offensive profile with freakish athleticism and defensive ability, and Cholowsky has the opportunity to be special. As a high schooler, Cholowsky was 3-star QB prospect with an offer from Notre Dame, showcasing the athletic ability he features. A 70 grade hitter with 60 grade power who will most likely stick at SS is a prospect MLB orgs get excited about.
Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech
After breaking out during his Freshman campaign, Burress took a slight step backwards during his Sophomore year. Burress made a name for himself during the 2024 season when he hit .381/.512/.821 with 25 home runs, while sporting an impressive 37:58 K:BB ratio. The ability to flash double plus power with an above average hit tool made many evaluators excited about the prospect of Burress moving forward.
The 2025 season wasn’t as impressive for the GT outfielder. He regressed in every offensive category, but still put up respectable numbers. He finished the year hitting .333/.469/.693 with 19 home runs and a 42:53 K:BB ratio in 60 games. While Sophomore slumps are a thing for a reason, Burress will have to look more like the 2024 version of himself to be in the 1/1 conversation. He isn’t a lock to stay in CF, so he will really have to hit his way to the top around so many dynamic athletes in the 2026 class.
Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
While Cholowsky seems like the early favorite to be drafted first overall, Lebron might have the highest ceiling in the class. Listed at 6-foot-2, 180 lbs, he doesn’t look like the most physically gifted athlete, but his best tool is his raw power. The main issue for Lebron has been his ability to consistently use the power in game.
The 2025 season is a great example of his inconsistencies. While he finished the season with a respectable 18 home runs and a .636 SLG, he had 11 through the first 17 games of the season. Once SEC play started and he was facing high level pitching, he really started to struggle. If Lebron can put it together for a consistent spring, he will have an argument as the top prospect in the class, but until then Cholowsky and others will stay ahead.
Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep HS (FL)
I accidentally evaluated Lombard in person during the summer of 2024. Attending an event at the USA Baseball complex in Cary, NC, I was watching warm-ups and saw this long, athletic middle infielder, and thought the frame and actions looked impressive. Then the game started.
Ranging for a ball up the middle, Lombard fielded the ball, pirouetted, and threw an accurate strike right to the 1st baseman’s chest. At that point, I knew exactly who I was watching and why he is so highly regarded as a prospect.
The younger brother of Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr., and son of longtime MLB coach George Lombard, Jacob has baseball in his blood. The athleticism is a little bit ahead of the raw baseball skills, but that doesn’t mean the skills aren’t present. He has an impressive right handed swing with present bat speed, and a line drive focused approach. Similar to his brother on draft day, the frame could use some extra weight, which would translate to more power. Similar to the top college players in the 2026 class, Lombard would have been in the conversation as the best prep prospect in the 2025 class.
Grady Emerson, SS, Argyle HS (TX)
While Lombard has the name recognition, Emerson might actually be the better prospect. It is a smooth left handed swing that showcases impressive bat-to-ball from a line drive approach. But what might be even more impressive is the fact that he is currently a hit over power prospect standing in at 6-foot-1, 175 lbs, he recently won the High School Home Run Derby during the All Star festivities. That showcases the impressive raw power that Emerson still has the ability to grow into.
Left handed hitting, bat-to-ball focused, middle infield prospects have been a trend MLB orgs have fallen more and more in love with in recent years. In the past, the Corey Seager, Gunner Henderson, Cole Young types would usually be drafted at the end of the 1st round, early 2nd. But what has become evident through those draft selections is those bat-to-ball focused hitters grow into their body and become the best players in their respective drafts when power arrives. That has forced MLB orgs to revalue those types, and many of them like Jackson Holliday, JoJo Parker, and Eli Willits, have had their name called earlier in the draft. That is just a long way to say Emerson is the type of prospect many orgs prioritize on draft day. I would be shocked to see him fall outside the top 10 barring unforeseen circumstances.
AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia
If you have watched Gracia take one at bat, you would say to yourself, “his swing looks a lot like Carlos Gonzalez” and it really does. Gracia has one of the most aesthetically pleasing swings, but the beauty of his swing has not directly translated to elite results.
Through two years at Duke, he has hit .299/.449/.558 with 29 home runs. In comparison to the other top prospects in the class, that is not that impressive. But what makes me confident about Gracia moving forward is the approach and contact improvements he made. As a true Freshman, he struck out 55 times while walking 48 times in 60 games. While the production didn’t change much his Sophomore season, he lowered his strikeouts to just 36, while raising his walks to 57 in the same amount of games. Those underlying improvements have me anticipating a big draft spring for Gracia, and if he puts all the impressive tools together, his name will be called early on draft day.
Gio Rojas, LHP, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (FL)
Rojas is the top of the high school crop of pitching prospects. While this has been a demographic that typically falls down the board as we get closer to draft day. Recent trends have shown the inability to fully evaluate prep pitchers because of the competition, as well as the seemingly inevitable injury risk for all young pitchers. Rojas has the ability to buck that trend, similar to Seth Hernandez in 2025.
Playing at Stoneman Douglas HS in South Florida, one of the best areas for prep baseball in the country, shows that Rojas has competed against top competition. While it is not comparable to college, it is some of the best you can get in the prep ranks. When Rojas does get on the mound, he features electric stuff. The fastball sits between 95-97 and has been up to 98. There is projectability in the frame, so it is easy to envision more velocity as he continues to grow. He also features an above average breaking ball and a change-up that he can throw for strikes. With a strong senior spring, Rojas could have his name called in the top 10 next summer.
Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina
Coming into the 2025 season, Flukey was very much an unknown to the greater public. While he had good enough stuff to pitch in 2024, he struggled with command and pitched to a 5.73 in 55 IP with 27 walks. Flukey improved during the 2024 offseason, and came back in 2025 in a big way.
The ace of the national runner-up Coastal Carolina pitching staff, Flukey was impressive with a 3.19 ERA in 101.2 IP. During that time he struck out 118 hitters while only allowing six home runs. For those that do not know, Coastal is a notorious hitter friendly park, and Flukey’s ability to limit damage was impressive. But the most impressive step forward for Flukey was the improvement of his command. While almost doubling his inning total, he actually lowered his walk totals only walking 24 hitters. The combination of plus command with above average stuff will be a hot commodity for MLB orgs.
Gavin Grahovac, 3B, Texas A&M
Had it not been for a season ending injury this spring, Grahovac would most likely be in the top grouping of Cholowsky, Lebron, and Burress. As a true Freshman, Grahovac was a major piece of the top of Texas A&M’s lineup that included Braden Montgomery and Jace Laviolette. He was impressive with a .295/.390/.596 slash line and 23 home runs helping lead the way to a College World Series Runner-up.
Grahovac’s impressive power gives him one of the highest ceilings in the draft. With that power comes the unfortunate swing and miss rates. in 2024, he ended the season with a 95:36 K:BB ratio. While it was probably worth it considering the power production, that will have to improve for him to have success at the next level. There is a baseline level of contact abilities required to play professional baseball, and the one season sample size says Grahovac doesn’t have it. If he shows overall hit tool and contact improvements, Grahovac has the potential to be an impact CIF bat at the next level.
Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
Peterson has done two things since enrolling at Florida, pitch a lot of meaningful innings and strike a lot of hitters out. What has seemingly been the unfortunate reality on top of those two things, is he has also given up a lot of runs and walked a lot of batters.
I am not a fan of Florida’s pitching development. When you look at their SEC peers, they compare in talent, but have a hard time getting those talented arms to throw enough strikes to be successful. Peterson is another in a line of historic Gators who have not developed to reach their potential in Gainesville. Since he decided to go back to Florida for his Junior year, I don’t necessarily know if that will change, but he has the stuff to be a top prospect. He has struck out 173 hitters in 132.1 IP in his career, but if he will ever reach his ceiling, he will need to throw his above average stuff in the strike zone.
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurt_player02 on Instagram & Threads @kuwasemiller.bksy.social on BlueSky)