2026 MLB mock draft 2.0: Predicting the first 40 picks - ESPN

The MLB draft process is heating up as it typically does this time of year with college conference tournaments and many high school state tournaments now concluded. With their regular seasons now over, the focus for many key players has shifted to private workouts or playoff games, and rumors are starting to swirl about specific prospects teams are targeting.

This week's NCAA tournament regionals will be key for some of the players listed below, but many of those still playing have done enough that a few games won't change their stock dramitically.

With industry buzz starting to grow on this year's draft prospects, we've included a most likely pick — and some Don't be surprised if… intel on what I am hearing on each team's specific plans. (Since some teams received a 10-pick penalty on their first pick for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax, we went 40 picks deep to cover all 30 teams).

Here is how the top of the MLB draft could play out on July 11 in Philadelphia.

Roch Cholowsky (Age: 21.3), SS, UCLA

The margin for error for Cholowsky is dropping to where this might just be a 50/50 coin flip. There's a lot of industry buzz that Grady Emerson is preferred by some key White Sox evaluators, but everyone agrees that Cholowsky would win a coinflip because he's just an easier choice with his proximity to the majors, risk profile and hype — even if his upside seems a bit lower than Emerson's.

Further, there seems to be a very clear top three (including Vahn Lackey), and all three of the teams picking at the top seem to feel that way. To project another player breaking into the top three requires one of those teams to (deep breath) feel really strongly about that player, not like what