MLB Draft 2026: Roch Cholowsky and Vahn Lackey Lead the Pack, But Depth is an Issue
The 2026 MLB Draft is upon us, and the top prospects are starting to emerge. Roch Cholowsky and Vahn Lackey are the consensus top prospects in this year's class, but the field has gotten closer to them as the spring progressed. The draft class started off in promising fashion, but the top tier of high school players never really took off, and the depth among college arms is lacking.
Cholowsky, a plus defender at shortstop with a plus arm, has been a prospect for some time. His dad is the Reds' area scout for the Four Corners, and he was No. 23 on my draft board in 2023 when he was a senior in high school. He's a plus hitter with an average to slightly above-average hit tool, and he's wrecked Big Ten pitching. However, he 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.
Lackey, on the other hand, has had a surge at the plate in his draft year. He was hitting .371/.491/.682 through May 5, ranking in the top 5 percent of all Division 1 hitters in OBP and slugging. He's extremely athletic with 55 speed and outstanding agility, and he has 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 Cholowsky offers.
The draft class has its strengths and weaknesses, and it's important to note that this is a ranking, not a mock draft. The players' rank order has nothing to do with where I think they'll be drafted. It's based on my own in-person evaluations, video, data, and conversations with scouts, executives, and analysts with MLB teams.
I will update this list as the draft approaches, since many players are still playing and some will go to play in summer leagues or work out for teams. The scouting grades are on the traditional 20-80 scale.
In my opinion, the draft class has a lot of value, particularly for teams drafting in the 20-50 range. There's overall quite a bit of depth in the high school pitching crop, and I'm not a fan of the top prospects, but it's a great pond in which to fish after your first pick.
The draft is an exciting time for baseball fans, and it's always interesting to see who the top prospects will be. I'll be updating this list as the draft approaches, so stay tuned for more exciting developments!
