The Chicago White Sox selected Roch Cholowsky as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 MLB draft. The Tampa Bay Rays took high school shortstop Grady Emerson, the Minnesota Twins chose Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey, and the San Francisco Giants picked UC Santa Barbara ace Jackson Flora. The draft had several surprises, including the Atlanta Braves leaning towards going underslot with their first two picks.

The depth of the draft was worse than usual after the first half dozen players, causing teams to see less value in players asking for full slot value in the 20s.