2026 MLB Draft Report: College Baseball Opening Day

Welcome to another college baseball Opening Day, and another season of tracking the MLB draft weekly on Sox Machine. This campaign will be a historic one for the site, since we've never covered a No. 1 overall pick before. Hell, I wasn’t alive the last time the White Sox selected Harold Baines first overall back in 1977. For our current subscribers and old friends, welcome back to our weekly draft coverage.

For those new to MLB Draft Watch on Sox Machine, we will be tracking how top prospects are faring, and frequently recording and cutting highlights to allow you to see the best college and high school players. With so many games on top of spring training and (soon) World Baseball Classic action, I understand if many of you don’t have the bandwidth to watch UC-San Diego vs. UCLA this weekend. No worries -- that’s why I’m here, and many of the draft heads will help in the comments section.

What will be different for our coverage this season is that I’m heading out on the road. In late February, I’ll be covering the third weekend of the College Baseball Classic in Arlington, Texas to see Roch Cholowsky in person against three SEC schools (Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State). While I’m in the Dallas area, I’ll be stopping by a high school tournament that Grady Emerson will be playing in. 

Then in mid-March, I’ll be in Nashville to watch Vanderbilt and LSU square off. If time allows it, maybe I can convince James Fegan to tag along with me for a road trip to East Lansing to watch Cholowsky face Michigan State. Maybe even a trip to Omaha for the Big Ten Tournament or Hoover, Alabama, for the SEC Tournament could be in the cards.

For second- and third-round targets, I’ll be stopping by the local high schools to get a look at Landon Thome, Ethan Bass, and Dominic Santarelli, because if there is one thing that we know for certain, the White Sox sure do love drafting players from their Area Code team. Our Sox Machine subscribers support this level of coverage. While this preview is not behind the paywall, future MLB Draft Reports will be, and my intent is to make the quality of coverage so comprehensive that Sox fans who want to know more about this momentous upcoming decision have no choice but to subscribe.

With that said, let’s get started with the 2026 MLB Draft coverage. Starting with the shortstop playing outside of Hollywood, with the spotlight burning bright. 

NO. 1 PROSPECT: ROCH CHOLOWSKY, SHORTSTOP, UCLA

At the latest SoxFest Live, a fan asked general manager Chris Getz when they can get their Roch Cholowsky White Sox jersey printed. As I wrote back in December, Cholowsky has the most preseason hype of any draft prospect since Dylan Crews. It hasn’t calmed down since, and that's a bit concerning. I'm not doubting Cholowsky’s playing ability, but I’ve done this long enough to know that the preseason No. 1 overall prospect rarely gets drafted first overall.

Speaking with UCLA coach John Savage at the College Baseball Classic media day, I asked him how Cholowsky is handling the outside noise.

“I think it’s a credit to his ability, credit to his performance last year,” said Savage. “But at the end of the day we look at it as baseball. There’s failure. There’s success. Things that go on throughout the season. I think he’s handling it very well.”

Savage is no stranger to managing a heralded college player. He had both Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer leading a Bruins rotation in 2011 when both were selected in the first three picks. Cholowsky is in good hands with Savage, who understands what lies ahead for his talented shortstop's dream of playing major league baseball, but keeping him focused on the goal of reaching Omaha again.

“There’s people out at practices, which is not unusual for us, but it’s a lot of attention. So we just have to make sure he’s grounded, make sure he’s focused on the right thing, and make sure his preparations are at a high level,” said Savage.

If you haven’t seen Cholowsky play, he has all the attributes you would want from a franchise shortstop. A 90 percent contact rate on pitches in the strike zone, combined with a 9.3 percent strikeout rate, demonstrates plus contact. His adjustment of loading more on his back hip allowed Cholowsky to tap into more extra-base power in 2025. He increased his home run total from eight in his freshman season to 23 dingers, boosting his slugging percentage by 210 points. From a Trackman perspective, Cholowsky’s 91.5 MPH average exit velocity showcases plus power potential. 60-grade contact and power-hitting shortstops are rare.

On top of his offensive prowess, Cholowsky is an excellent defender at shortstop. He demonstrates excellent footwork moving well laterally, but Cholowsky also has an uncanny ability to track down fly balls in shallow outfield. I’m always skeptical of placing major league comps on draft prospects because I don’t want to raise expectations to unrealistic heights, but watching Cholowsky play defense often reminds me of Carlos Correa.

From an MLB scouting perspective, Cholowsky could be an easy 60-grade future value prospect. The skepticism lies in the fact that Cholowsky did not have a great end to his 2025 season, with no extra-base hits during the postseason and a lackluster Team USA campaign. During 2026, don’t be surprised if fans from the SEC and ACC point to Cholowsky’s conference numbers when Golden Spikes and Dick Howser awards campaigning gets heated. There’s a 274-point OPS difference for Cholowsky between facing Big Ten pitching and non-conference opponents, but it’s still an OPS over 1.000.

UCLA brings back the majority of its players from last year’s roster that made it to Omaha, and that’s why they are the No. 2 team in the country. But the Bruins will be tested early as they host No. 9 TCU at home Feb. 20-22, and the following weekend are neutral-site games against No. 15 Tennessee, Texas A&M and No. 6 Mississippi State. Savage will have a good understanding of what kind of team he has in early March.

Also, we as a MLB draft community of analysts and fans will have a good understanding of whether Cholowsky is meeting the hype. Big games against TCU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State should quiet any doubts. If Cholowsky can clear those hurdles, White Sox fans can start visiting Grandstand to get their jerseys printed.

The Rest of Watch Board 1.0

No. 2 Prospect: Grady Emerson, Shortstop, Fort Worth Christian

If Cholowsky stumbles, gets hurt, or has off-the-field issues, Grady Emerson would take his place as the No. 1 overall prospect. Featuring a more open stance at a recent showcase hosted by Max Clark, Emerson has already demonstrated plus contact ability during the summer. He has excellent athleticism and is expected to be a plus defender at shortstop. The big question: How much power does Emerson have?

The lower-half adjustment may help Emerson convince scouts that he can be a 50-grade or better power hitter. I wouldn’t be surprised if some MLB teams prefer Emerson over Cholowsky because of age. If the Tampa Bay Rays and White Sox swapped picks, I’d think they would prefer Emerson because of their past tendencies to take prep players over college bats. We know Mike Shirley prefers high schoolers in the draft, and so far, it’s producing promising results for the White Sox (Colson Montgomery, Noah Schultz, and Caleb Bonemer). 

No. 3: Prospect: Derek Curiel, Outfielder, LSU

As a freshman, Derek Curiel batted .345 and posted a 16.4% walk rate despite facing the SEC gauntlet. His ability to hit for contact and advanced batting eye gave LSU coach Jay Johnson the confidence in having a freshman bat leadoff for the eventual national champions. The College World Series stage didn’t faze Curiel, as he went 6-for-19 with a double, three walks, and seven strikeouts.

Now entering his sophomore year, Curiel is moving from left to center field and, with another offseason in LSU’s strength training program, hopes to produce more power for a stacked squad. We’ll see if swinging for the fences more means a drop in batting average for Curiel, but if he bats over .350 and produces 30 or more extra base hits, he’ll be challenging Cholowsky for Golden Spikes and Dick Howser award honors. 

No. 4 Prospect: Justin Lebron, Shortstop, Alabama

In the first half of 2025, I was hyping Justin Lebron to be a contender for the first-overall pick in 2026. But in the second half, Lebron’s contact rate plummeted to 68 percent, and the strikeouts piled up. In his college career, Lebron has a 22.6 percent strikeout rate, and that does not translate well professionally. Cutting down on whiffs is a must for Lebron.

I’m optimistic that Lebron can cut down on his whiffs and prevent that limitation from being considered one of the top prospects in this class. Much like Cholowsky, Lebron blends defensive excellence with a great deal of pop in his bat. That type of profile would entice teams drafting in the top five, but everyone will be watching the strikeout rate. Lebron could be this year’s Jace LaViolette and see his stock tumble if the K-rate is over 20% again.

No. 5 Prospect: Jacob Lombard, Shortstop, Gulliver Prep 

The pedigree is hard to ignore when scouting Jacob Lombard. His father is George Sr., who is currently the Detroit Tigers bench coach, and his brother George Jr. is MLB.com’s No. 32 prospect.  Lombard’s athleticism jumps off the page, posting a 6.11-second 60-yard dash and a 1.43-second 10-yard split. He's very fluid defensively, demonstrating good hands and a strong throwing arm, so teams can dream on Lombard sticking at shortstop or third base.

It’s the swing that needs work, as Lombard struggled with contact during the summer showcase. When Lombard is on time, he’s got power to all fields, but the swing is inconsistent. At times he lunges too far and leans more on his front leg. In other swings, it appears his hands are slow to come through the zone, as his barrel is catching the ball too deep or whiffing completely. Whichever team drafts Lombard will dream on the overall attributes: elite athleticism with an advanced understanding of the game. Some scouts believe that if Lombard ever figures out his swing, he could become a player like Manny Machado. 

Sox Machine Preseason 2026 Top 50 Draft Prospects

Key: Prep schools are highlighted.

Lil Jimmy Prep Prospect To Watch: Tyler Spangler, Shortstop, De La Salle

In honor of our late friend Lil Jimmy, we highlight a prep prospect to follow as they progress through the season because of their unique attributes. Last year, it was Kruz Schoolcraft who was drafted 25th overall by the San Diego Padres because of his size at 6'8". Schoolcraft turns 19 years old in April and will be heading into his first full year of professional baseball.

This year’s selection is shortstop Tyler Spangler from Danville, Calif. Often overlooked in this draft class, Spangler is already at 6’3” and 205 pounds, so physically, he might be close to maxing out. But while Spangler doesn’t possess the level of athleticism Grady Emerson or Jacob Lombard have, he has some of the best contact skills of prep bats in this draft class.

Playing at De La Salle, Spangler is no stranger to facing pitchers who can throw harder than 92 mph. Comparing Spangler to all prep bats' performances from various showcases, he ranks in the 93rd percentile in contact rate and 95th percentile for in-zone contact rate. At the Perfect Game National Showcase, Spangler’s max exit velocity was 100 mph. 

NCBWA Preseason Top 25 Poll

College World Series Preseason Picks

UCLA: Everyone knows Roch Cholowsky, but the Bruins’ lineup has plenty of protection with Mulivai Levu and Will Gasparino, a transfer from Texas. Coach John Savage knows he needs to find starters during the season, even if that means leaning on freshman Angel Cervantes.

LSU: Adding transfer third baseman Trent Caraway will help provide power in the middle of the order. Caraway should get plenty of RBI opportunities, hitting behind Derek Curiel and Chris Stanfield. On the pitching side, Casan Evans will transition from the bullpen to a starting pitcher. Last year, in 19 appearances, Evans had 71 strikeouts in 52⅔ innings. If transfer Cooper Moore and William Schmidt prove they are dependable starters, coach Jay Johnson has roster depth that few, if any, other college teams have.

TCU: The Horned Frogs have one of the toughest schedules to start 2026, opening with the Shriners Children’s College Showdown and facing Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Then the following weekend, they travel to UCLA. But this TCU roster features one of the best outfields with first-round talents Sawyer Strosnider and Chase Brunson. Joining those two is Noah Franco, who will be 2027 draft-eligible. RHP Tommy LaPour leads the starting rotation and has the stuff to hold his own on Fridays.

Texas: Starting pitching is the Longhorns' greatest strength in 2026, led by LHP Dylan Volantis. The big question will be how their lineup meshes, as it features four transfer players led by catcher Carson Tinney. If the Longhorns offense raises its game, they will be tough to stop.

Texas A&M: Last year was a disaster for the Texas A&M Aggies. The preseason No. 1 finished 30-26 with an 11-19 record in the SEC. Not much went right, but they have one of the best offenses coming into 2026 with potential first-rounders SS Chris Hacopian, 1B/3B Gavin Grahovac, and OF Caden Sorrell.

East Carolina: Often overlooked, the Pirates have LHP Ethan Norby leading the rotation, and he is a prime candidate to shoot up draft boards. They pushed Coastal Carolina in the Regional Title game last year and seemed to make a big jump in 2026.

Coastal Carolina: Reaching the title game last year, the Chanticleers will aim to repeat last year’s success with a focus on run prevention. RHP Cameron Flukey is the preseason best pitcher in this year’s draft class and is joined by LHP Hayden Johnson to lead the rotation. They played excellent defense last year and return key bullpen arms who helped them reach Omaha. If the offense helps a little more to carry the load, this squad can once again sneak up on the country in reaching the title game.

Louisville: Another Omaha returnee, the Cardinals return many starters from last year’s squad. They will challenge TCU’s hold on the best college outfield with Zion Rose and Lucas Moore. Coach Dan McDonnell has three dependable starting options in LHP Ethan Eberle, RHP Jake Bean, and RHP Peter Michael.

What I’m Watching This Weekend

UCLA vs. UC San Diego

Friday, February 13, 2026: 7:00 PM CT on Big Ten+

Note: First chance to see Roch Cholowsky. 

Shriners Children’s College Showdown

Friday, February 13, 2026:

• Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech - 11:00 AM CT
• #9 TCU vs. #18 Vanderbilt - 3:00 PM CT

Saturday, February 14, 2026:

• #5 Arkansas vs. #9 TCU - 7:00 PM CT

Link to watch games: https://www.collegebaseballseries.com/arlington-w1