2026 Mock Draft 5.0

At the end of the day, proximity and appetite for risk might be what prevails in the No. 1 spot. Cholowsky brings a Gold Glove shortstop with enough bat to profile into multiple All-Star games across his career. That's a difficult floor to walk away from, especially if you're Chris Getz or the ownership group in Chicago. Could Grady Emerson ultimately end up the better player? The scouting department in Chicago seems to think so. But Cholowsky is a high bar to clear and an obviously quicker timeline on the Southside. Both Cholowsky and Emerson are represented by The-Team (formerly Wasserman) so they'll undoubtedly work to acquire the largest possible bonus pool between the two players.

The Rays, by most accounts, are hoping Emerson lands in this spot. If he goes No. 1, there's still questions on whether they prefer Cholowsky to another player. It also seems unlikely this would be the landing spot for Vahn Lackey. Keep an eye out for Jackson Flora in this spot on a significant under-slot deal. The Rays are said to like him quite a bit.

The Twins are almost certainly going to take one of the Cholowsky or Lackey; whichever is here. That said, Minnesota is notoriously tight-lipped through the draft process and can be a difficult team to predict.