2026 College Draft Top 200

In a very deep prep shortstop class in 2023, Cholowsky stood out as having some of the highest projectability in the class with supremely impressive talent on the defensive end. His continued physical development hasn't cost him a step. Cholowsky is an above average runner with fantastic first-step quickness on the dirt. His lateral range is among the best in the class and he's got the ability to make every throw from every angle with plus arm strength and athleticism to burn. Cholowsky has all the traits of a future plus defender at the shortstop position.

Cholowsky's physical transformation at UCLA has helped kick his offensive tools into an entirely new gear. What was once hitterish in the box is now far more impactful with more on the way. Cholowsky's exit velocities have peaked north of 112 mph and his barrel rate towers over most of his middle-infield peers. Cholowsky's plus raw power projection has the chance to output 25-homer campaigns as a professional. There are very few holes in this swing. He's had a hard time getting the barrel to premium elevated velocity, primarily in on his hands. Velocity above the zone is just about the only area Cholowsky has shown a willingness to chase outside of the zone. As his game continues to evolve and his understanding of how pitchers are trying to attack him continues to mature, Cholowsky has a chance to age into a complete hitter.

Cholowsky grew up in a baseball family. His dad has been a scout for most of his life and it's made assimilating to the game and it's demands comfortable for Cholowsky. There's a case to be made that Cholowsky is the most complete draft-eligible college shortstop prospect since Dansby Swanson in 2015.

Following two award-winning banner campaigns at Duke, Gracia followed his head coach, Chris Pollard, from Durham to Charlottesville for his 2026 draft-eligible campaign.

Gracia is a slugging corner outfielder with very present over-the-fence power and a highly-advanced understanding for how to backspin a baseball. He's a flyball specialist. It's well-above average bat--to-ball skills both inside the zone and outside of it, a particularly rare trait for players with his longer frame and levers.

From a raw power perspective, Gracia actually took a small step backwards as a sophomore after flashing plus bat speed during his freshman year. All of his exit velocity metrics backtracked in 2025, flashing just average raw power. He lost two mph on his peak exit velocity and also saw his barrel rate drop slightly. It's still a frame built for big damage and most scouts expect he'll tap back into the juice he showed as a freshman going forward.

Perhaps the best way for Gracia to improve his damage output and impact at the plate going forward would be to get more aggressive at the plate. He has consistently run lower than average swing rates and has a tendency to let the pitcher dictate the pace of an at-bat. That's gotten Gracia into pitchers' counts too often, forcing him to put borderline pitches in play late in counts instead of ambushing the cookie he may have received two pitches prior. Given his bat-to-ball metrics, ambushing pitches early in counts shouldn't hurt his ability to create more production. Gracia owns extremely low whiff rates regardless of the pitch location. In-zone, out-of-zone, spin, velocity, it doesn't really matter, Gracia's barrel can cover just about everything with the exception of velocity up and in on his hands, but that's to be expected from a player of his size with his levers. Taking a more aggressive approach to the plate and getting off more early-count A-Swings could help his offensive game jump back into Golden Spikes territory.

Gracia checks a lot of the conventional boxes scouts want to see. It's a long, athletic body and longer levers that should add muscle and strength as he continues to mature. He's a solid average runner with a fringe-average arm strength in a corner. Gracia has a chance to develop into a 30-homer left fielder and a guy who routinely runs high on-base rates at the next level.

The narrative on Lebron is all projection. He's a whippy, lanky, lean middle infielder with a ton of filling out to do in his future, and present tools in every part of his game. He's a smooth operator on the dirt, fielding the ball out in front of his body, showcasing plus arm strength across the diamond. He's a plus runner who flashes exceptional lateral mobility. That speed also plays in a big way on the bases. He's got quick hands and uses his momentum well when fielding his position. Lebron is right there with Cholowsky in terms of defensive value -- both players are among the best defensive prospects in the class regardless of position.

Lebron has quick hands at the plate and he's shown marked improvement in terms of exit velocities over the past twelve months. What was once well-below average power is now looking more like at least average raw power projection. Lebron peaked north of 110 mph as a college sophomore and continues to add strength to his wiry frame. His build and feel for the barrel suggest he could grow into a bit more juice as he continues to physically mature. The hit tool has taken major strides over the course of his Tuscaloosa career as well. Lebron absolutely hammers anything elevated in the zone and is particularly dangerous when he can get his hands extended on elevated velocity. Breaking balls and changeups at the bottom of the zone can still be a bugaboo for Lebron, however he showed more of a willingness to stay on those pitches as a freshman. Finding a happy medium between ambush hitting at the top of the zone and a more defensive approach in two-strike counts should help his offensive game blossom into a more complete package.

There are very few developmental checkpoints left for Lebron to check off on the defensive end. It's impressive. If the bat takes one more sizable jump forward in 2026, Lebron has as good a case as any player to be the No. 1 pick.

Big time favorite of Georgia area guys due to an advanced feel for hitting, as well as finding the barrel, Burress is one of the more beloved recruits in Georgia Tech history. Explosive hips and big bat speed help Burress generate power well beyond what you might expect from a smaller frame. His exit velocities have approach 111 mph with at least above average raw power projection on the horizon. Burress has some drift in his swing and inconsistencies in terms of direction depending on where the pitch is. It's an operation that has allowed him to absolutely hammer anything at the top of the zone, however softer stuff at the bottom of the zone or below the zone can nullify some of his impact at the plate. He'll step in the bucket at times to sell out to his pull-side. It's an oddity, but Burress has been the most impactful player in the 2026 class across two seasons and it isn't terribly close. The raw power is legit and so are the tools. Until the quirks in his swing prove to be an issue, there's little reason to question his operation.

Burress is athletic and runs well and has plenty of arm for center field. It's possible he's forced to left field if there's a more dynamic defender holding down the '8' in his organization as a pro. His solid-average speed also plays on the bases, however he's not inherently a base-stealer. He's still focusing on developing the little things necessary to become a stolen base artist.

Burress' size will undoubtedly be a talking point as the draft approaches. That said, all he's done is perform. There have been very few hiccups along the way. At some point, the baseball card and under-the-hood metrics should supercede a player's physical stature.

Reese entered the Houston lineup right out of the gates thanks to his impressive bat speed and present raw power. That gangbusters production landed him at Mississippi State in 2025 by way of the transfer portal.

It's a big, long frame with considerable pull-side power from the left side coming out of a compact move and fast-twitch turns on the baseball. Reese projects an above average hitter with strong in-zone and out-of-zone contact rates. He's an adjustable hitter that puts pressure on the opposition to make good pitches thanks to his athleticism in the box. Reese absolutely hammers fastballs and has improved each year seeing and reacting to spin. Despite slightly higher than average chase rates, Reese is ultra-efficient, lifting and launching the ball with impressive exit velocities to the pull-side. It's a slugging archetype with the bat-to-ball skills necessary to dispel any pigeonholing.

Reese has bounced around on defense between third base and left field. His physical frame does threaten his ability to stick at third base long-term, but he's more than proficient handling a corner outfield spot. He's only a fringy runner with fringy arm strength. Should he shore up the overall hit tool in the coming seasons and establish value in the field, Reese has a chance to come off the board on day one in 2026.