2026 Overall Draft

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.

A blue-collar worker who leads by example, Cholowsky gets high marks from coaches, his teammates and those who operate in his proximity. The leadership qualities are top of the scale. After taking his talent and god-given abilities for granted a bit in high school, Cholowsky's mentality changed at UCLA. He began placing a greater emphasis on nutrition and the weight room. He's put on 20 pounds of muscle since arriving to campus, skyrocketing his physical and athletic traits in every area of his game.

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 is no stranger to the highlight reel play, converting outs in ways other are not capable. 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. That said, there are a few things to clean up to reach his eventual ceiling. At times, Cholowsky will feature a more pronounced barrel tip to compliment what can be a bigger leg kick. It can result in Cholowsky struggling to get the barrel to premium elevated velocity, especially on the inner-third. Velocity above the zone is just about the only area Cholowsky has shown a willingness to chase outside of the zone. Scouts would prefer to see his swing and quiet a bit as July approaches to ease any hit tool concerns at the next level. 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.

Emerson is what they look like. Offensively, it's pretty loud tools. Setup from a wide base, Emerson displays strong balance and rhythm in a simple swing with solid bat speed on the back end. Emerson's swing can get steep at times, but his attack angle allows him to cover and ambush pitches at the bottom of the zone better than most of his peers. The composure and mature nature in the box stands out. Emerson isn't jumpy or anxious. He sees the ball and reacts. It's power to the pull-side and a hit tool that stands out against upper-level competition. Emerson doesn't strike out, though he hardly chases walks either. The total product offensively has considerable upside with impact ceiling at the next level.

Emerson's contact quality can be streaky in tournament and showcase settings. There are times he'll look like a barrel magnet who simply cannot get out. Other times he'll roll over on breaking balls at a higher clip than you'd like with a general lack of slug on the baseball card. Emerson is still growing and maturing into what his eventual swing will look like. His bat-to-ball skills and bat speed stand out. He's as good a bet as anyone in the class to blossom into a complete hitter.

Emerson is an above average runner with long strides and an athletic gait who should hold his speed as he ages. It's already a reasonably physical frame for his age, so he may ultimately settle in a solid average runner. In any case, he certainly won't be any sort of liability on the base paths and will likely add value in that department in some capacity as well. Emerson has an above average throwing arm with whippy action and carry across the dirt. It'll serve him well as he figures to stay on the left side of the infield. The glove projects above average at shortstop and potentially plus at third base. He's also been up to 90 mph on the mound. Emerson checks just about every box scouts look for in a player at this stage assuming the slug will come. There may not be an exceptionally loud tool on the report, but Emerson has the potential for five legitimate tools. Perhaps it's something of a Chase Headley outcome. He will be 18.5 years old on draft day.

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.

Bell was a second round pick by the Rays in the 2024 Draft, but went unsigned and ended up in the SEC where his bat has flashed the upside folks have long felt it possessed. He's a masher. Bell peaked as a freshman with an exit velocity of 111 mph. He averaged 90 mph and lifted the ball in the air to his pullside 35 percent of the time. It was a 15 percent in-zone whiff rate and a chase rate near 23 percent. He could be had with advanced breaking balls at or just below the bottom of the zone, but that's hardly a surprise for a player being exposed to college pitching for the first time. Above average bat-to-ball skills from both sides of the plate compliment his innate feel for providing impact and punch in the box.

Bell has changed physically and mechanically on campus. He's demonstrating looseness in his hands from the left side with loft built into his swing. He’s eliminated the barrel tip that would cause swing and miss, as well as timing issues in high school. He's also widened his stance and is leveraging his back-hip with far more authority, turning harder on the baseball.

The physicality has really ticked up over the last calendar year with added strength and mass, particularly in his lower half. His profile is buoyed by strong defensive actions, above average arm strength and a mature IQ on the field that should help stay at the shortstop position at the next level. Bell has the ability to throw from multiple angles. He's got quick, precise footwork with strong fundamentals. Bell can be a frenetic defender at times with a still-developing internal clock. Still, the components are present and he's got a good chance at developing into at least an above average defender.

Bell's impressive resume landed him an opportunity with Team USA's Collegiate National Team after just one year in college baseball, a rare honor. He's revered for his workman mentality, seriousness and competitive edge on the field. It's remarkably obvious that Bell's first, second, and third priority in life is baseball, specifically winning. He will be a draft-eligible sophomore.

Hacopian was an absolute star for the Maryland Terps before transferring for his draft-eligible 2026 campaign to College Station. The offensive profile features very, very little holes. He's a complete hitter in a lot of ways.

Hacopian has shown an exciting combination of elite bat-to-ball skills and plus raw power in his young collegiate career. He's among the most polished bats in the class at this early stage in the draft process thanks to a keen eye, a selective nature and terrific bat speed. He extends at-bats by spitting on pitchers' pitches and fouling off pitches on the black. He makes the opposition work. Hacopian is an adjustable hitter who rarely gives away an at-bat or a pitch for that matter. He's as tough an out as you'll find.

Perhaps the only thing missing from his shining offensive profile is a greater emphasis pulling the baseball in the air. His ground ball rates are the only thing holding him back from being a Golden Spikes nominee and a potential top five pick in the Draft. Turning the ringing singles through the hole into blistered balls over the left field fence would elevate his profile into a new tier. For the time being, it's plus bat-to-ball skills, it's plus raw power, and it's a plus approach. Hacopian has a chance to be a special hitter at the next level if he can unlock just one more gear.

The frame is mostly maxed in terms of physical projection, but he can handle third base at an average level with average arm strength. Hacopian played a great deal of shortstop at Maryland, but flipped to third base on the Cape leading into the 2026 season. He's a more natural fit at the hot corner. Hacopian has a tendency to throw across the diamond from a lower arm slot causing his throws to loop and tail back into the first baseman. It hasn't led to many throwing errors at this point, but it is a throwing style scouts generally scoff at at the amateur level. It's by no means a disqualifier of any kind. Guys like Nolan Arenado, Alex Rodriguez and Kyle Seager employed similar throwing styles for their entire careers. While Hacopian isn't a dynamic defender, he is deliberate with his technique and possesses a strong internal clock. He rarely rushes his throws and has strong feel for the game.

While the bat shines and the glove does its job, Hacopian isn't a burner. He's a below average runner who clocks 4.50+ times home-to-first base. He's not going to add much value in the stolen base department and he will likely struggle to take the extra base at times.

Hacopian has top-ten pick traits and tools. He's one of the better college hitters to come through over the course of the last couple of years. He'll need to continue to mash considering the limitations on the bases and with the glove. He's been one of the most consistent hitters in college baseball going back to his freshman year.