2026 MLB Draft - Top 500 Prospects

Lackey is the most well-rounded prospect in the 2026 class. A catcher by trade, he's got the flexibility, athleticism and arm strength to play the position as a professional. It's at least plus arm strength with the athleticism the generate pop times to second base under 1.75 seconds. Elite catch-and-throw. Lackey is slightly above average with regards to pitch framing; better stealing the north and south strikes than he is pulling the ball back into the zone when a pitcher misses arm-side or glove-side. Certainly a trait he can develop with further reps behind the dish. He's exceptional at blocking the ball in the dirt and is decorated throwing would-be base stealers out at second base as well as back-picking first base. Lackey gets up and out of the crouch with elite burst and flashes pop times that point toward a plus defender long-term, maybe better.

It's hard to poke many holes in Lackey's offensive game. He's well-above average from a bat-to-ball perspective and his peak batted-ball events have resulted in exit velocities north of 112 mph. There are components and traits here that suggest a plus hitter at the next level with the ability to perhaps run into 25 homers per year thanks to his above-average raw power. He'll need to pull the ball with more frequency and cover the bottom of the strike zone with a bit better plane. Lackey needs to get the ball in the air more often on pitches in the lower-half if he's to realize his impact potential with the stick, but he's shown the raw strength and feel to get there. Better still, Lackey has the athletic frame scouts like to see from a catcher who still has some strength gains on the horizon.

As if the defensive ability and hit tool upside weren't enough, Lackey is also a rare-breed catcher who has plus speed on the bases. He'll steal bases in buckets when the legs are fresh.

Lackey is a special player. He's an outlier with respect to the sport. Not only are the tools rare, his personality and leadership qualities are infectious. His performance track record has only gotten better year over year, showcasing the type of trajectory teams like to see with their first pick. Lackey has all the same traits that a player like JT Realmuto. It feels a bit lazy from a comparison perspective, but it's difficult to find this blend of speed and power from a player behind the plate. Lackey also played every single position on the field this spring with the exception of pitcher. He's a unicorn. This is a top five pick and one of the better college catchers the sport has ever seen.

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 and it's elevated almost every part of his game.

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 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. His frame is just about at peak physical state and likely shouldn't carry much more strength if he's to hang onto his premium athleticism.

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.

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 approached 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.

When Jacob Lombard's older brother George was drafted in the first round by the New York Yankees in 2023, the bar was set. Three years later, Jacob has a chance to one-up his older brother. And likely will.

The tools here have a chance to be era-defining.

Lombard deploys an athletic, rhythmic setup at the plate with quick hands and a compact, short path through the zone. He has present power with big exit velocities to all fields and has been known to inside-out the ball into the right-center field gap with authority. This is a player who could grow into 70-grade raw power all whilst manning a premium infield position.

Lombard's hit tool has continuously improved year over year. It's become one of the most advanced and polished swings in the class. He hardly ever expands the zone. It's big and loud and often in the air to the pull-side. The components are there for Lombard to become one of the more impressive slugging prospects any draft has seen over the last handful of years. There's physicality and projection in the offensive profile. Superstar traits.

Lombard has become more physical over the past calendar year but it's hardly cost him a step on the dirt. He's a 70-grade runner with fluid and quick-twitch actions necessary to play shortstop as a pro. The arm strength is probably the tool lacking the most impact, but it's still squarely average and is on pace to fit the shortstop position as he matures. If it never comes, Lombard could still develop into an extremely potent centerfielder or third base profile. His instincts, actions, internal clock and hands are all befitting of a future '6' in the big leagues. As long as he doesn't out grow the position, his talent will fit there.

Lombard with his pedigree and bloodlines are on a short list of players with franchise-altering ceiling. He brings back shades of Manny Machado.