2026 MLB Draft Recap: Best picks and biggest steals
USA TODAY Sports' Gabe Lacques breaks down the biggest storylines from the 2026 MLB Draft, including Roch Cholowsky going No. 1 overall to the White Sox
Video Transcript
Major League Baseball's draft began with few surprises, with UCLA shortstop Rock Cholowski going number one off the board to the Chicago White Sox.
But it was an interesting and unusual draft.
15 of the first 16 players taken were hitters, a record for the draft.
But that only meant that pitchers had greater value in the first round, and several teams pounced, most notably the Detroit Tigers nabbing Cameron Fluker with the 22nd overall pick.
A few questionable selections, most notably the Royals drafting Zion Rose fifth overall, which was significantly higher than he was expected to go.
Others played it smartly.
The Atlanta Braves signed college outfielders AJ Gracia and Carter Beck early, enabling them to grab prized prep pitchers, including Jensen Hirschkorn of California, who was expected to go much higher, but was popped in the third round
