The first official mock draft has been released by MLB.com and reporter Jim Callis is predicting that the Pittsburgh Pirates will select the best pitcher in the class.
With the fifth overall pick, the Pirates are projected to draft right handed pitcher Jackson Flora out of UC Santa Barbara. This year Flora has been looked at as the consensus best pitcher in the class. The Junior righty has a 9-0 record in 2026 and leads NCAA Division I in earned run average with a 0.73 ERA this year.
Flora is ranked
as the fourth overall prospect in this year’s class and has clearly separated himself from the rest of the arms that will be featured during the draft. At 6’5” Flora possesses an athletic build that helps him pack a punch with his fastballs. His heaters are on average in the mid-90’s range and regularly touch triple digits. His mid-80’s slider has developed as another strong pitch in his repertoire, while his changeup has become a solid second pitch in his arsenal.
The California native has enjoyed a solid three-year career at UC Santa Barbara. Flora’s freshman season saw him used mostly as a relief pitcher out of the pen, but he exploded onto the scene as a sophomore in 2025. As a second year player, Flora helped lead the Gauchos to a 36-18 record, and compiled 86 strikeouts with a 3.60 ERA and a 6-3 record as a starter. As the top pitcher in the country Flora and the Gauchos currently have a 32-15 record.
Flora fits the mold of pitchers that the Pirates have liked to bring in over the past couple of years. The tall athletic build coupled with a strong fastball first approach is the blueprint used for most of Pittsburgh’s starters, and Flora could be a great addition to that group if he’s still available fifth overall.
The MLB Draft starts on July 11 during the All-Star break in Philadelphia.
