With the 2026 MLB Draft less than a week away, we’ll take a look at what the Rays are expected to do with their first round picks. We will update this as new versions of mock drafts are published through the day before the draft.
Baseball America
In BA’s latest mock draft, they’ve got the Rays selecting Grady Emerson with their second overall pick.
Emerson is a 6’3 lefty-hitting prep shortstop and arguably the best pure hitter in the class. It’s a comfortably plus hit tool thanks to a smooth swing, advanced approach,
and ability to spray the ball to all fields. Emerson projects to grow into above-average power given his size and athleticism. He also features a strong arm and plus instincts that should allow him to stick at shortstop.
There’s the chance that Roch Cholowsky could go to the Rays too, but it’s more about what the White Sox do with the first pick.
Cholowsky is polished 6’2 college shortstop with an impressive track record to match his above-average tools across the board. He’s an advanced hitter who both controls the strike zone and has solid contact skills. He already has plus power from the right side to pair with his strong hit tool. He’s essentially a lock to stick at shortstop given his arm strength, lateral quickness, and soft hands.
Vahn Lackey has a chance to go here too. Lackey is a 6’2 right-handed hitting catcher with plus power. He’s already a solid defender with a plus arm, and his athleticism suggests even more room for growth that could make him one of the better defensive catchers in the league someday. Lackey’s impact on both sides of the ball would more than justify taking him at the top of the draft.
Things get a little more fuzzy at 33, but BA has high school SS Taj Marchand going to the Rays. They’ve been scouting him all spring and are drawn to his ability to impact the baseball from the right side of the plate. He has quick hands in the batter’s box and in the field. His projectable frame at 6’2 suggests more power could be on the way, and his arm strength is plus right now.
MLB Pipeline
Pipeline has the Rays also taking Emerson in their latest mock draft, and like BA, the Rays could also take Cholowsky if the White Sox pass on him. It’ll likely come down to Emerson vs Lackey, but ultimately they’re expecting it to be Emerson.
Pipeline has the Rays selecting high school 3B/C Cole Prosek with the 33rd pick. He’s a left-handed hitter with advanced feel for the barrel and the potential to grow into solid power in his 6’1 frame. A great athlete with a plus arm, Prosek looks like he could stick behind the plate or the left side of the infield.
ESPN
In his latest mock with ESPN, Kiley McDaniel has the Rays picking Emerson. Lackey could also be taken second overall, but McDaniel doesn’t think it would be at enough of a discount to make it worth the while. Interestingly, he mentions there’s some buzz surrounding college RHP Jackson Flora on a significant pay-cut, but it’s unlikely.
An even longer shot is college SS Tyler Bell – who was selected by the Rays in the Comp B round in 2024 but opted to go to the University of Kentucky. Bell is a switch-hitting, 6’1 shortstop with average or better tools across the board. His athletic testing data suggests there could be more power on the way if he can get the ball in the air more frequently. His approach teeters on passive at times, but his contact ability is solid from both sides of the plate. Bell should continue to play a strong shortstop as he advances through pro-ball.
Flora is the top pitcher in this year’s class. He’s a physical, 6’5 righty with multiple above-average pitches. His fastball sits in the mid-to-upper 90s and he can reach back for 100 at times. Flora’s advanced feel for spin allows him to throw a pair of solid breaking balls, and he even features a relatively new kick-change that could end up being his best secondary someday. His combination of stuff and command could allow him to move quickly through any system.
McDaniel has the Rays taking high school SS Archer Horn with pick 33. He’s a plus athlete who could stick at the position thanks to a strong arm. Horn also has solid bat speed from the left side, and that bat speed combined with his 6’2 frame suggests above-average power is on the way despite an unrefined hit tool. Stanford commits typically make it to campus, so a team that really wants Horn may have to go over-slot to land him.
The Athletic
Keith Law of the Athletic has the Rays selecting Lackey with the second overall pick. He’s a pretty safe bet to be at least a solid defensive catcher given his tools and track record. His above average power makes him and patience at the plate could make him a solid offensive contributor as well. Interestingly, Law doesn’t mention Emerson among the other possibilities for the Rays. He instead mentions Cholowsky, Flora, and Bell. He doesn’t take a crack at mocking the 33rd overall pick or any of the Comp A round selections.
FanGraphs
Not yet published!
Of note, The Board at FanGraphs lists Virginia CF A.J. Garcia at No. 2 overall as the highest ranked 50 FV prospect (Cholowsky at No. 1 is the only 55 FV prospect). Garcia is a left handed 6’3” power hitter with a well rounded profile that could stick in center. After Garcia the site ranks Flora, Emerson, and then Lackey as the other 50’s.
We will circle back with an updated mock draft round-up later this week.
