Alright, so I spent some time today trying to piece together a 2026 MLB mock draft. Yeah, I know, it’s ridiculously early. Most of these players are probably still figuring out their prom dates, not worrying about where they’ll get drafted in two years.
First thing I did was just try to gather names. It’s not like there are established lists everywhere for 2026 yet. You gotta dig a bit more. I started looking at some of the top high school showcases from last summer and fall. Watched some shaky phone videos, read some blurbs on sites that track prep talent way too early.
Gathering the Raw Material
So, I basically just opened a text file and started jotting down names that popped up repeatedly. Pitchers throwing hard, hitters with smooth swings, guys who looked toolsy even in grainy footage. Didn’t worry too much about order or anything yet, just wanted a pool of guys.
- Checked out Perfect Game stuff.
- Looked at Baseball America’s early watches.
- Scanned some college recruiting class rankings for potential impact freshmen in ’25 who might be draft-eligible sophomores in ’26.
It’s tough, man. You’re projecting kids who haven’t even finished growing, let alone played high-level college ball for the most part. It feels like pure guesswork. You see a kid throwing 95mph as a junior, you put him on the list. You see a shortstop making slick plays, you add him too.
Trying to Make Sense of It
After getting maybe 40-50 names, I started trying to put them into some kind of rough order. This part is mostly gut feeling. Who looks like they have the highest ceiling? Who seems a bit safer? Which body types project better?
I tried thinking about team needs, but seriously, who knows what teams will need in 2026? Rebuilds start, contenders fade. So I mostly ditched that and just went with what looked like the best available talent at each imaginary pick.
I put together a top 10. Then I rearranged it. Then I swapped a few guys out based on reading another short report or seeing a new clip. Then I looked at it again and thought, “This is probably all wrong.” But you gotta start somewhere.
The Actual Mocking Process
Finally, I opened up a spreadsheet. Put the projected 2026 draft order down one column (which is another guess, based on current terrible teams staying terrible). Then I just started slotting in names from my rough list.
It felt kind of silly, honestly. Assigning specific players to specific teams two years out. But I went through the first round, 30 picks. Moved guys around based on… well, not much more than a whim sometimes. Maybe I liked a pitcher’s mechanics a bit more, or a hitter’s power potential seemed huge.
There were definitely a few names I felt stronger about placing high up. Guys who seem like the real deal even now. But beyond the top 5 or 10? It’s a crapshoot.
So, that’s the process. Scrounge for names, watch some video, make a rough list based on potential, guess at team needs (or ignore them), and then just plug guys into spots. It’s done, it exists. Will it be accurate? Absolutely not. But it was an interesting exercise to see who the very early names to watch might be. Now I just gotta remember where I saved the file so I can laugh at it in two years.
