Grady Emerson has risen to the top of MLB Pipeline's updated Top 250 prospects for the 2026 Draft. Roch Cholowsky remains the slight favorite to be selected first overall by the White Sox.
Grady Emerson, a shortstop from Fort Worth Christian High School in Texas, now ranks No. 1 on the list released this week. He is viewed by many teams as having the highest upside and as the top hitter available.
Roch Cholowsky, the UCLA shortstop who entered the year as the leading candidate, has dropped to No. 2. He led UCLA to the top ranking and earned Big Ten player of the year honors for the second straight season.
The 2026 MLB Draft is scheduled to begin July 11 with the White Sox holding the first pick. Cholowsky is still projected by some analysts as the likely selection despite Emerson's rise in the rankings.
The new top 10 also includes Vahn Lackey at No. 3, Jackson Flora at No. 4 and Jacob Lombard at No. 5.