New 2026 MLB Draft Big Board from Keith Law Drops with White Sox Holding No. 1 Pick

UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky is still seen as the top prospect in college baseball with just over three months to go until the 2026 MLB draft, according to the latest big board from The Athletic's Keith Law.

Law reported Thursday, however, there is "at least a little uncertainty" as to whether Cholowsky will remain on top of his big board by the time the draft begins July 11 in Philadelphia.

"[Cholowsky's] still the top player in the class and the player I would still say is most likely to go No. 1, but both of those statements are weaker than they were two months ago," Law wrote.

Cholowsky is slashing .352/.475/.728 through 32 games with the Bruins with 19 walks and 19 strikeouts.

He also has 13 home runs and 41 RBI, and he could be a contender for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award after finishing last season as a semifinalist.

Those numbers apparently haven't been enough to separate him entirely from Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey, who Law wrote is now "generating 1-1 comments from national scouts" after slashing .414/.531/.819 with 26 walks and 18 strikeouts in 32 games.

Lackey also has 11 home runs and 42 RBI, and he recently showed off his fielding flexibility by becoming the first player in Georgia Tech history to play eight defensive positions in the same game.

Lackey is currently listed as the No. 2 prospect on Law's big board ahead of UC Santa Barbara right-handed pitcher Jackson Flora at No. 3.

Flora's fastball averaged 97 mph in 2025, per MLB.com, and he's touched 100 miles per hour this season. Law described him as "easily the No. 1 pitcher in the class and the only one I think with any chance to go as the top pick."

The Chicago White Sox currently hold the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, followed by the Tampa Bay Rays at No. 2 and the Minnesota Twins at No. 3.

How Cholowsky, Lackey and Flora perform down the stretch of the college season could potentially impact who is at the top of those clubs; draft boards by the time the event kicks off this July.