New MLB Mock Draft 2026 Revealed by Keith Law, Who Is No. 1 Now and How Does It Compare to B/R?

Keith Law opted for a new candidate to lead off his 2026 MLB mock draft days out from the event.

The Athletic expert pegged prep shortstop Grady Emerson to go first overall to the Chicago White Sox. Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey was his projected choice in his mock 2.0 from mid-June.

Here's the updated top 10 from Law:

Pick	Player
1. White Sox	SS Grady Emerson, Fort Worth Christian School (TX)
2. Rays	C Vahn Lackey, Georgia Tech
3. Twins	SS Roch Cholowsky, UCLA
4. Giants	SS Jacob Lombard, Gulliver Prep (FL)
5. Pirates	RHP Jackson Flora, UC Santa Barbara
6. Royals	LHP Mason Edwards, USC
7. Orioles	OF Eric Booth Jr., Oak Grove HS (MS)
8. Athletics	OF Drew Burress, Georgia Tech
9. Braves	LHP Gio Rojas, Stoneman Douglas HS (FL)
10. Rockies	SS Tyler Bell, Kentucky

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter also had Emerson as the No. 1 pick in the mock he dropped Monday. UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, another possible candidate for the White Sox, went second to the Tampa Bay Rays instead of Lackey.

"The Rays may have the widest mix in the top three, as it seems like they could still take Lackey, Roch Cholowsky, Jackson Flora or Tyler Bell, the latter on an under-slot deal to preserve some money for subsequent picks," Law wrote. "I do get the sense that Lackey is their top choice, as he might be a generational talent and the solution to the Rays' nearly 30-year problem behind the plate, too."

Lackey hit .397 with 20 home runs and 78 RBI in 61 games with the Yellow Jackets. His .772 slugging percentage was also 12th-best in Division I.

Cholowsky boasted a .320/.452/.636 slash line and had a team-high 21 homers. Law called him "the safer choice" for the White Sox, but Chicago may prefer to take a bigger swing on a younger, more toolsy player.

Law and Reuter greatly diverged on their outlooks for USC pitcher Mason Edwards.

Reuter had him slotted at No. 25, the final pick of the first round. Law listed the southpaw all the way up at No. 6, but that was partially due to a dedicated strategy by the Kansas City Royals:

"The Royals could very well go for Jacob Lombard or Eric Booth Jr., but there's been a rumor for about two months now that they would love to get a college pitcher here, perhaps on a discount (Edwards would certainly come in well under slot), so they can grab several higher-upside high school picks later on, especially since scouting director Brian Bridges appears to have hit already on recent high school picks Josh Hammond and David Shields."

Reuter foresees the Royals betting on prep outfielder/pitcher Jared Grindlinger. Kansas City has experience investing serious draft capital in a two-way star, though Jac Caglianone had done it collegiately at Florida.

Given the state of the Royals' farm system, gambling on high-upside high school talent in 2026 makes sense, whether that's through a top-10 selection or some fliers further down the board.