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White Sox Pick Cholowsky; Rays Grab Lackey in Top Five

6/27/2026

32 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

White Sox Draft

Chicago White Sox are projected to pick shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 selection in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Tampa Bay Rays are expected to take Georgia catcher Vahn Lackey at No. 2 because of his power and defense.
Minnesota Twins are projected to select Fort Worth Christian shortstop Grady Emerson with the No. 3 pick.
Giants and Pirates are projected to choose Jacob Lombard at No. 4 and Jackson Flora at No. 5.

Summary

MLB Combine Highlights

The MLB Draft Combine ran June 23-26 at Chase Field in Phoenix with 140 high-school players.
Noah Wilson of McCallie School set a record with 3.497-second 30-yard dash.
Genson Veras (TNXL Academy) hit a 443-foot home run and posted a 114 mph exit velocity on Day 2.
Dominic Santarelli logged the highest exit velocity at 110.9 mph (peak 115.1 mph), leading LSU coaches to say showings of Lucas Nawrocki and CJ Weinstein could affect enrollment.

History

Historical Context

The inaugural MLB amateur draft was held June 8-9 1965 in New York, with the Kansas City Athletics picking outfielder Rick Monday first among 813 selected players. The draft, designed to curb wealthier clubs’ advantage and now using a lottery, created a scouting model that the 2026 Draft Combine in Phoenix follows as the Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins chase high-school prospects.

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White Sox Draft

Chicago White Sox are projected to pick shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 selection in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Tampa Bay Rays are expected to take Georgia catcher Vahn Lackey at No. 2 because of his power and defense.
Minnesota Twins are projected to select Fort Worth Christian shortstop Grady Emerson with the No. 3 pick.
Giants and Pirates are projected to choose Jacob Lombard at No. 4 and Jackson Flora at No. 5.

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