Initial Selections Unveiled
The first round of this year’s amateur draft has concluded, with teams making their initial selections. The Chicago White Sox began by picking Roch Cholowsky, a shortstop from UCLA. Following this, the Tampa Bay Rays selected Grady Emerson, a shortstop from Fort Worth Christian High School in Texas.
The Minnesota Twins then chose Vahn Lackey, a catcher from Georgia Tech. The San Francisco Giants opted for Jackson Flora, a right-handed pitcher from UC Santa Barbara. The Pittsburgh Pirates picked Derek Curiel, an outfielder from LSU.
The Kansas City Royals selected Zion Rose, an outfielder from the University of Louisville. The Baltimore Orioles chose Eric Booth Jr., an outfielder from Oak Grove High School in Mississippi. The Athletics picked Drew Burress, an outfielder from Georgia Tech.
The Atlanta Braves selected AJ Gracia, an outfielder from the University of Virginia. The Colorado Rockies chose Tyler Bell, a shortstop from the University of Kentucky. The Washington Nationals picked Chris Hacopian, a second baseman from Texas A&M.
The Los Angeles Angels selected Jared Grindlinger, a left-handed pitcher and outfielder from Huntington Beach High School in California. The St. Louis Cardinals chose Trevor Condon, an outfielder from Etowah High School in Georgia. The Miami Marlins picked Jacob Lombard, a shortstop from Gulliver Prep in Florida.
Further First-Round Picks
The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Ryder Helfrick, a catcher from the University of Arkansas. The Texas Rangers chose Gio Rojas, a left-handed pitcher from Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. The Houston Astros picked Logan Hughes, an outfielder from Texas Tech.
The Cincinnati Reds selected Justin Lebron, a shortstop from the University of Alabama. The Cleveland Guardians chose Liam Peterson, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Florida. The Boston Red Sox picked Jake Schaffner, a shortstop from the University of North Carolina.
The San Diego Padres selected Coleman Borthwick, a right-handed pitcher from South Walton High School in Florida. The Detroit Tigers chose Cameron Flukey, a right-handed pitcher from Coastal Carolina University. The Chicago Cubs picked Cade Townsend, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Mississippi.
The Seattle Mariners selected Ace Reese, a third baseman from Mississippi State. Finally, the Milwaukee Brewers chose Trey Ebel, a shortstop from Corona High School in California, completing the first round of selections.
Draft Structure and Remaining Rounds
The first round officially consisted of 25 picks. Several teams, including the Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, and Dodgers, had their first-round selections dropped back by 10 slots. The Mets’ first choice will be the 27th overall pick, while the Yankees will choose 35th, the Phillies 36th, the Jays 39th, and the Dodgers 40th.
The draft is scheduled over two days. The first 135 picks, encompassing the first four proper rounds, two Competitive Balance Rounds, four compensatory picks, and Prospect Promotion Incentive picks for the Braves and Astros, are expected to be made today. Rounds 5-20 are slated to take place tomorrow, July 12.
The Pirates will also have two picks in the second round, having received the 51st overall pick as compensation for not signing Angel Cervantes, who was the 50th overall selection in the 2026 draft.
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Source: blogs.fangraphs.com
