On July 2, Grady Emerson became the number one prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft, according to MLB Pipeline. Emerson jumped ahead of UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, who previously held the number one spot.
World Baseball Network looks at why Emerson is now the number one draft prospect with the MLB Draft a little over a week away.
A Look at Emerson and his profile for the draft
Emerson is an 18-year-old shortstop prospect who just wrapped up his senior season playing for Fort Worth Christian High School in Texas. In his senior season in high school baseball, Emerson batted .523 and had an on-base percentage of .648. He also hit seven home runs, had 50 RBIs, and stole 31 bases.
MLB Pipeline labels Emerson’s as “underrated with the glove” on defense. He was a great defender for Fort Worth Christian with a .992 fielding percentage.
The scouting report for MLB Pipeline also states that Emerson has advanced skills when hitting the ball from the left side. It also states that he is projected to be a “25-home run player” in the future due to his projectable strength and bat speed. However, Emerson does not necessarily sell out for power and takes plenty of quality at-bats.
Why did Cholowsky drop to the number two spot?
Cholowsky now sits at number two overall in MLB Pipeline’s prospect rankings after Emerson usurped him. Why is this the case?
In 2026, Cholowsky saw a slight drop in his offensive numbers for the Bruins. His batting average went from .353 in 2025 to .320 in 2026. He hit 21 home runs this season instead of 23, as he did in 2025. He also saw drops in his OPS, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and RBIs.
Defensively, Cholowsky’s fielding percentage also went from .978 in 2025 to .965 this season. He had one more error this year than he did a season ago as well.
It is important to note that the UCLA prospect still put together a major season despite his numbers falling. He still was the 2026 Big Ten Player of the Year and was a Golden Spikes Award finalist.
There is also the age factor. Cholowsky is 21 years old, three years older than Emerson, who is fresh out of high school. Although not a major difference, that age gap can mean all the difference in development timelines between the two players. Emerson may provide MLB organizations with more time to develop and eventually play at the Major League level.
2026 MLB Draft Date, Time, and Order
The 2026 MLB Draft will be Saturday, July 11, in Philadelphia during MLB All-Star week. The first round of the draft begins at 1 p.m. ET and will be split between NBC, Peacock, and MLB Network.
Here is the order for the 2026 MLB Draft (Picks 1-25):
- Chicago White Sox
- Tampa Bay Rays
- Minnesota Twins
- San Francisco Giants
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- Kansas City Royals
- Baltimore Orioles
- Athletics
- Atlanta Braves
- Colorado Rockies
- Washington Nationals
- Los Angeles Angels
- St. Louis Cardinals
- Miami Marlins
- Arizona Diamondbacks
- Texas Rangers
- Houston Astros
- Cincinnati Reds
- Cleveland Guardians
- Boston Red Sox
- San Diego Padres
- Detroit Tigers
- Chicago Cubs
- Seattle Mariners
- Milwaukee Brewers
More MLB News: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb
PHOTO: Grady Emerson, right, a shortstop from Fort Worth Christian High School, talks with former MLB player and current baseball commentator Harold Reynolds at the MLB baseball combine in Phoenix, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
