This week, MLB Pipeline released its first 2026 MLB Draft prospect rankings. UCLA infielder Roch Cholowsky took the number one overall spot.
One of the biggest things that stood out in the MLB Pipeline rankings was that nine players from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) are in the top 25.
The highest-ranked SEC player is Alabama Crimson Tide shortstop Justin Lebron. He is the third-ranked 2026 MLB Draft prospect behind Cholowsky and Fort Worth Christian High School Prospect Grady Emerson. Emerson is also a Texas Longhorn commit.
LSU’s Derek Curiel ranked sixth on the 2026 MLB Draft prospect board. He is coming off a national championship freshman season with the Tigers. He was also the 2025 National Freshman of the Year.
Florida pitcher Liam Peterson is the highest-ranked SEC pitcher. He is 13th overall in the 2026 MLB Draft prospect rankings. In 2025, he had a 4.28 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 69 1/3 innings of work.
Incoming Maryland transfer Chris Hacopian ranked 16th in the 2026 MLB Draft prospect rankings. He will be playing in the SEC for the Texas A&M Aggies during the 2026 college baseball season.
Shortly behind Hacopian is Mississippi State star Ace Reese. He ranked 18th in the 2026 MLB Draft prospect rankings and was the SEC Newcomer of the Year in 2025.
Texas A&M veteran Caden Sorrell ranked 20th in the 2026 MLB Draft prospect rankings. He has a .296 career batting average with the Aggies and 23 home runs.
Kentucky’s Tyler Bell ranked 22nd in the 2026 MLB Draft Prospect rankings. Bell was a freshman All-American in 2025. He chose the collegiate route after being drafted 66th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Arkansas pitcher Gabe Gaeckle ranks 24th in the 2026 MLB Draft prospect rankings. He helped lead the Razorbacks to the College World Series in 2025 with a 4.42 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 71.1 innings of work.
Rounding out the top 25 rankings is Auburn’s Chris Rembert. In 2025, he was a freshman All-American and second-team All-SEC. He had a .344 batting average and a .467 on-base percentage with the Tigers.
The 2026 MLB Draft will be June 11-12 during the MLB’s All-Star week in Philadelphia.
NCAA News: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Alabama infielder Justin Lebron (1) during an NCAA baseball game on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
