2026 PBA Draft Review

[Commissioner Erick]

The 2026 draft was a pretty weak one. Most talent was taken early in the draft, then distributed fairly randomly throughout the class. Any impactful player selected was enough to warrant a strong grade, though numerous teams ended up with bad grades, if not failing ones.


Arizona Diamondbacks:

First Round: (7) Brad Sides—2B
Second Round: (5) Dustin Martin—P
Second Round: Mike McGinn—SS (40) Pick acquired from Kansas City, along with Danny Weatherwax, and Ryan Youngblood for Quentin Holmes)
Third Round: (7) Alex Garcia—CF

Other Trades: Acquired fifth round pick (Ryan Reed) from Kansas City for 30th round pick (Aaron Nabers)

Best Player: (5) Ryan Reed—LF

Best Deep Cut: (20) Chris Berman—P

Total ML WAR: 1.4

Review: Arizona had an early pick in a weak draft, needing to nail a pick most assured of being a talented player. Instead, they drafted Ryan Sides, a Quad-A player, without the bat to play in the PBA, nor the defensive skills to play premium positions defensively. Roger Turk was selected one pick after Sides.

Dustin Martin was Arizona’s next pick, grabbed early in the second round. Martin, throws hard, his ball sinks, and his curveball snaps down out of the zone. He racks up strikeouts and misses the sweet spot of bats. Hitters have also realized, that if they simply don’t swing, Martin’s powers are neutralized. He’s walked 226 batters in 256.1 career innings, leading to the highest career walk rate of any pitcher who has ever pitched 200 career innings. Adam Holmgren was taken one pick after Martin.

Arizona made two trades with Kansas City. The first one saw them acquire Danny Weatherwax, Ryan Youngblood, and a pick that became Mike McGinn for Quentin Holmes. He doesn’t have the range to be a full time Shortstop, nor the bat to play anywhere else, McGinn at least profiles as a solid utility infielder who will hit enough to not be a liability at the plate. In this draft, that’s fine. Weatherwax played 35 games for Arizona before being waived, and Youngblood played eight games before being trades. Holmes had an aberrational career year in 2026, but in 2027, his bat returned to its normal career level where Holmes put up 1.7 WAR in 87 starts, almost entirely on the strength of outstanding Center Field defense and a determination to not strike out. His bat eroded further, and his glove fell off in 2028 and he was sub-replacement level, his last year in the PBA.

The quantity of the return wasn’t great. McGinn is still young enough to keep providing value, but it’s questionable whether or not he’ll put up the 5.4 WAR Holmes did in Kansas City.

Arizona’s other trade with the Royals was a steal, grabbing a fifth rounder that became Ryan Reed, for a 30th rounder that turned into Aaron Nabers. Nabers is in A-ball, and won’t ever pitch above maybe High-A. Reed clubbed 42 homers and drove in 104 runs as a rookie and provided value with his arm in Right Field as well. Getting a productive player in the fifth round, and only giving up a 30th rounder is awesome work.

Arizona’s third round pick was used on Alex Garcia, who has already retired, as has fourth rounder Matt Brandenburg, and fifth rounder Justin Carothers. Seventh rounder Leo Clark could hit some bombs in Triple-A someday, while 20th rounder Chris Berman looks like a strong Triple-A arm if he can recover from a torn UCL

Grade: C. The Reed trade saves the draft, ensuring Arizona got a plus player from it. Their other picks in the first two rounds have shown enough to not be Fs, helping overcome a lack of depth from the class to nab a C grade.


Atlanta Braves:

First Round: (33) Rey Vega—LF
Second Round: (37) Josh Barnes—2B
Third Round: (39) Mike Talaga—C

Best Player: Josh Barnes

Best Deep Cut: (21) Kyle Grimes—P

Total ML WAR: 4.9

Review: The Braves fared relatively well in this draft; not a HR but a quality hit double. You might say however that they were called out at 3rd by not making some prudent decisions with their player's fate...

The Braves selected Rey Vega with their late 1st round pick. He was a mild gamble insofar that he had meddling fielding prospects but big bat and eye potential. It was a miff, but they weren't alone as there doesn't appear to be a plethora of quality lined up behind this pick.

Their second pick was their best in Second Baseman Josh Barnes. He is a stellar fielder with very good power and clutch hitting. He lacks contact, but has carried an above average OPS into the majors; unfortunately not for the Braves. They let him languish in Single A for 3 years, where he was a star. He was the league MVP in 2029, which usually leads to putting on waivers? The Nationals pounced and have found themselves a quality Second Baseman who has produced 5.2 WAR in two years with them. Draft success but management failure......

Third round pick Catcher Mike Talaga is another peculiar languisher in Rookie ball for the past 3 years. I don't think he has the bat to make it beyond AAA but he could likely be a very serviceable minor leaguer if given the opportunity.

Fourth round Pick Third Baseman Greg Metke never materialized. Fifth round pick Phillip Macdonald is a very good Second Baseman and had makings of being a bit of a steal in the round based on his scouting draft report. Unfortunately, his potential dwindled fast.

With their sixth and seventh pick the Braves continued their trend of taking a swing on power potential bats with questionable contact in Second Baseman Seth Barricklow and Right Fielder John Langdale. Both are, and will remain, questionable.

The Braves kept trying and pressing throughout the draft and scored a couple of depth pitchers late in the draft which deserves a pat on the back.

First is also their deep cut in P Kyle Grimes with 21st round pick. While he won't win any awards, he can provide long relief for most any PBA pen or easily fill 5th/6th starter slot on most teams. Similarly, Bryan Beauvais chosen in the 23rd round also fits this bill.

Grade: B-. The Braves produced three players who will likely produce PBA stats which is a success in most instances. Though they mishandled Barnes, they did draft the right player.


Baltimore Orioles:

First Round: (34) Pick traded to Minnesota along with Gabe Bonilla, Antonio Vasquez, Jake Shirey, Chris Yera, Tim Newbold, and Nihat Ecevit for Wessel Russchen. Pick became Lothar Vorstermans
Supplemental Round: (4) Arturo Figuiedo—Compensation for not signing Luis Robert
Second Round: (38) Rocky McBryde—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (8) Pick received from St. Louis, along with Alex Reyes for Dave Ulloa and Edward Soto. Pick then traded to Seattle, along with Reese McGuire, Caleb Swift, Chad Woods, and $1 million for Francisco DeJesus, and Nick Collins. Pick became Tim Evans
Third Round: (40) Mike Mezera—RF

Best Player: (4) Brian Hyslop—P

Best Deep Cut: (14) Danny Grant—P

Total ML WAR: -0.4

Review: Baltimore had an active draft in terms of trades and compensation picks. The made a blockbuster trade ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, acquiring Wessel Russchen for a massive cost. They gave up future 2028 MVP Gabe Bonilla, 2031 Reliever of the Year Tim Newbold, one time elite prospect and #1 prospect Trixie Yera—who has been an elite arm—solid mid-rotation arm Jake Shirey, busted prospect Antonio Vasquez, and missed draft pick Lothar Vorstermans. They acquired young superstar Wessel Russchen, who has dealt with injuries, and had a human 2031, but is the 2027 MVP, the 2030 MVP runner up, a Gold Glove winner, a Platinum Stick winner, and a World Series MVP in Baltimore.

It’s a fascinating trade. Russchen has been worth 44 WAR with Baltimore so far. The traded players have been worth 54 WAR. Russchen has provided his value as a Center Fielder, which is exceptional, but they also gave up Bonilla, another sensational Center Fielder. Russchen is still only 29 so he should continue to provide MVP-caliber value, but he also has shown he may get hurt at any time. Despite how awesome Russchen has been, it appears to be a fairly neutral trade with each team getting a ton and giving up a ton.

The Orioles couldn’t hold on to Luis Robert after the 2025 season, getting a Supplemental Round pick after he went to Los Angeles had four very successful years at roughly $20 million a year. The Compensation pick turned into Arturo Figueiedo, who never pitched in the PBA and retired at 26. Not great.

The Orioles drafted but didn’t sign second rounder Rocky McBryde, a career minor leaguer. The comp pick turned into career minor leaguer Jon Valdez. They drafted and did sign their own third rounder Mike Mezera, but he’s already out of baseball.

They received an extra third rounder from St. Louis taking on Alex Reyes and giving up Edward Soto and Dave Ulloa. They then flipped the pick, which became Tim Evans, to Seattle along with Reese McGuire, Caleb Swift, Chad Woods, and $1 million, for Francisco DeJesus and Nick Collins.

They netted out with two seasons of DeJesus, one good year from Reyes, and took on a year of about $2 million of dead Nick Collins money. DeJesus was ordinary his first year with Baltimore with a .235 average dragging down 36 homers. His next season saw the average bounce to .275, and the homers jump to 46. He led the league in strikeouts, but the power was worth it. However, Baltimore missed the playoffs in 2027, meaning DeJesus only helped with one strong playoff run.

They gave up some interesting pieces. Edward Soto didn’t have a ton of opportunities in the PBA to impress, but he didn’t do enough in the limited chances he had. He became a Triple-A force before utterly annihilating the Meridian League in 2031 with 113 homers (!!!), 223 RBIs (!!!), 158 runs scored, a 1.011 Slugging percentage (!!!), a 1.435 OPS (!!!), a 257 OPS+, and 14.7 WAR (!!!). Obviously the Meridian League is not the PBA, but it’s hard to imagine none of that success transferring to the PBA.

Considering Tim Evans looks doubtful as a PBA pitcher, a Reyes for Soto deal seems like a decent one for Baltimore. The second part of the deal also looks fine. McGuire was a solid Catcher with an OPS+ slightly below league average, which is valuable. Swift hit in 2028, but hasn’t hit since. He needs to be a very productive bat considering he’s limited to First Base. Woods has been a fine Second Division Second Baseman. $1 million isn’t nothing, but isn’t much for Francisco DeJesus. Considering DeJesus was only worth 1.9 WAR his first year with Baltimore, it’s a fair trade.

There were three interesting players drafted after the first three rounds. Brian Hyslop was a decent fourth round pick and looks like an okay reliever, though his 2030 was likely way better than expected, and his 2031 way worse. Sixth rounder Clark Pierce grades as a Quad-A arm who was awful last year in the PBA, but could same day be a fifth starter.

Eighth rounder Andy Dukes made the PBA for St. Louis last year and probably shouldn’t have. He focused extra hard on throwing strikes, leading to a supersized home run rate. He could stand to be as wild as he was in Double-A.

Grade: C. Baltimore gave up a lot to get a pair of stars, but also didn’t resign Luis Robert, who has maintained his productivity. They made a few decent picks at the margins. It’s a fascinating body of work, but ultimately, may be fairly neutral with all the deals given what they allowed to give up.


Boston Red Sox:

First Round: (5) Brock Paradiso—LF—Compensation for not signing Mike Juarez.
First Round: (6) Steve Rankine—P
Second Round: (4) Robby Aguilar—P
Second Round: (25) Jason Amshoff—CF (Pick acquired from Kansas City, along with Pete Westra, for C.J. Hoover)
Third Round: (6) Rob Orlosky—P—UNSIGNED

Best Player: Brock Paradiso

Best Deep Cut: (12) Jake Sudman—LF

Total ML WAR: 10.7

Review: Boston had two first round picks available to them. They didn’t sign Mike Juarez in 2025, and Juarez looks like he could be a pretty good pitcher. However, Paradiso is a two-time All Star and has a Platinum Stick. It’s not a gigantic win to move on from Juarez to Paradiso, but Paradiso was a solid pick in 2026.

Steve Rankine was selected one spot after Paradiso, and Robby Aguilar was Boston’s first pick in the second round. Both look like Triple-A arms at this point.

Boston acquired a pick that became Jason Amshoff and slugging prospect Pete Westra for C.J. Hoover. Amshoff was not a good pick—he’s already retired—and Westra had some success slugging in 2030, but produced significantly negative WAR in 2031. Hoover ended up becoming a staple in Kansas City’s rotation for a half decade. Boston should not have made that trade.

The Red Sox didn’t sign their third rounder Rob Orlosky, losing the comp pick when they signed three comp free agents ahead of 2027. Orlosky looks like a Triple-A arm, and not signing him allowed for Boston to save a third round pick in 2027. Not the worst decision.

The next player Boston actually signed was eighth round pitcher Adam Darling. The righty doesn’t miss bats, but he throws six pitches out of a number of different arm angles. There’s a small chance he can make it to the PBA.

12th round pick Jake Sudman can’t field anywhere, and he has a bit of a slow bat, but he will wait for his pitch and hit it hard if he gets it. Only 24, there’s a small chance he becomes something as he progresses to the high minors.

Grade: C-. Boston got player who looks like a sure thing in the draft, but it cost Mike Juarez to get it. They didn’t get much for C.J. Hoover, and missed on their other early picks. They do have some long tail picks that look okay, and they have a bunch of high minors players who could pop with a little luck. It’s a complicated grade, but it has to be worse than a C, even if they got a good player. How Juarez and Paradiso fare the next five years may change the grade completely.


Chicago White Sox:

First Round: (23) Joe Knight—1B—Compensation for not signing Kaden Holton
First Round: (24) Pick traded to St. Louis for Luis Contreras and Edmundo Sosa. Pick became James Gonzalez
Second Round: (20) Joe Jennings—1B
Second Round: (23) Sam Warnick—LF—Compensation for not signing Brian Giberson
Second Round: (28) Edgar Espinoza—2B—Compensation for not signing David Renteria
Third Round: (23) John Marshall—RF
Third Round: (27) Mike Melton—LF—Compensation for not signing Ray Groulx
Third Round: (29) Brett Pick—2B—Compensation for not signing Nick Nagelberg

Other Trades: Traded eighth round pick (Andy Walper) to St. Louis for Buster Posey

Best Player: Joe Jennings

Best Deep Cut: (16) Keith Ashford—RF

Total ML WAR: -0.4

Review: The White Sox had a bunch of extra picks from not signing players for a while. They didn’t sign Kaden Holton in 2025, a player who just completed a 3.3 WAR rookie season for Minnesota. Instead of having Holton, the White Sox drafted and signed Joe Knight, a player who was cut a day after being signed, and who has been in the DAHL minors ever since. Everything about the pick was a disaster.

Chicago’s own first rounder was traded to St. Louis for Luis Contreras and Edmundo Sosa. The pick became James Gonzalez, a career minor leaguer. Sosa was replacement level in 38 games for Chicago, while Contreras was turned into a starting pitcher and was never as successful in the rotation as he was as a starter. He was overpaid, but given how weak the draft was and what James Gonzalez failed to turn out to be, it’s a decent trade.

Joe Jennings was Chicago’s own second rounder. A weird player, Jennings is a good hitter, but lacks power, and lacks defensive talent, meaning he’s a First Base only player. He was a negative WAR player last year, but if Jennings hits better than .243, he may be able to be a second division player. Only 24, there’s room to improve.

Sam Warnick was Chicago’s next second rounder, a player who has already retired. He was a comp pick originally from not signing Brian Giberson, a player with enough of a hit tool to make it to the PBA as a bit player. Chicago should have signed Giberson. The White Sox had one more second rounder from not signing Tony Spencer or David Renteria. Spencer is a non-entity, but Renteria has been a star in Japan, winning MVP last year. The White Sox got Edgar Espinoza, who hasn’t amounted to anything. They should have signed Renteria.

In the third round, they drafted John Marshall, whose claim to fame was leading the KBO in doubles in 2030, but was never a PBA factor at all. Chicago drafted Mike Melton with their next third rounder. Melton had a solid enough 2029 with 22 doubles in half a season and good defense in Left Field, but he’s a very fringy player. Chicago got the pick from not signing Ray Groulx, who never played full season ball. That was a small win.

Chicago drafted and signed Brett Pick, a compensation pick from David Renteria via Nick Nagelberg. Renteria was mentioned above as Chicago passed on him twice. Nagelberg will never play above the mid minors. Pick has put up some empty averages in the Meridian League, but won’t be a PBA player. Again, Chicago should have signed Renteria.

Most of Chicago’s picks after round three have already retired, with only non-power hitting First Basemen Jay Espino and Joe Brauneis taken in the fifth and sixth round, plus 13th round outfielder Nelson Aguirre still playing baseball somewhere.

They did trade an eighth round pick that became Andy Walper for Buster Posey. Walper has huge power and is on the PBA radar. Posey played 18 games and somehow was worth -0.4 WAR. Woof.

Grade: F. Getting Contreras was nice, but the totality of poor players drafted and poor signing decisions accumulates into a strong portfolio of fail.


Chicago Cubs:

First Round: (15) Pick traded to San Francisco along with fifth round pick (Mario Oropeza) for Ryan Sterba. Pick became Mike Knox
Supplemental Round: (1) Cameron Goldman—P—Compensation for not signing Freddie Freeman—UNSIGNED
Supplemental Round: (5) Vincente Corado—P—Compensation for not signing Arturo Figueiedo—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (14) Ryan Traeger—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (15) Jonathan Miller—CF—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (42) Zach Sandoval—P—Compensation for not signing Bryan Huff—UNSIGNED

Best Player: (11) Johnny Taguchi—C

Best Deep Cut: Johnny Taguchi

Total ML WAR: -1.6

Review: The Cubs had a bunch of extra picks from punting on prior drafts and walked away with virtually nothing. They sent their first round pick away, along with a fifth rounder for Ryan Sterba. The picks became Mike Knox and Mario Oropeza. Knox has good power and looks like a starting infielder, while Oropeza is a career minor leaguer. Sterba, however, has already retired, meaning the Cubs traded their first round pick away for nothing.

They had a couple of Supplemental Round picks from not signing free agents. The first was a comp pick for not signing Freddie Freeman. That was a good decision as Freeman was barely above replacement level the following year, and only played one season after the trade. The compensation pick became Cameron Goldman, who was unsigned, and looks like he could hold his own as a reliever. The rolled over pick became Jonathan Farrell, a Double-A arm. Chicago should have signed Goldman and walked away with nothing.

Their next decision was even worse. They had a comp pick from not signing Sonny Gray prior to the 2024 season. They didn’t sign the Supplemental Round pick, Jesus Silas that year. The next year, they didn’t sign Arturo Figueiedo, and in 2026, they didn’t sign comp pick Vicente Corado. In 2027, they didn’t signed Alonzo Campos. The only two players in that chain who played in the PBA, were Gray, who had one more good year left before bouncing around as a fringe player, and Corado, who has become an ace. Starting the chain of failed picks by not signing Gray was a bad decision, and then deciding to not sign Corado was a horrible decision.

Chicago didn’t sign Ryan Traeger, their second rounder. He’s topped out as a Triple-A arm. The compensation pick became Jesus Sillas, who they already failed to sign in 2025, and who left the Cubs after signing to be a professional football player.

Their third rounder was Jonathan Miller, a career minor leaguer whose only decent skill is decent gap power. The Cubs didn’t sign him, rolling the pick into David Vickery, an unimpressive arm whose only decent skill is that he can pitch deep into games.

Chicago had an extra third rounder for not signing Bryan Huff the prior year. Huff has pitched well in the KBO, but he’s never pitched above Double-A in a couple of stints stateside. The comp pick turned into Zach Sandoval, a possible back-end starting pitcher, but the Cubs stiff armed him, and took Rick Holwell the next year, a First Baseman without enough power to hit above High-A.

Chicago’s only decent picks were late in the draft. Tenth rounder John Hamker plays very good defense at Second Base and Left Field and is a great baserunner. That’s not a terrible last man on a roster. 11th rounder Johnny Taguchi is a solid defensive Catcher, who has decent patience and can hit a double. He’s a pretty good third Catcher.

Grade: F. Chicago had a chance to get Vicente Corado and passed. Heck, they had a chance to have Mike Knox and passed. Their rolled over picks didn’t amount to anything, and even their decent hits are very fringe. Chicago had extra picks and walked away with nothing. They may have had the worst draft of any team.


Cincinnati Reds:

First Round: (9) Vince Dubin—P—Compensation for not signing Bill Koehler
First Round: (17) Luis Murillo—RF
Second Round: (16) Mike Dentino—P
Third Round: (16) Josh Williams—3B

Other Trades: Acquired fifth round pick (Brian Macias) from Philadelphia, along with Edgar E. Garcia, Tim Susnara, and Ronaldo Lopez for Evan Skoug

Best Player: Vince Dubin

Best Deep Cut: (11) Robert Hernandez—RF

Total ML WAR: 0.8

Review: Cincinnati's 2026 draft class was headlined by their first selection, Pitcher Vince Dubin. The ninth overall pick had dominated at Duke, and did the same all through the minors. Dubin hasn't been as dominant for the Reds, but still shows flashes of electric stuff that makes scouts think that his production is more of a product of playing at the Great American Ballpark against the tough NL Central. He's also a rare workhorse pitcher that just doesn't get hurt. Even if he doesn't reach the potential expected out of a top-ten pick, he should have a long career in PBA.

With Cincy's other first round pick, they selected Luis Murillo. Murillo is quick on the bases and can play all three outfield spots, but his plate discipline isn't quite what the scouts expected and at best, he looks to be a fourth outfielder.

In the second round, the Reds selected Pitcher Mike Dentino out of Long Beach State. Dentino got a shot in the majors in 2030, but performed poorly. Upon returning to Triple A in 2031, he was average at best. With so many talented pitchers in the lead, it's difficult to see Dentino as much more than an AAAA talent.

With their third round selection, Cincinnati took Third Baseman Josh Williams out of Michigan. At 27 years old, Williams still hasn't made it past Double A. His lack of power, plate discipline, and speed make it unlikely he ever sees the light of day in the bigs.

The rest of the Reds draft class is unspectacular. 10th round selection Ryan Gurganus has a slight chance at making it to PBA, but it would only be as a utility guy that the team hopes could sell jerseys thanks to that name.

Grade: D+. The Reds 2026 draft class ranks in the bottom 10 in PBA in total big league WAR, and there is no reason to think that'll improve. Dubin has a chance to be a solid contributor, but we wouldn't expect to see it come to fruition as long as he's putting on a Reds jersey.


Cleveland Indians:

First Round: (10) Alex Valencia—P
Second Round: (8) Bob Mullins—P
Third Round: (4) Gary Agee—P—Compensation for not signing David Cohen
Third Round: (9) John Estrada—P

Best Player: Alex Valencia

Best Deep Cut: (12) Ikkou Kohara—RF

Total ML WAR: 2.9

Review: Alex Valencia had a ton of talent and was a great pick at the time, but his control never panned out and a shoulder injury set back his career. Cleveland traded him to the Phillies when he still had his prospect shine for a Darrick Hall and TJ Zeuch combined rental. Zeuch immediately got injured and Hall was a negative value player in his short Cleveland stint. While not a bad idea to try and cash in on some value from a prospect for a playoff run, Cleveland probably could have found better value for Valencia at the time.

Second round pick Bob Mullens was an older prospect at the time and is already retired and already 29. He never panned out and this doesn't feel like the best pick at 50th overall. He had control issues prior to being drafted and they never improved.

Third round pick Gary Agee was a High School Starting Pitcher who never developed his control. He was signed as compensation for not signing David Cohen who is currently a bad reliever for the Marlins. Still Cohen is a major leaguer and Agee just had 6.8 BB/9 as a starter in AAA last year. Another pick Cleveland would probably rather have back.

Cleveland's other third round pick was another High School Starting Pitcher who never developed control, and is no longer with the organization. He was struggling in the minors before a torn UCL put the final nail in the coffin on his career in the Cleveland organization.

Grade: C-. In a weak draft Cleveland correctly identified talent with their first overall pick and traded the player they picked at his peak value, it's just the return was not great. Cleveland's other picks never lived up to expectations making it a mediocre to bad draft all in all.


Colorado Rockies:

First Round: (27) Chris McKenzie—1B
Second Round: (26) Brian Radcliff—3B—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (30) Mario Orta—RF

Best Player: (5) Eric Halbach—P

Best Deep Cut: (12) Bryan Kucera—2B

Total ML WAR: 3.5

Review: Colorado really wishes they could have that Brian Radcliff pick back. He has blossomed into a star young Third baseman, and the second pick was rolled into Rick Burkholder who was also unsigned but is now in the majors, and then into SP Juan Quiachon who has more U's in his name than he will ever have career PBA strikeouts.

With their first pick the Rockies picked up Chris McKenzie continuing their honored tradition of always being loaded with Quad-A First Baseman. McKenzie can't field and has a bad eye at the plate but he has made the majors. It has to sting a little for Colorado that Bryce Zettel went one pick before McKenzie and is now one of the better young 1st basemen in the league.

Mario Orta in the Third round hasn't turned into anything besides an Quad-A outfielder. His personality is "not one to get too excited about anything" and there's definitely nothing to be excited about when it comes to his baseball abilities.

The best player the Rockies picked is no longer with the team but GM Erick Blasco may not mind as the player in question, Eric Halbach does not spell Erick correctly. Still, he was an all star Starting Pitcher for the Twins last year and looks to be their opening day starter in 2032. He doesn't strike anyone out but he hasn't given up homers in his young career either. He was traded for outfielder Arturo Mata and SP Peter Jenkins, neither of whom look like they will ever make the PBA.

Grade: C. Colorado gets points for picking an all star later in the draft. Not signing Radcliff looks rough and is unfortunately shaping up to be the defining moment of this draft for the Rockies.


Detroit Tigers:

First Round: (28) Alan Mitchell—CF
Second Round: (30) Danny Minton—3B
Third Round: (31) Rob Franco—P

Other Trades: Traded fourth round pick (Chris Williams) to Milwaukee, along with Chris Berth for Griffin Helms

Traded seventh round pick (Aaron Wood) to Seattle for Yeyson Yrizarri

Best Player: Alan Mitchell

Best Deep Cut: (26) Josh Weaver—P

Total ML WAR: 14.3

Review: Detroit nailed the 2026 draft. Despite not having an early pick in the first round, they selected an excellent player in Alan Mitchell. The outfielder hits for a solid average, belts doubles, hits at least 20 homers a year, runs well, and plays strong Center Field defense. He’s already accumulated the fourth most WAR in the class, and should age well.

The Tigers’ second rounder was Danny Minton, a patient slugger with a questionable hit tool, Minton offers a bit more defensive flexibility than his TTO brethren as he can play a strong Third Base, but he also has less power than you’d like for someone who doesn’t make contact as often as you’d want. He’s fringy, but could pop up on a PBA roster.

Rob Franco was a Closer who only pitched two years in the minors and now is out of baseball. Fourth rounder Matt McDaniel is a reliever who doesn’t throw hard enough to overcome hitters in the PBA. He’s currently injured in Triple-A, and likely will top out at the level.

In fact, you have to go to the 26th round to find why Detroit nailed the draft. Most teams walked away with at most one quality player and maybe a few fringy guys. The Tigers, however, selected Josh Weaver in the 26th round. Weaver’s velocity spiked immediately upon entering Detroit’s system and his slider improved off it. He turned from a wild arm with a hittable fastball and a decent slider, to the Dodgers’ ace, posting 3.0 WAR his rookie year in 215.2 innings, and hinting he could be even better. We’ll see how he recovers from a torn elbow, but as one of the youngest players in the class, he should pick up where he left off if his elbow heals properly.

Grade: A. The Tigers got an elite arm and an excellent starting outfielder. It’s possible Danny Minton is a bit player as well. They got good players, despite not having excellent picks.


Houston Astros:

First Round: (18) Pick traded to Minnesota along with second round pick *(Fernando Arellano), Alfredo Contreras, Rogelio Morales, and Aaron Lerner for Pat Cypert and Sonny Gray. Pick became Pat Riley
Second Round: (17)*
Third Round: (17) Pick traded to San Francisco, along with Omer de Vos for Dauris Cordero, Diego N. Cordero, and George Soriano. Pick became Pierre Fontaine

Other Trades: Traded fourth round pick (Mike Jakubek) to New York Mets, along with Jeff Sutch for Anthony DeSclafani

Best Player: (16) Phil Vasquez—DH

Best Deep Cut: Phil Vasquez

Total ML WAR: 0.0

Review: Houston traded out of the draft, sending their first four picks out via trades, and only signing one player in rounds five through eight. As a result, they didn’t get much talent directly from the draft, with only two players still active and in Triple-A, and one more player who looks like some day he can play in Triple-A on merit.

As such, the grading really stems on Houston’s three trades. Their first trade saw the club swap their first two draft picks, Alfredo Contreras, Rogelio Morales, and Aaron Lerner for Pat Cypert and Sonny Gray. The picks became Pat Riley and Fernando Arellano.

The draft picks project as Triple-A arms, though Riley has a shot to become a fifth starter. Contreras was a decent swingman for Minnesota in 2027, but was unremarkable for the club. Lerner was wild for Oakland in 2028, but the park suppressed his homers leading to a solid season as a 23-year-old reliever. He’s pitched exclusively in Triple-A since as a wild arm who nonetheless keeps the ball on the ground. Rogelio Morales never developed and has been overseas since 2027.

The Astros hardly gave up anything and received Sonny Gray who was hurt in 2025 for Minnesota and promptly got hurt for the Astros in 2026. The headliner was Pat Cypert, who was expected to help put Houston over the top and on to the playoffs in 2025, but he was homer prone down the stretch, only put up 0.3 WAR in 10 starts, and went 5-5 with a 4.22 ERA. The next season Houston actually did make the playoffs—but it wasn’t cause of Daddy Long Legs, who was traded after seven sparkling start for an underwhelming package. The swing was worth it, and the cost was worth it, but Houston didn’t get as much from the deal as they hoped.

Houston’s next deal was with the Giants. Houston received Dauris Cordero, Diego N. Cordero, and George Soriano for Omer de Vos and a pick that became Pierre Fontaine. Dauris Cordero and George Soriano only pitched briefly in the PBA. Cordero was ineffective his one significant stint, and Soriano balanced out a huge strikeout rate with an elevated walk rate, homer rate, and BABIP his one PBA season. Diego N. Cordero has had a longer career, but one marred by inconsistency as half his six seasons have seen ERAs in the 5s with two other seasons with ERAs of 3.03 or lower. Houston gave up a pick that became Fontaine, a slick fielder whose bat has never advanced above utterly atrocious levels, and de Vos, an outfielder with a solid average and some speed, despite a lack of power or patience making him fringy. He was likely the best player in the deal, but it wasn’t a consequential trade one way or the other.

Finally, Houston acquired Anthony DeSclafani for the 2025 stretch run, sending out Jeff Sutch and a pick that became Mike Jakubek. Neither Jakubek, nor Sutch played in the PBA, but DeSclafani strained his triceps after the trade and made no impact on Houston whatsoever.

Grade: D-. Houston traded away most of their picks, but didn’t get much for them, some injured starting pitchers, unremarkable relievers, and roughly a half season of Pat Cypert. In this draft, getting a half season of Pat Cypert is a passing grade, but getting such little from their trades and getting nothing at all from their actual picks results in that passing grade being the lowest possible grade they could get.


Kansas City Royals:

First Round: (26) Bryce Zettel—1B
Second Round: (6) Adam Holmgren—P (Pick acquired from St. Louis, along with third round pick [Ken Wright], for Austin Rei, second round pick *[David Witter] and third round pick [John Rosenberg])
Second Round: (12)* (To St. Louis) Pick acquired from New York Yankees for Yoel de Paula. Pick became David Witter
Second Round: (25) Pick traded to Boston, along with Pete Westra, for C.J. Hoover. Pick became Jason Amshoff
Second Round: (29) Pick traded to St. Louis, along with David Kouns for Jorge Ramirez and a seventh round pick (*Chris Hastings)—Compensation for not signing Juan Rios. Pick became Justin Cryer
Second Round: (40) Pick traded to Arizona, along with Danny Weatherwax, and Ryan Youngblood for Quentin Holmes—Compensation for not signing Matthew Renner. Pick became Mike McGinn
Third Round: (11)* (From St. Louis)—Unsigned
Third Round: (26)* (To Kansas City)

Other Trades: Traded fifth round pick (Ryan Reed) to Arizona for 30th round pick (Ryan Nabers)

Received fifth round pick (Joe Padgett) from Tampa Bay along with Nick Vespi for Hughie Ludkin

Traded seventh round pick (Rob Woodward) to Seattle for Jonathan Capellan

Traded seventh round pick (*Chris Hastings) to St. Louis for Anderson Cosma

Traded ninth round pick (Tom Cashman) to Milwaukee, along with 11th round pick (Adam Gross), 15th round pick (Rich Potter), and 17th round pick (Antonio Cantillo) for $3.5 million

Traded 10th round pick (Ken Hutzell) to Los Angeles Dodgers for Mike Gifford

Best Player: Bryce Zettel

Best Deep Cut: (21) Jamie Johns—LF

Total ML WAR: 10.7

Review: Kansas City had an extremely complicated draft. Their first pick was simple. They took slugger Bryce Zettel 26th overall. Zettel has very strong wrists that allow him to crush doubles, but he also has 30 home run power as well. He’s one of the best hitters in the draft class, and Kansas City popped him late in the first round.

The Royals cycled a second round pick from the Yankees as part of a larger deal with the Cardinals. They gave up Yoel de Paula to get a pick from the Yankees. Yoel de Paula pitched only one more year in the PBA and was replacement level before bouncing around the minors and the Meridian. The pick became David Witter.

Kansas City packaged the Witter pick, a third round pick that became John Rosenberg, and prospect Austin Rei, sending the three assets to St. Louis for a pick that became Adam Holmgren and a pick that became Ken Wright, a Quad-A arm who was unsigned. His compensation pick became an unsigned Kevin Gibson, then fringy outfielder Ian Schmitt. Witter has trouble getting on base, but is a strong slugger. Rosenberg has big power, but doesn’t have the bat speed or defense to be more than a mid-minors player. Austin Rei had one season with St. Louis as a solid backup Catcher. The Royals ended up with Holmgren, a serviceable back-end starter, plus Quad-A hitter Ian Schmitt.

The Royals essentially gave up a replacement level arm in de Paula, and backup Catcher Austin Rei for back-end arm Adam Holmgren. That’s a win for Kansas City, albeit it a small one.

Kansas City’s next trade involving a second round pick was a bigger one. They traded Pete Westra and a pick that became Jason Amshoff for C.J. Hoover. Amshoff has already retired, and Westra is a replacement level slugger who can’t play the field. Kansas City got Hoover, a two-time All-Star with a career 3.62 ERA, who helped the Royals establish themselves as a deep AL Central contender.

The Royals had a couple of compensation picks that they used in trades. One pick they had for not signing Juan Rios, who they received for not signing John Cox, who they received for not signing Ryan Fox, who they received for not signing Ted Wilson, who they eventually acquired the pick for in the Jadon Ancrum trade. The pick was traded to the Cardinals, along with David Kouns, and eventually became Justin Cryer. The Royals received Jorge Ramirez, and a seventh round pick who would eventually become Chris Hastings after being dealt back to St. Louis for Anderson Cosma.

Cryer has been a decent reliever for the Cardinals and Rays for the last few years, while Kouns has been a strong, high-average hitter, who just set the PBA record in triples. Hastings was a career minor leaguer, though Cosma only played in Triple-A for the Royals. Ramirez was a strong pitcher for the Cubs, and Mets. Considering the years of picks being cycled through, plus some decent names like Ryan Fox passed on, the whole chain of picks and the final trade looks like a poor decision for Kansas City.

Kansas City wrapped up its second round work by trading a compensation pick they received for not signing Matthew Renner—an already retired non-prospect—the year before. Kansas City packaged the comp pick, which became Mike McGinn, along with Danny Weatherwax and Ryan Youngblood, getting Quentin Holmes in return.

McGinn doesn’t have the range to play Shortstop, and hasn’t shown the bat to play other places, making him an underwhelming utility infielder. Youngblood had a cup of coffee with Arizona in 2027 he didn’t take advantage of, but had a nice showing for Toronto into 2029 in 24 innings pitched. Weatherwax bounced around as a poor-bat, good-eye, great glove utility outfielder for a half decade. Holmes had one very strong season for Kansas City in 2026, but fell off quickly, having a solid 2027, and a poor 2028. Is one good year and one decent year of Holmes worth more than Weatherwax being less impactful, but over a longer period of time? Considering Holmes’ time as an effective player was short the trade looks fairly neutral in hindsight.

The Royals also made a number of trades further down the draft. They traded a fifth ronder that became Ryan Reed for a 30th rounder that became Ryan Nabers. Reed is a 40-homer slugger, while Nabers will never pitch well above Double-A. That was a disastrous trade.

The Royals picked up a fifth round pick that became Joe Padgett, plus reliever Nick Vespi, for Hughie Ludkin. Padgett had a nice cup of coffee for the Royals in 2030, but he and Vespi combined to only pitch in 19 games for Kansas City. Those were 19 games more than Ludkin ever pitched in the PBA though.

Kansas City got Jonathan Capellan from Seattle for a pick that became Rob Woodward. Woodward hasn’t played above High-A, while Capellan only played in Triple-A for the Royals. I guess improving the Omaha Storm Chasers is a worthy goal.

They traded a seventh round pick to St. Louis that became Chris Hastings for Anderson Cosma. Again, Cosma really helped the Omaha Storm Chasers that year, while Hastings has never played above A-ball, so Kansas City won the trade.

They sold four picks to Milwaukee, a ninth, 11th, 15th, and 17th rounder for $3.5 million cash. The money helped the team afford a payroll that could win 95 games that year, and helped Kansas City continue to be a force through the 2020s. The picks became Tom Cashman, Adam Gross, Rich Potter, and Antonio Cantillo. Cashman’s become a strong Triple-A arm, but none of the quartet will play in the PBA well. Kansas City got cash for very spare parts.

The picks in the middle and later rounds that Kansas City did keep, they put to good use. Danny Hernandez has some pop and a good enough eye to only swing at pitches he can drive. He has a shot at being a last bat on the bench, a win as an eighth rounder. Also, 21st rounder can wait for a pitch to drive into the gaps, run well, play a good Left Field, and he’s only 24. He hasn’t played above A-ball yet, but there may be something there—a win as a 21st rounder.

Grade: B. How to even begin. First, the obvious ones. Zettel was a good pick and is worth an A. The Royals also got good work trading away their lower round picks, and made some good selections with the ones they kept. Trading the pick that became Ryan Reed is a huge, fat F. There was a lot going on in the Rei trade, but Kansas City slightly wins that deal. Give them a win for the Hoover trade. The chain of picks not being signed culminating in the Ramirez trade looks like a slight loss, while the Holmes trade was pretty much a C. That’s far more good on the ledger than bad.


Los Angeles Angels:

First Round: (3) Mike Murrin—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: Forfeited to sign Jonathan Arrauz
Third Round: (3) Dave Dohr—UNSIGNED

Best Player: (9) David McGill—RF

Best Deep Cut: (16) Bobby Hines—1B

Total ML WAR: 0.0

Review: The Angels didn’t sign Rhino Murrin with the third overall pick, using the compensation pick to sign Jeff Susino the following year, grabbing Murrin again with their own pick. Susino is a solid arm, crushed under the weight of a poor roster, while Murrin has become an outstanding sinker/changeup pitcher, who gets batters to pound the ball into the ground. The Angels should have just signed Murrin in 2026, then picked Susino with their own selection in 2027, but the decision worked out okay in hindsight.

The Angels’ decision to forfeit an elite second round pick to sign Jonathan Arrauz looks like one of the worst decisions in PBA history. The Angels had been terrible for a decade, yet gave up a pick to sign Arauz—who had been with the team from 2020-2024, had one year above 1.8 WAR for them, had a breakout year in a little more than half a season with San Francisco, but had profiled as a league average hitter who couldn’t play Shortstop.

The Angels signed Arauz to an 8-year contract (!) worth $190 million (!!!). Six years into the contract, he has not once hit for a league average OPS+. He has been a negative fielder all six years, the last two years profoundly so. He has never stolen double-digit bases, and had an OBP of .300 or less two of those years. He has been worth 1.5 WAR total. His final year is a player option. With two aberrational seasons, he may get to 3 career WAR and only cost about $32 million a WAR. The Angels would have had the third pick in the round, which went to San Francisco, who the Angels signed Arauz away from. The Giants selected David Bollman with that pick, a 2-time All Star and former Rookie of the Year who has made about $136 million less than Arrauz has so far, not counting Bollman’s signing bonus.

The Angels drafted Dave Dohr, then showed him the door during draft negotiations. He’s currently in the Meridian League. The compensation pick became Harmon Jensen, an underwhelming reliever, but a PBA player nonetheless.

The Angels’s fourth rounder was used on an arm named Stephon Blanks, and he’s already retired, and they didn’t sign their fifth or sixth rounders.

In fact, their only two players they signed that season who have any kind of PBA hope are ninth round outfielder David McGill, and 16th round slugger Bobby Hines. McGill is a three-true outcomes slugger, who has a good arm and enough movement to play the outfield or Third Base. He was a nice find. Hines has less power, patience, and is relegated to First Base, but he’s shown he could hit in Triple-A and is young enough for a development boost to still be possible.

Grade: D-. The Arauz signing was an idiotic one and set the franchise back. The Rhino-to-Susino move was whatever, but the McGill signing was a genuine good one, and passing on Dohr to get Jansen was fine. It nudges the grade just barely, by a fingertip, into a passing grade.


Los Angeles Dodgers:

First Round: Forfeited to sign Luis Robert
Supplemental Round: (2) Devin Martin—P—Compensation for not signing Nomar Mazara
Second Round: (32) Dan Hanniford—P
Third Round: (37) Ryan Baranowski—LF

Other Trades: Acquired 10th round pick (Ken Hutzell) from Kansas City for Mike Gifford

Best Player: Dan Haniford

Best Deep Cut: (11) Igor Slobbe—2B

Total ML WAR: -0.3

Review: The Dodgers punted their first pick away when they signed Luis Robert. Robert helped the Dodgers win the championship in 2026, as the Dodgers kept him healthy for just the second time in Robert’s seven-year-career up to that point. Robert played four seasons with the Dodgers, producing 3.7 WAR in his worst year, and capturing the 2029 NL Left Field Platinum Stick. He cost roughly $21 million a year and performed efficiently according to his contract. The loss of a first round pick in a weak draft was well worth the cost.

The Dodgers signed Robert as a need to replace Nomar Mazara, who walked in Free Agency after declining a qualifying offer. The Dodgers lost a pick for signing Robert, but gained a pick for not signing Mazara. The Supplemental pick became Devin Martin, a Double-A slugger with no prayer of advancing further. Mazara had a huge year for Texas the season he left the Dodgers, then fell off precipitously soon after. The Dodgers were wise to move on from him, but they didn’t take advantage with their supplemental pick.

Second round pick Dan Haniford is a Quad-A pitcher who wasn’t effective with the Rays in 2030. He’s on the fringes of the PBA.

Third round pick Ryan Baranowski is a Triple-A player without the talent to play in the PBA.

Only six other players from the draft class are still active, and none look like future PBA contributors.

Grade: A-. The Dodgers nailed the Robert decision, netting them a solid grade alone, even if none of their other picks worked out. While they muffed their supplemental pick, their decision to waive goodbye to Mazara was the right one.


Miami Marlins:

First Round: (1) Angelo Castillo—CF
First Round: (37) Ethan Blair—1B—Compensation for not signing Jeff Alexander
Second Round: (1) Travis Anderson—P
Second Round: (7) Jeff Riggs—1B—Compensation for not signing Olaf Kohn
Second Round: (11) David Cohen—P—Compensation for not signing Kenny McMahon
Second Round: (33) Walt Kost—P—Compensation for not signing Ubbe van Dooren
Third Round: (1) Francisco Moreno—P

Best Player: Walt Kost

Best Deep Cut: (15) Ben Peacock—RF

Total ML WAR: 1.1

Review: Miami had the first pick in the draft and blew it on Angelo Castillo, a no hope prospect who would never have the offensive skills to succeed in the PBA. He put up negative WAR in Double-A last year, and is one of the worst picks of the history of the PBA. Ethan Blair is also a bust. He has big power, but doesn’t have the bat to make good contact enough of the time for it to matter. He has only 28 career games above Rookie ball. He was a compensation pick for not signing Jeff Alexander, a Triple-A closer.

Miami had four picks in round two. The main pick was the first pick in round one, Travis Anderson, a career minor league arm. Every other pick was a comp pick.

Miami selected Jeff Riggs, a compensation pick for not signing Olaf Kohn the year prior. Kohn has developed into an All-Star Pitcher. Riggs will never play above A-Ball.

Miami failed to sign Kenny McMahon in 2026, a pitcher who turned into a useful swingman on a pair of Brewers title teams. The Marlins used the compensation pick on David Cohen, a wild but serviceable arm. Miami should have just signed McMahon.

The Marlins final third rounder was a gift from not signing Ubbe van Dooren, a rushed Quad-A arm. Miami got Walt Kost, an arm with enough stuff to make up for questionable command.

Miami’s third round selection was Francisco Moreno, a no-hoper in the low minors. Their fourth round pick Felipe Medina relied on an aberrantly low home run rate and BABIP to have a successful stint with Miami in 2029 and 2030, but it was all smoke and mirrors. It’s in the record books though as a successful run.

10th rounder Mario Medina made the Marlins and has negative WAR in a few cups of coffee. He’s young, has a respectable bat fueled by gap power and patience, but his inadequate defense holds him from being a good option. He’s a good 10th round pick though. 11th round Catcher Eric Zachow also made the PBA for a 2030 cup of coffee, which was a mistake as he doesn’t have the talent to succeed in the upper minors, let alone the PBA.

15th rounder Ben Peacock will likely have a good career overseas. He has good patience and gap power, but he doesn’t run, field, or hit the ball well consistently. Not a bad pick for a 15th rounder, but one who will likely ply his trade in the Meridian.

Grade: F. Miami had the first pick in the draft, and a number of early extra picks and didn’t walk away with any impactful players. Such a poor draft has significantly hindered their rebuilding efforts.


Milwaukee Brewers:

First Round: (36) Kenny McMahon—P
Second Round: (41) Scott Fox—3B
Third Round: (32) Mark McCorkle—RF—Compensation for not signing Justin Oberlander
Third Round: (43) Justice Thomas—SS

Other Trades: Received fourth round pick (Chris Williams) from Detroit, along with Chris Berth for Griffin Helms

Received ninth round pick from Kansas City (Tom Cashman), along with 11th round pick (Adam Gross), 15th round pick (Rich Potter), and 17th round pick (Antonio Cantillo) for $3.5 million.

Best Player: (10) Roy Montgomery—P

Best Deep Cut: Roy Montgomery

Total ML WAR: 7.9

Review: Milwaukee used their first round pick on the flamethrower RHP Kenny McMahon. McMahon ascended quickly through the minors, making his big league debut in 2027. The North Carolina alum hits 100 mph and can mix it up with five different pitches, but five seasons into his career, he looks like just a league average reliever or a #5 pitcher.

In the second round, the Brewers selected outfielder Scott Fox out of Cal State Fullerton. Fox's power never really developed. Milwaukee released him last summer, and since then Fox has been playing in the minors of the DAHL. Safe to say this was a second round pick and $2.8 million wasted.

The Brew Crew had two selections in the third round. The first was Right Fielder Mark McCorkle after failing to sign Justin Oberland the last season. McCorkle projected as a big power corner outfielder, but unfortunately struck out way too much for the power to matter. McCorkle now finds himself in the Meridian League. Good for Milwaukee, Justin Oberlander doesn't look like he'll amount to much either. The other third round selection was infielder Justice Thomas. Thomas has the bat to make it as a middle infielder, but unfortunately, he has not been dependable in the field, struggling to maintain a fielding percentage over .970 in Double A.

One Brewers selection trying to break through as a bullpen arm in the bigs is Zachary Stewart. Stewart was selected in the fifth round. He's a hard thrower with three good pitches and enough stamina to pitch every night out of the pen. He'll never be elite, but should make a nice career out of the bullpen.

The Brewers best selection was selected in the 10th round - pitcher Roy Montgomery. Monty didn't project as much out of South Carolina, struggling with control and throwing pitches with little break. But the Brewers coaching staff worked their magic and Montgomery has developed into one of the league's best pitchers. Monty just wrapped up his third season in the big leagues with a 2.79 ERA in 183 innings. His spot as Milwaukee's "#4 starter" is definitely not an indictment on Montgomery's talent.

Grade: A. In what looks to be a weak draft class, the Brewers were able to find yet another staple in the rotation in addition to two bullpen arms.


Minnesota Twins:

First Round: (4) Mincho Maeda—P
First Round: (18) Pat Riley—P (Pick acquired from Houston, along with second round pick *(Jeff Alexander), Alfredo Contreras, Rogelio Morales, and Aaron Lerner for Pat Cypert, and Sonny Gray
First Round: (34) Lothar Vorstermans—P (Pick acquired from Baltimore along with Gabe Bonilla, Antonio Vasquez, Jake Shirey, Chris Yera, Tim Newbold, and Nihat Ecevit for Wessel Russchen)
Second Round: (3) Ray Robertson—P
Second Round: (26)*
Third Round: (5) Paul White—SS

Best Player: (9) Bryan Bush—P

Best Deep Cut: (19) Ken Reifer—P

Total ML WAR: 4.2

Review: The Twins had an early draft pick, and acquired more draft capital for trading a pair of excellent young players, but their actual drafted picks haven’t turned out great, with only one producing positive WAR to date.

The Twins selected Mincho Maeda fourth overall and his journey through the minors has been agonizing. Once an elite prospect, he’s taken an eternity to develop, and instead of looking like a frontline arm, he’s now projected as a fifth starter or such. He’s pitched in Triple-A for two years and hasn’t made the PBA, despite being 27. He’s the danger of raw college arms sometimes. He does get extra credit for having the best facial hair in the game though.

The Twins decided to trade away Pat Cypert and Sonny Gray at the 2025 deadline, getting a pair of picks, Alfredo Contreras, Rogelio Morales, and Aaron Lerner. The picks turned into Pat Riley and Jeff Alexander, a potential backend starting pitcher and a career minor leaguer respectably. Contreras was a decent swingman for Minnesota who worked 240.2 career innings for them. Lerner has pitched one season in the PBA, working a homer suppressed 3.75 ERA for Oakland in 2028, while Morales never played in the PBA. Not a great haul. Meanwhile, while Sonny Gray was nearing the end of the line of his career, Pat Cypert has been a rotation anchor for years and was on a cost-controlled contract. He’s a two-time All-Star who was remarkably consistent until slowing down some in his age 32 season. The Twins needed to get a haul for trading him, and they didn’t.

The Twins’ next trade may be the deal that has netted out the most combined talent in a trade in PBA history. The Twins traded Wessel Russchen to Baltimore near the 2025 trade deadline. Not counting a Platinum Stick Award later that year, Russchen has made four All-Stars, been MVP runner up twice, been a Platinum Stick Winner thrice, captured a Gold Glove, won World Series MVP, cemented himself as a First Ballot Hall of Famer, plus put butts in the seats as one of the most exciting players in the league. He's been the most super of superstars.

Amazingly, Minnesota may have gotten fair value back in trade.

Gabe Bonilla was the headliner return. An elite prospect in his own right, Bonilla was the 2028 Rookie of the Year—and MVP, with a spectacular 10.7 WAR year amongst the best we’ve ever seen. He’s never returned to those heights, but has hit more than 40 homers every year, and led the league in slugging last year. Only 27, he should continue to produce for a while, and is the kind of premier asset you should get back when trading for a Hall of Famer.

Bonilla was also dealt with Trixie Yera and Tim Newbold. Trixie is a member of St. Louis’ weird bullpen setup, but he’s dominated in the role, putting up 4.1 WAR last year in only 129 innings. One of the hardest throwers, and armed with a biting cutter, he’s destined to be one of the most potent multi-inning relievers in league history. Newbold is also a relief weapon, winning the 2031 AL Reliever of the Year, and posting an excellent career 2.98 ERA out of the pen. Finally, Nihat Ecevit completes the elite reliever trio as a three-time All-Star, 2029 AL Reliever of the Year, and 2027 save leader.

Jake Shirey went to Minnesota in the deal. He was subsequently taken in the Rule V draft by San Diego, where he’s been a stalwart for them as a mid-rotation arm, who has improved with age. Last year’s 3.32 ERA was a career best.

Antonio Vasquez didn’t develop and Lothar Vorstermans didn’t provide much, but an MVP, a mid rotation arm, two Relievers of the Year, and a multi-inning weapon like Yera is a quality haul. It’s hard to ding the trade itself, though picking Vorstermans gets dinged slightly with Kenny McMahon taken two picks later.

Ray Robertson and Pat White were Minnesota’s own second and third round picks and neither are PBA-caliber. In fact, none of their other picks are, save for ninth rounder Bryan Bush. A three-pitch pitcher, Bush is wild, but can miss bats, and was worth 2.0 and 1.9 WAR as a Starting Pitcher the last two years. That’s good production late in the draft.

Grade: D+. Minnesota only did two things reasonably well involving the 2025 draft. They drafted Bush, and they got an exceptional haul for Wessel Russchen. They still gave up a young Hall of Famer, so it’s not like they clearly won the Russchen deal, and the draft pick selection of the trade wasn’t great. They badly lost the Cypert trade and Maeda looks worse and worse every year. There’s something to spreading out your talent across multiple roster spots, but with all the bad from the draft, it’s hard to give the Twins above a D+.


New York Yankees:

First Round: (13) Julian Reyes—P
Second Round: (12) Pick traded to Kansas City for Yoel de Paula. Pick became David Witter
Third Round: (12) Dutch Kroll—C

Best Player: Dutch Kroll

Best Deep Cut: (11) Jeremy Detwiler—SS

Total ML WAR: 12.0

Review: The Yankees had one of the best selections in the 2026 draft, but it didn't come from their first pick. "Nifty" Julian Reyes was drafted 13th overall. Last season was Reyes' fifth in Triple A, where he has become a good relief arm. Reyes has elite stuff that is difficult to make good contact on, but unfortunately, he doesn't usually know where the ball is going to end up. He has a chance to make the Yankees Opening Day squad in 2032, but it's unlikely he has sustainable success in PBA unless he learns how to control his pitches.

New York traded away their second round pick, getting one season of replacement level pitching from Yoel de Paula. They gave up the pick that became David Witter who has put up roughly 30 homers the last two years. Picks 4-30 were all totally forgettable selections. But the critics have also forgotten how bad those selections were because the Yankees selected Catcher Dutch Kroll in the third round. Kroll is the unicorn that is elite behind the plate but can also hold his own in the batter's box. Kroll currently ranks 3rd in WAR among 2026 draft picks and was ranked as one of the league's top five catchers in the 2032 OSA Baseball Preview.

Grade: B+. It's not often that you can go 1-for-30 and still be viewed as a success, but the Yankees hit a grand slam in the third round.


New York Mets:

First Round: (11) Alonzo Campos—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (9) Brad Fitzpatrick—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (9) Jeremy Sprow—P—UNSIGNED

Other Trades: Acquired fourth round pick from Houston (Mike Jakubek) along with Jeff Sutch for Anthony DeSclafani

Best Player: (7) Mike Cummings—P

Best Deep Cut: (13) Sam Phillips—RF

Total ML WAR: 0.4

Review: New York punted on this draft, which wasn’t a terrible strategy in the broad view. Alonzo Campos was selected 11th overall, but doesn’t have the control to pitch in the PBA. His compensation pick turned into Vapor Lock, Josh Bonham, who has a good brain, a good bat, and good power, so he should overcome his First Base-only defensive limitations.

Brad Fitzpatrick looks like a Triple-A reliever, while Jeremy Sprow has exceptional stuff, and is exceptionally wild. He’s been broadly successful in his career, but feels like it can all turn at any given moment. The compensation picks the Mets received became career minor league arms Jonathan Jacobs, and Billy Guerin. The Mets should have signed Sprow.

They traded Anthony DeSclafani for Jeff Sutch and an unsigned Mike Jakubek. Sutch never pitched in the PBA, while DeSclafani got hurt in Houston and never pitched in the PBA again.

Seventh rounder Mike Cummings was a Rule V pick for Toronto ahead of the 2030 season who immediately tore ligaments in his elbow that Spring Training. He stayed on Toronto’s roster in 2031 and was wild, but reasonably effective, limiting walks to lefties, and homers to righties, and looks like a competent reliever. That’s a nice hit for round seven.

Grade: B. Turning Campos into Vapor Lock is good work, though punting on the draft and trading DeSclafani didn’t amount to much else. Cummings was also a nice pick, helping give the Mets a solid B despite not signing players until round six.


Oakland Athletics:

First Round: (20) Andy Longo—P
Second Round: (12) Dylan Horowitz—P—Compensation for not signing Richard Lannigan—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (19) Jonathan Farrell—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (17) Tim McCourt—3B—Compensation for not signing John Knauer
Third Round: (22) Ian Henry—P

Best Player: Andy Longo

Best Deep Cut: (21) Jason Dixon—P

Total ML WAR: 1.1

Review: Andy Longo was Oakland’s first round pick in 2026. He’s been a serviceable swingman, but nothing special. Oakland gets credit for finding a PBA pitcher in the first round in a weak draft, but Longo wasn’t the strongest of selections.

Second rounder Dylan Horowitz was a compensation pick for Oakland not signing Richard Lannigan. Horowitz himself was unsigned, and Oakland used the compensation pick to sign Marcos Villanueva the next year. Horowitz is the best of the trio, but none look like a PBA contributor

Jonathan Farrell was Oakland’s other second rounder. He was unsigned, a smart move, as he’ll top out in Triple-A most likely. The compensation pick became Tony Valencia, who would be a weapon as a reliever If anybody had any clue where his pitches would go. Oakland didn’t get much out of that pick.

Tim McCourt was an Oakland selection they used with a compensation pick from not signing John Knauer. McCourt’s done little in his career, bouncing around the minors and the Meridian League. Knauer’s similar to Valencia as a reliever with good stuff and good movement, but no command. Count Ian Henry as another arm with great stuff, excellent movement, and little control. Only 23, Henry still is young enough to develop control and perhaps become a bullpen weapon.

Kevin Maier was a good pick in round eight. He has a live arm, a good curveball, and decent control He had a rough rookie year, but was solid in 2031. He was a nice find.

Grade: D. Oakland picked up a couple of decent arms, and they have some lottery tickets with live arms and no command. It’s not a very good draft, but not a total miss either.


Philadelphia Phillies:

First Round: (30) Brett Haugaard—P
Second Round: (31) Juan Rios—P
Third Round: (35) Pick traded to San Francisco, along with Franklyn Kilome, and Jason Garza for $2. Pick became Emmanuel de Armas

Other Trades: Traded fifth round pick (Brian Macias) to Cincinnati, along with Edgar E. Garcia, Tim Susnara, and Ronaldo Lopez for Evan Skoug

Best Player: (8) Jayden Mingo—LF

Best Deep Cut: (14) Matthew Cosgrove—P

Total ML WAR: 1.6

Review: Philadelphia’s first pick in the 2026 draft was late in the first round. They used it on Boxy Haugaard, who immediately tore his labrum and was never the same as a prospect. He had a serviceable 2029 striking out nearly a batter an inning in relief, but his stuff and command are already diminishing as it looks like his labrum injury is giving him a short shelf life.

Juan Rios was Philadelphia’s second rounder. He’s been good at preventing homers in Triple-A, mostly because he’s been prevented from pitching due to numerous injuries. He’ll never pitch in the PBA as either his stuff or his body won’t hold up.

The Phillies got off of Franklyn Kilome in the draft, giving up a third rounder that became Emmanuel de Armas for $2 dollars. Kilome was serviceable at mopping up innings for a couple more years, and was surprisingly good in Arizona’s bullpen in 2029, but the Phillies were trying to contend and Kilome wasn’t cutting it. They didn’t give up anything of note to dump his contract as de Armas won’t pitch above the mid minors.

Philadelphia’s other deal was sending a fifth round pick, along with Edgar E. Garcia, Tim Susnara, and Ronaldo Lopez for Evan Skoug for the 2025 stretch run. Skoug was winding down a short, but very successful career and had 13 homers in 52 games for Philadelphia down the stretch. Alas, it was for naught as the Phils didn’t make the postseason.

The pick traded for Skoug became Brian Macias, a pitcher who has spent the last three years in the Florida State League with progressively higher ERAs each year. Tim Susnara had a big second half for the Reds that year, but only played in 16 career games after the year. Ronaldo Lopez was strong in 20 games for the Reds in 2027, but was homer and walk prone in 2028 and never pitched in the PBA again. Edgar E. Garcia’s been a pretty good reliever and pretty poor starter, with his success mostly hinging on how well he keeps the ball in the park in a given year. Skoug was good for the Phillies, but based on Susnara’s second half, they didn’t need to get Skoug when they already had him at home.

The Phillies tried fourth rounder Zach Luciani in 2031 and watched him give up five homers in 14 innings, and ten walks to boot. Still young, he may be able to settle in as a 14th pitcher on a roster. In a weak draft in the fourth round, that’s not awful.

Eighth rounder Jayden Mingo was an inspired pick. Mingo won’t walk, but he will walk around the bases after hitting balls out of the park. He had 32 last year, leading to a slugging-fueled .876 OPS. He recently took a nasty fall down the stairs, so Philadelphia is hoping that won’t stunt his growth as he’s only 23 years as old.

Ninth rounder Justin Acheson made the PBA for Texas last year after being snagged in the Rule V draft. He hit for no power, but walked at a reasonable rate and played good defense at Second Base. While a backup Second Baseman isn’t the most valuable player, it’s a good find for a ninth rounder and Acheson is still young enough for a development spike.

14th rounder Matthew Cosgrove saw some time for the White Sox last year and struck out two batters in 5.2 innings. He doesn’t have the stuff to pitch in the PBA for any team not undergoing an extreme rebuild, but good on him for making it to the show and making fans of the Washington Huskies proud.

Grade: C-. The Phillies didn’t give up much to get off Kilome’s contract, but he was still someone who provided some value going forward, and Philadelphia wouldn’t make the playoffs again for a few years. Also, Skoug was good for the Phillies, but Susnara’s second half and Garcia’s career neutralize some of Skoug’s value. The Phillies got very little for their early round picks, but did a nice job with some of their later picks. A lot will hinge on how Mingo develops, but right now it looks like an adequate draft.


Pittsburgh Pirates:

First Round: (2) Sergio Navarro—P
Second Round: (2) Bobby Bynum—P
Third Round: (2) Doug Ware—P
Third Round: (19) Sam McGreer—LF—Compensation for not signing Chris Raybon

Best Player: Sergio Navarro

Best Deep Cut: (12) Mark Thacher—P

Total ML WAR: 22.8

Review: Pittsburgh had an early pick, getting the second selection overall. They didn’t mess around, getting an ace in Sergio Navarro, easily the best player in the draft. He was one of the best players from the Red Sox 2031 championship team, and should anchor their rotation for the near future. It wasn’t a complicated choice for Pittsburgh to select him, but they still made a great choice.

In the second round, they selected Bobby Bynum and he’s had a few decent years as a low-end starter for the Pirates and Mets. His changeup hasn’t developed so he may be a reliever moving forward, and he may no longer be a PBA-caliber performer, but he at least had a respectable run for a brief time.

Doug Ware was Pittsburgh’s third rounder, a negative-WAR reliever in Triple-A. That pick amounted to nothing. The Pirates had a second third rounder from not signing Chris Raybon in 2025, a three-true-outcomes slugger with some speed. The compensation pick turned into Sam McGreer, a decent bat with little power, patience, or defensive abilities. The Pirates should have just signed Raybon.

Fourth rounder Nate Todaro is similar to McGreer. He makes contact well and has some doubles power, but he has little power, patience, speed, or defensive range. As a fourth rounder, he’s not the worst pick.

12th rounder Mark Thacher, the Slim Reaper, stands a tall 6-4, 200 pounds, and has a fastball he can throw for strikes, and a changeup that can miss bats. He’s homer prone, but may be able to click as a fifth starter. That’s a great pick so deep in the draft.

Grade: A-. The Navarro pick was obvious, but still worked out very well. Bynum and Ware were okay picks, though the Pirates should have signed Raybon in 2025 with the McGreer pick. Todaro and Thacher were nice picks later on. Not getting a second strong player puts a mins on the grade since Navarro was an obvious pick taken second overall, but Pittsburgh’s work still warrants an A-.


San Diego Padres:

First Round: (14) Antonio Contreras—C
Second Round: (14) Franklin Soto—P
Third Round: (13) Dave Arratia—SS—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (15) Nate Neuschaefer—P—Compensation for not signing Dutch Kroll

Best Player: Antonio Contreras

Best Deep Cut: (14) Fumitoshi Kubota—CF

Total ML WAR: -1.0

Review: San Diego’s first round pick was used on Catcher Antonio Contreras. Lumberjack doesn’t have great defensive skills and doesn’t have a great hit tool, so he needs to use his more intangible skills to create value. He’s supposed to be a good extra base hitter, but he has a .060 ISO in his career. He makes contact well, bit his career BABIP is just .260. He looks like a PBA backup Catcher, but that’s not a great find with the 14th overall pick.

Franklin Soto was San Diego’s second rounder, and he looks like a promising reliever as a power arm that can touch 100. San Diego’s own third rounder, utility player Dave Arratia, wasn’t signed, and he doesn’t look like he has the bat to make the PBA. His comp pick became Al Gil, who definitely won’t make the PBA.

The Padres didn’t sign Dutch Kroll in 2025, a huge mistake. Kroll ended up being one of the best players drafted in 2026 and is already a two-time All-Star. The Padres used their compensation pick on Nate Neuschaefer, a talented pitcher who was constantly hurt. He wasn’t offered a minor league extension this offseason and retired, despite still having some hope of making the PBA.

Everyone taken after the first three rounds looks like an extreme long shot to make the PBA.

Grade: F. This draft looks like a weak one, meaning the decision to not sign Kroll in 2025 haunts them. Instead, the 2026 Catcher they drafted in the first round won’t ever be as good as Kroll, and aside from maybe a backup Catcher and maybe a reliever, San Diego didn’t get any PBA talent.


San Francisco Giants:

First Round: (15) Mike Knox—2B (Pick acquired from Chicago Cubs, along with fifth round pick (Mario Oropeza) for Ryan Sterba
First Round: (32) Mark Storr—1B
Supplemental Round: (3): David Bollman—LF—Compensation for not signing Jonathan Arauz
Second Round: (18) Travis Milstead—LF (Pick acquired from Seattle, along with Aramis Ademan for Curt Gemma and Jeison Rosario)
Second Round: (35) Geoff Migliore—CF
Third Round: (17) Pierre Fontaine—SS (Pick acquired from Houston, along with Omer de Vos, for Dauris Cordero, Diego N. Cordero, and George Soriano)
Third Round: (35) Emmanuel de Armas—P (Pick acquired from Philadelphia, along with Franklyn Kilome, and Jason Garza for $2)
Third Round: (38) David Whisnant—P

Best Player: David Bollman

Best Deep Cut: (14) Pat Larsen—P

Total ML WAR: 15.9

Review: Via trades and letting free agents walk, San Francisco got a lot of extra picks in the draft, which may not have been great considering the draft was not the strongest.

They traded Ryan Sterba to get a first and fifth rounder, using the picks on Mike Knox and Mario Oropeza. Sterba pitched two games above A-ball, so San Francisco gave up nothing. Knox had 10 homers in 104 plate appearances last year. He profiles as a second division Second Baseman, but that’s not a bad player in this draft, and certainly better than what Ryan Sterba became. Oropeza is minor league filler, but San Francisco still made a decent pick and a great trade with Knox.

Mark Storr was San Francisco’s own first rounder, and he’s a bust as a player currently struggling for playing time in the mid-minors. He’s a First Base only player, and doesn’t have much home run power, nor looks to hit for a high average.

San Francisco let Jonathan Arauz walk in free agency, getting a compensation pick when the Angels signed him. Arauz would never play as well as he did during his career year with the Giants, and San Francisco got a compensation pick they turned into David Bollman. The outfielder currently leads the draft class in position player WAR, hitting for a high average and cracking doubles. He was a steal of a pick.

The Giants picked up a second round pick with Aramis Ademan by sending out Curt Gemma and Jeison Rosario. Gemma has been one of the league’s better relievers since the trade, and Rosario hit well for a few years before a bad 2028 relegated him to the Meridian League. The Giants got Ademan, who was worth negative WAR for them and non-tendered. The pick became Travis Milstead, who hits and fields well enough to be a Second Division starting outfielder, but is on a team with bigger aspirations. The loss side of the scale tilts heavier with this trade.

Ther own pick was used on Geoff Migliore, another Second Division outfielder who hits doubles, defense, and steals bases. Considering San Francisco didn’t have to trade to acquire Migliore’s skill set, it looks like a great selection.

San Francisco picked up a pick that became Pierre Fontaine, along with Omer de Vos, for Diego N. Cordero, Dauris Cordero, and George Soriano. Dauris Cordero is a reliever with negative career WAR as he gave up a ton of homers in 2028 and had a 6.60 ERA. Diego N. Cordero’s effectiveness waxed and waned with home run luck. He had a couple of horrible home run years, and a couple of seasons where the ball stayed in the park. Worth 0.6 WAR with a 4.35 career ERA, he’s mostly been a generic anonymous reliever. Soriano struck out a lot of hitters and gave up a lot of homers in 2028, his only PBA season. He was worth exactly 0.0 WAR.

Fontaine, however, is a career minor leaguer. De Vos had a few good years early in his career running unsustainable batting averages, before having a brutal 2031 with the Yankees. His career is probably the best of anybody’s in the deal, giving San Francisco a slight win.

The Giants weren’t done acquiring third rounders. They picked up a pick from Philadelphia as the cost of taking on Franklyn Kilome, getting Jason Garza as a bonus. They only had to send Philadelphia $2. The pick became career minor leaguer Emmanuel de Armas. Jason Garza is still young, but has never played above Double-A and is a minor league Free Agent. His time is running out. Kilome was cut by the Giants after two games, meaning they really needed the pick or Garza to work and it didn’t. Kilome would still be able to eat some innings as a starter for a couple of years, and was good in a relief role for Arizona in 2029. Still, Kilome was purely a vessel to acquire a busted minor leaguer and a wasted third rounder.

Their own third rounder was used on David Whisnant, a fringy reliever who was grabbed by the Angels in the Rule V draft, then promptly got hurt. It’s unlikely he has the stuff or control to succeed in the PBA.

The Giants tended to draft young, so even though none of their other picks look intriguing, a lot are still active, so there’s a shot one could pop when entering their prime.

Grade: A-. San Francisco showed that trading for picks early in a weak draft can sometimes bear fruit, but later on in a weak draft, more and more picks aren’t likely to become anything. Knox is a decently enough player, and getting Omer de Vos in the deal with Houston was okay, but the Giants didn’t get much of note with their other deals. On the other hand, they didn’t give up much either. The Migliore pick was solid though, and getting David Bollman essentially for Jonathan Arrauz was a masterstroke. Walking away with Knox, Migliore, and Bollman makes for a strong draft when considering the low costs involved with their other moves.


Seattle Mariners:

First Round: (19) Andres Reyna
Second Round: (18) Pick traded to San Francisco, along with Aramis Ademan, for Jeison Rosario and Curt Gemma. Pick turned into Travis Milstead
Third Round: (9) Tim Evans—P (Pick acquired from Baltimore, along with Reese McGuire, Caleb Swift, Chad Woods, and $1 million for Francisco DeJesus, and Nick Collins)
Third Round: (21) Josh Hamby

Other Trades: Acquired seventh round pick (Aaron Wood) from Detroit for Yeyson Yrizarri

Acquired seventh round pick (Rob Woodward) from Kansas City for Jonathan Capellan

Acquired eighth round pick (Jamie Chilson) from St. Louis for Thomas Dillard

Best Player: (18) Steve Conner—P

Best Deep Cut: Steve Conner

Total ML WAR: 5.6

Review: Seattle picked Andre Reyna 19th overall in 2026. While Reyna has been up-and-down in his career, he’s speedy, has an adequate bat, and can hold his own in the field. Not a great player, he’ll have a niche on a PBA roster. That’s enough for a passing grade.

Seattle traded its second round pick away, a selection that turned into Travis Milstead. Seattle also gave up Aramis Ademan, and got back Jeison Rosario and Curt Gemma. Milstead is a Quad-A outfielder, while Ademan was sub-replacement in one year for the Giants, then became a serviceable second division infielder or utility player afterwards. The Mariners got back Jeison Rosario, who was good for a couple of years, plus Gemma who was excellent in Seattle, even posting 3.1 WAR one year as a reliever. The Mariners won that trade.

Seattle got an extra third rounder as part of the Francisco DeJesus trade. They gave up the star slugger, plus Nick Collins in the deal. Collins never played again, and DeJesus’ best days were behind him, meaning Seattle sold at the right time. DeJesus has still been productive though, and led the AL in homers in 2029 so the Mariners needed to get a good haul for him.

Their draft pick was Tim Evans, a Quad-A arm who will likely top out at Triple-A. They got Reese McGuire, a solid, but unspectacular Catcher; Caleb Swift, a slugger who has had a single good year; and Chad Woods, a slightly below average hitter at Second Base, who has only played 100 games once in his career. The Mariners also got a cool million bucks in the deal. It’s an uninspiring haul for a slugger who can still mash.

Seattle’s own third rounder was used on Josh Hamby, who nobody has ever heard of, and nobody ever will. Fourth rounder Daniel Childress has potential though. He doesn’t have great off-speed pitches so he may be a reliever, but he throws hard, and he throws strikes.

Seattle acquired a boatload of seventh and eighth rounders. They gave up Yeyson Yrizzari for a pick that became Aaron Wood. Wood doesn’t have a great bat, but he plays Left Field well and runs a little. He could be a Triple-A player. Yrizarri played six games for Detroit and was -0.2 WAR. Seattle won that deal of little consequence.

Seattle acquired a draft pick that became Rob Woodward for Jonathan Capellan. Capellan never played in the PBA again, but has hit in Europe. Woodward never played above High-A and is now in Woodward. Seattle slightly lost that inconsequential trade.

The Mariners obtained a pick that became Jamie Chilson for Thomas Dillard. Chilson has pitched 3 games above Double-A in his career and won’t be a PBA arm going forward. Dillard had a strong 2026 as a backup Catcher, though he had a rough 2027 as a backup Catcher. Seattle lost that one too.

Seattle didn’t lose with their 18th round pick though, getting Steve Conner, a future frontline arm. Conner was the 2031 Rookie of the Year for Seattle with a 2.89 ERA. He throws hard, has excellent command, and pitching in Seattle limits his homers. One of the best current players in the draft class, Seattle got a steal finding him.

Grade: B. Getting Conner was excellent, Seattle won the trade for Gemma, and their return for DeJesus and selection of Reyna were at least adequate. The Mariners didn’t get much else, and they lost some of their minor trades, keeping the grade a B.


St. Louis Cardinals:

First Round: (8) Roger Turk—P
First Round: (21) Steve Ruffin—CF—Compensation for not signing Colin Kelly—UNSIGNED
First Round: (22) Sonny Badillo—RF—UNSIGNED (Pick acquired from Texas along with second round pick *[Matt Wass], third round pick *[Jamie Timmerman], Aaron Wallace, and Justin Harvey for Nick Pratto)
First Round: (24) James Gonzales—CF (Pick acquired from Chicago White Sox for Luis Contreras and Edmundo Sosa)
First Round: (31) Al Gil—Compensation for not signing Chad Antoine—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (6) Pick traded to Kansas City, along with third round pick *(Ken Wright) for Austin Rei, second round pick *(David Witter), and third round pick *(John Rosenberg). Pick became Adam Holmgren
Second Round: (12) *From Kansas City
Second Round: (21)* From Texas
Second Round: (22) Jose Aguila—SS—Compensation for not signing Elijah Toomer
Second Round: (29) Justin Cryer—P (Pick acquired from Kansas City, along with David Kouns, for Jorge Ramirez and seventh round pick [Chris Hastings])
Second Round: (34) Ken Davis—SS—Compensation for not signing Eric Hopper
Third Round: (8) Pick acquired from Tampa Bay, along with Corey Macrow for James Hale, and Pablo Santana. Pick traded to Baltimore, along with Alex Reyes for Dave Ulloa and Edward Soto. Pick became Tim Evans
Third Round: (11)* (To Kansas City)
Third Round: (24)* (From Texas)
Third Round: (26)* (From Kansas City)
Third Round: (28) Justin Welsh—P—Compensation for not signing Franklin Soto
Third Round: (33) Emil Marks—P—Compensation for not signing Jaden Carlton

Other Trades: Acquired seventh round pick (Chris Hastings) from Kansas City for Anderson Cosma

Traded eighth round pick (Jamie Chilson) to Seattle for Thomas Dillard

Acquired eighth round pick (Andy Walper) from Chicago White Sox for Buster Posey

Best Player: Roger Turk

Best Deep Cut: (18) John Schrock—P

Total ML WAR: 11.9

Review: The Cardinals had one of the most active periods in 2026 trading and acquiring boatloads of draft picks. Combined with an armada of compensation picks and picks they decided not to sign, it makes for one of the most convoluted drafts to possibly analyze.

We begin right at the top with the most straightforward pick—Roger Turk. The Cards selected the two-way player eighth overall, a decision that has largely held up. He’s been a reasonably effective bat, even if his fielding skills means he’s mostly been resigned to First Base. He’s also been a respectable arm, with an ERA just under 5, and 98 career starts. If he were just a First Baseman, or just a Pitcher, he’d look far more disappointing, but the ability to be a competent two-way player saves a roster spot, and was a nice find in a weak draft.

The Cardinals had four extra first round picks in 2026. Two of them were the result of compensation picks. Steve Ruffin was selected as a compensation pick for Colin Kelly and he too went unsigned. Kelly doesn’t look like a major league player, but Ruffin has torn up Triple-A and could be a decent bat in the PBA. The compensation pick turned into Rich Whitt, an elite reliever. Whitt has been an All-Star, where it’s doubtful Ruffin will ever be that level of hitter, so all in all a good chain of moves for the Cardinals.

Their other compensation pick was a long train of unsigned players, starting with Ed Bice in 2024, moving to Chad Antoine, turning into Al Gil, and ending with Ryan Perez. Bice was an unsuccessful arm for the Yankees, Antoine is a slugging Center Fielder for the Cubs, Perez looks like he may make it as a last arm in the pen, and the 2026 pick, Gil, is stuck in the low minors. Punting on Gil for Perez looks fine, but going four years and not getting much for the pick is a terrible job of not getting talent into the system.

Next we get into a pair of major trades. St. Louis wanted to save money so gave away star First Baseman Nick Pratto for a package of Justin Harvey, Aaron Wallace, and picks that became Matt Wass, Jamie Timmerman, and Sonny Badillo. Pratto was terrific for the Cardinals and has remained terrific for the Rangers, posting 24.3 WAR for the Rangers, earning an All-Star nod, and winning a pair of Gold Gloves. The return needed to be worth it for the Cardinals, and they got some good pieces. Wass looks like a Quad-A slugger, but he has a shot to make the PBA. Timmerman doesn’t have the bat to be a PBA contributor. Wallace proved he could be an elite reliever for St. Louis, and showed he could be an elite starting pitcher for Kansas City. Wallace has also been an excellent reliever for the Cardinals. The swing piece would be Sonny Badillo, as a monstrous slugger who is third in the single-season home run leaderboard—but the Cardinals didn’t sign him, turning him into future sixth outfielder Luis Landaverde. Of course, there were financial considerations involved, but the Cardinals needed one more piece to justify the return of an elite player like Pratto, and in not signing Badillo, they didn’t get that player.

St. Louis’ final first rounder arrived via the Chicago White Sox. The Cardinals gave up Edmundo Sosa and Luis Contreras, getting a pick that became James Gonzalez. Contreras was misused after leaving St. Louis and was never the elite Closer he was with the Cardinals. Edmundo Sosa was a bit player who only had 120 more plate appearances in his career after being dealt. St. Louis selected James Gonzalez, a Double-A caliber Center Fielder. Bryce Zettel and Alan Mitchell were selected just a few picks after, making the pick look worse in hindsight. The Cardinals could have gotten more for Conteras, even though they correctly sold high.

The trading frenzy continued in the second round. The Cardinals and Royals made a small deal for second and third round draft positioning. When the smoke cleared, St. Louis traded away Adam Holmgren and Ken Wright for Austin Rei, David Witter, and John Rosenberg. Rei was a solid backup Catcher for a season. Rosenberg has been stuck in the low minors and looks like just a low-minors slugger. Witter’s been a flawed slugger as he can’t defend well and is strikeout prone, but he will crush right-handed pitching. Ken Wright is a Quad-A reliever, and Holmgren’s been a solid mid-rotation arm for Arizona. Witter and Rei for Holmgren is a fine deal, maybe with Holmgren worth slightly more, but it’s a perfectly defensible move in hindsight.

The Cardinals made another move with Kansas City, getting a pick that became Justin Cryer, plus David Kouns, for Jorge Ramirez and a pick that became Chris Hastings. Ramirez was a solid starting pitcher for a brief period of time, though Hastings never amounted to anything. Cryer is an okay reliever, while Kouns has had a few spectacular seasons, leading the AL in hits once, and setting the all time record for triples last year. He’s an incredibly BABIP dependent player, but he should still contribute in the PBA with Cryer, while Ramirez has moved on to the Meridian. This deal looks like a win in hindsight.

The Cardinals had two more second rounders as the result of compensation picks. They didn’t sign Elijah Toomer in 2025, turning him into Jose Aguila. Toomer doesn’t look like a PBA player, and maybe Aguila can be a backup Second Baseman and pinch runner off the bench. The Cards also had a pick as a result of not signing Curtis McDowell, then Eric Hopper, a pair of career minor leaguers. Ken Davis has seen the PBA as a sub-replacement Second Baseman, but he still has some development room in front of him. It’s not great to roll over picks for three years, just to get a backup Second Baseman.

The Cardinals were the middleman in a deal involving a third round pick. They got a third rounder from the Rays, along with Corey Macrow, for James Hale and Pablo Santana. Macrow looks like a Triple-A Left Fielder, while Hale had a couple of years as a good reliever, and Santana’s best days were behind him. The pick became Triple-A arm Tim Evans. St. Louis probably slightly lost that mainly negligible trade, but they then flipped the pick to Baltimore along with Alex Reyes for Dave Ulloa and Edward Soto. Ulloa doesn’t look like he’ll make the PBA, while Soto showed some power flashes with St. Louis, never put things together completely, then became the best single-season slugger the Meridian League could ever dream of when he crushed 113 homers, put up a 1.011 slugging percentage, and produced 14.7 WAR. Reyes ha done good year for Baltimore, before winding things down with Miami with a rough end of his career.

Altogether, the Cardinas netted out with Macrow, Ulloa, and Soto, and gave up Hale, Santana, and Reyes, probably ended up with neutral value in the end.

St. Louis had two more compensation pick third rounders. They grabbed Justin Welsh with a pick originally used on an unsigned Franklin Soto. Soto’s been a replacement level reliever, while Welsh is a reliever who has been better than Soto, and is younger than Soto. The Cardinals’ other third rounder started with Phil Hatch, transitioned through Jaden Carlton, and ended with Emil Marks. The Triple-A is strong with the entire trio.

St. Louis had a few smaller trades for deeper draft picks. They acquired a seventh rounder that became Chris Hastings for Anderson Cosma. Hastings never played in the PBA, but Cosma was worth -0.9 WAR after the deal, so great trade for the Cardinals.

They acquired an eighth rounder from Seattle and drafted Jamie Chilson in exchange for Thomas Dillard. Dillard had a good half season as a backup Catcher and a bad season as a backup Catcher, while Chilson has been a horrid minor leaguer.

The Cardinals also acquired a pick that became Andy Walper for Buster Posey. Walper seems destined to hit 70 homers in the Meridian League someday, as he has huge power, but few supporting skills. He has a prayer of a PBA future though. Posey played 18 games for the white Sox with a negative WAR.

St. Louis’ mid-round picks were solid. They drafted Rafael Lozana with their fourth rounder and Lozano won 14 games with a 3.24 ERA for Atlanta last year. Only 24, he looks like a quality selection. Ninth rounder Steve Arbulu throws hard enough and has a great curveball where he could overcome a lack of command to be a successful reliever. 12th rounder Gary Ladlow could be a backup Catcher someday. 18th rounder John Schrock made the PBA with the White Sox last year. He throws a straight fastball, leading to a ton of homers, but he did strike out 27 hitters in 21.2 innings. If he can somehow get some more movement, there’s a quality arm there. Either way, not a bad selection for round 18.

Grade: C+. It’s so much to track, but the Cardinals got a lot of their talent mostly on the basis of having a ton of extra picks. Virtually all of their trades involving picks in the first three rounds were neutral, slight wins, or slight losses, aside from losing the Pratto deal. The Cardinals generally did okay with most of their rolled over pick decisions, and got the edge on most of their trades involving deeper draft picks. Turk was a good pick at eighth overall, and St. Louis did a good job grabbing talent deeper in the draft. Curve slightly based on how the Cardinals did get out of salary cap hell with their trades, and end up with a C+ in the end despite all the volume.


Tampa Bay Rays:

First Round: (12) Chris Featherly—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (10 Jason Bordogna—P
Third Round: (8) Pick traded to St. Louis, along with Corey Macrow, for James Hale and Pablo Santana. Pick became Tim Evans.

Best Player: Jason Bordogna

Best Deep Cut: (14) Jeremy Mallow—LF

Total ML WAR: 3.5

Review: Tampa Bay drafted Chris Featherly 12th overall, but didn’t sign him. A smart move as Featherly went to College and was drafted by Kansas City in 2029, where he’s already suffered two major arm injuries. He won’t pitch in the PBA. There weren’t a lot of great pitchers taken midway and late in the first either where the Rays should have signed someone else. The compensation pick allowed the Rays to sign Jerry Dixon. Even though injuries wrecked the top prospect’s starting chances, Dixon has already had a solid year as a starter, and two strong years in the pen. That’s more than what Featherly will provide.

Jason Bordogna was an interesting second round pick. He had a great rookie year as a starting pitcher, then forgot how to stop allowing home runs. He also had a solid rookie year as a hitter with a reasonably empty .260 average—not great, but as a pitcher, it saves a roster spot to use him as a Left Fielder or DH him when he pitches. If he can regain that level, he’s an excellent pick as a second rounder, but even if he doesn’t, he was still a 2029 All Star.

Tampa Bay traded their third rounder and Corey Macrow for James Hale and Pablo Santana. Hale was a good closer in 2026 and had a solid 2027, but injuries prevented him from going further in his career. Santana was wild for the Rays and then the Reds, and hasn’t pitched in the PBA since 2027, though he was the European League Reliever of the Year in 2029.

Corey Macrow is still young, but doesn’t look good enough to play in the PBA—fans will likely have to wait to the WBC to see the Englishman in action. The pick became Tim Evans, a Triple-A caliber Starting Pitcher. The Rays got the better of the deal.

Noah Correia was a strong pick in the sixth round. He can fake it in Left Field, but isn’t a great fielder, and he can hack it at First Base, but isn’t a dynamic hitter. He turned in two seasons in Tampa Bay with a .762 OPS, and a cup of coffee with San Diego with a .776 OPS. That will play in the sixth round, no matter the position.

Grade: B. The Rays get solid B’s for turning Featherly into Dixon, for drafting Bordogna, for trading for Hale, and an A for Correia. Solid work.


Texas Rangers:

First Round: (22) Pick traded to St. Louis, along with second round pick *(Matt Wass), third round pick *(Jamie Timmerman), Aaron Wallace, and Justin Harvey for Nick Pratto. Pick became Sonny Badillo
Second Round: (21)*
Third Round: (24)*
Third Round: Forfeited to sign Nomar Mazara—Compensation for not signing Julian Reyes.

Notes: Fourth round pick forfeited to sign Freddie Freeman

Best Player: (8) Mike Burgener—P

Best Deep Cut: (12) David McSherry—P

Total ML WAR: 7.2

Review: Texas traded its entire draft for Nick Pratto basically. They gave up picks that become Sonny Badillo, Matt Wass, and Jamie Timmerman, as well as Aaron Wallace and Justin Harvey, a steep haul. Timmerman won’t be a PBA player, and while Wass has a chance to play in the PBA, he’s a slugger without a great hit tool and who can’t play the field, so he’s fringy.

Badillo’s tough to evaluate. At his best, he hit a league leading 63 homers and 141 RBIs two years ago, but he followed that up with a.192 average, 182 strikeouts, and 0.5 WAR. He’s a very high-variance player. Aaron Wallace is a two-time All-Star who has evolved into an elite reliever and could still be an elite starter. Justin Harvey is also a strong reliever with strong strikeout rates.

However, Texas got Nick Pratto, who has been excellent for them, and also very steady with between a 124 and 143 OPS+ over his six seasons with Texas. With a .293 average, a .376 OBP, and a .481 slugging mark, he’s been worth 24.2 WAR over six years. He’s even learned how to run on the bases, average 10 steals a year in his time in Texas, and he’s played excellent defense. He’s been worth he cost.

Because Texas traded away so many early picks, they only lost third and fourth rounders. They got a comp pick in 2025 for not signing Julian Reyes, a Quad-A arm who limits homers, but is too wild to be successful in the PBA. Texas forfeited that comp pick to sign Nomar Mazara to a 4-year contract worth around $23 million. Mazara had one spectacular year, one okay year, and one terrible year, then was traded away. In a weak draft, he may have been worth giving up a third round pick, but may not have been worth the money.

Texas also signed Freddie Freeman to a 1-year, $12 million contract. He only had a .711 OPS that year and 0.4 WAR, which isn’t great, even though it only cost a fourth round pick.

Texas signed Mike Burgener in the eighth round, which was an excellent decision. After an uneven rookie year, he’s won 15 games each of the last two years with a 22.1 strikeout rate and was worth 4.4 WAR last year. That’s a good player anywhere, especially one in the eighth round.

Grade: B+. On the whole, Texas did good work in the draft. They gave up a steep price of draft and prospect capital for Nick Pratto, but they ended up with an extremely productive player. For the compensation picks they gave up, Mazara was an okay signing, and Freeman wasn’t too bad. Burgener was a great pick as well. The fact that Wallace and Badillo could be so strong, and the fact that Mazara and Freeman weren’t that great limits things to a B+.


Toronto Blue Jays:

First Round: (25) Sergio Espinoza—P
Second Round: (24) Ron Ryser—3B
Third Round: (25) Mike Lomax—RF
Third Round: (34) Victor Cuen—P—Compensation for not signing Humberto Mendoza

Best Player: Mike Lomax

Best Deep Cut: (15) Troy Price—LF

Total ML WAR: 5.1

Review: Toronto selected Sergio Espinoza with the 25th overall pick. A fine Triple-A arm, he’s destined for a career in the Meridian League and doesn’t project to provide positive value if he pitches in the PBA. He was a miss of a pick.

Ron Ryser was Toronto’s second rounder and despite having a magical playoff run for Toronto in 2028, hasn’t produced too much during the regular season, putting up a .248 OBP for the Angels last year. In a weak draft, an ALDS MVP award is not nothing, but it may be Ryser’s only lasting contribution.

Mike Lomax has had more success. Toronto’s third rounder, Lomax has big power and a big arm. He hit 30 homers last year, and was one of the best position players selected in his neighborhood of the draft.

Toronto passed on signing Humberto Mendoza in 2025, and Mendoza doesn’t look like much of a prospect at all. They grabbed Victor Cuen with the compensation pick, and Cuen looks like a vampire. He also looks like a replacement level PBA arm, with a good fastball and a decent slider, that are hung a little too often.

Seventh rounder Dave Ward looks like a Triple-A arm, and every other pick is even more fringy.

Grade: B-. Toronto got a starting player in Lomax, a great ALDS from Ron Ryser, and made a good decision on passing on Humberto Mendoza and selecting Victor Cuen. Solid work.


Washington Nationals:

First Round: (29) Steven Reed—3B—Compensation for not signing Steve Rankine
First Round: (35) Luke Crites—LF
Second Round: (36) Dave Bennett—1B—Compensation for not signing Angel Morales
Second Round: (39) Omar Ayala—RF
Third Round: (36) Matt Sanchez—RF—Compensation for not signing Justice Thomas—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (41) Bill Weeks—P

Best Player: Omar Ayala

Best Deep Cut: (30) Brian Blackmon—P

Total ML WAR: -3.1

Review: Washington had a bunch of extra picks this draft, which was unfortunate as the team drafted a number of players who have currently produced negative career WAR.

The first of them is Steven Reed. Reed was a compensation pick for not signing Steve Rankine, a Triple-A reliever. Reed played a decent chunk of 2028, and a bit of 2029 and 2030 and hasn’t produced yet. He’s had significant time in Triple-A and hasn’t produced there either. He profiles as a patient slugger, who is still pretty young and can still pop—but he has to begin to show it.

Mr. Clean, Luke Crites was also taken in the first round and has produced negative minor league WAR at most of his stops. He has 12 career PBA games with a -0.4 WAR and a .400 OPS. He was a bust of a pick. Also a bust—Dave Bennett, Washington’s second round selection who never played full season ball. He was a compensation pick for not signing Angel Morales, a career minor leaguer, but the pick needed to be anyone else.

Omar Ayala was Washington’s other second rounder. He only has 231 career plate appearances thus far. He has a respectable average and some pop in his PBA at bats, but is a poor defender so he’s been worth negative WAR. He’s bat is likely good enough to play, but the lack of defensive skills and an ultra-aggressive approach makes him fringy.

Washington didn’t sign Justice Thomas in 2025, a Quad-A Shortstop. The compensation pick became Matt Sanchez, who had a spectacular rookie year with the Cardinals last year. Alas, Washington didn’t sign Sanchez, getting a compensation pick that was rolled over into Ryan Muszynski, who is—not Matt Sanchez.

Bill Weeks was Washington’s own third rounder. He’s an incredibly wild reliever who won’t pitch in the PBA. Their fourth rounder, Raul Penaloza, did pitch for Washington in 2028—in one game—where he had a 67.50 ERA. He’s a Quad-A swingman who throws four pitches and has decent stamina and probably wouldn’t embarrass himself in the PBA like he did in 2028.

Seventh rounder Mike Myers has pitched parts of four seasons in the PBA as a homer-prone replacement level arm. He has great stuff, led by an excellent changeup, but his fastball is very straight, and his mechanics of showing the ball that leads to his great changeup, leads to his fastball being a bit more hittable. He’s still a nice find as someone who isn’t a disaster late in the draft.

Grade: F. Washington didn’t get an impact player in the draft, despite a number of extra picks. Some of their players are still young enough to pop, but they had a chance to draft Matt Sanchez, a future star, and didn’t grab him. That was the defining move of their draft.

[Commissioner Erick]

Luke Grimmelbein, Tim Lentz, and David Boyer contributed to the analysis.