MLB Pipeline Projects Roch Cholowsky at No. 1 as White Sox Weigh 2 Shortstops

Q: With two shortstops dominating headlines, could a catcher be the true prize of the 2026 MLB Draft?

Yes. Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey has a credible case to be the best value in the 2026 MLB Draft, even with Roch Cholowsky and Grady Emerson driving most of the pre-draft attention. The shortstops remain the headline names for good reason. Cholowsky is widely viewed as the safest top-of-the-board talent, with an advanced bat, strong defense and a relatively quick path to the majors. Emerson may have the highest pure hitting upside in the class and has risen to No. 1 on some boards. That is why the White Sox have spent so much time weighing those two at No. 1. But Lackey is not far behind them, and in some evaluations he is right there with them. He hit .407/.529/.790 with 20 home runs and 15 steals at Georgia Tech, giving him rare offensive production for a catcher. Multiple reports place him in the elite top tier of the class, and some evaluators have even floated him as a legitimate No. 1 overall candidate. MLB Pipeline’s mock has him going No. 3 to Minnesota, while other draft analysts have tied him closely to the top two picks. What strengthens Lackey’s case is positional value. A catcher who can hit in the middle of the order and stay behind the plate is one of the hardest assets to find in baseball. With MLB’s ABS challenge system also reducing the premium on traditional framing, athleticism, arm strength and all-around impact matter even more. So while the draft may open with two shortstops, Lackey could still prove to be the class’s true prize.

3 articles · Updated · MLB.com · Jul 11

MLB Pipeline’s final 2026 mock draft projects UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky to go No. 1 overall, with the White Sox still deciding shortly before Saturday’s pick.
Two names dominate Chicago’s choice: Cholowsky and Fort Worth Christian High School shortstop Grady Emerson, making it increasingly clear the White Sox will open the draft by taking a shortstop.
Cholowsky appears to have the edge as the more polished college option who could reach the majors faster, even though scouts and teams behind Chicago remain split on whether Emerson could still go first.
That decision would likely shape the top of the board, with MLB Pipeline viewing Emerson to the Rays at No. 2 and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey to the Twins at No. 3 as the most likely follow-on scenario.
Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft begins Saturday, with picks 1-10 scheduled during the 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET broadcast window and the White Sox expected to reveal the top selection shortly after 1:30 p.m. ET.