MLB Pipeline Highlights 30 Favorite Picks From 613-Selection 2026 Draft

Q: Beyond the top picks, which team’s calculated draft-day gamble could yield the biggest future superstar?

The Marlins’ bet on Jacob Lombard looks like the draft-day gamble with the biggest superstar payoff. Lombard slid to No. 14 despite being viewed by many evaluators as a top-five talent on pure tools. The upside is rare: a true shortstop with plus speed, potential plus power and the kind of athleticism that gives him 30-30 potential. Multiple scouting summaries in the draft coverage framed him as a boom-or-bust player, but also as someone with an All-Star or even superstar ceiling if the bat comes together. What makes it a calculated gamble, rather than just a lucky value pick, is the risk profile. Teams were wary of his swing-and-miss tendencies and contact rates against better competition. That concern is real and explains why he lasted longer than his talent suggested. But Miami is betting that those issues are more fixable than a lack of tools, and that is often the kind of wager that produces stars. Other clubs made strong upside plays. The Yankees getting Hunter Dietz at No. 35 could become a major steal if his health holds. The Guardians’ Savion Sims and Braves’ Kaiden McCarthy are high-octane pitching bets with huge ceilings. The Dodgers’ Bo Lowrance is intriguing given their development track record and limited bonus pool. Still, Lombard stands out because he combines premium defensive value, explosive athletic traits and middle-of-the-diamond star potential. If he makes enough contact, this could be remembered as the draft’s biggest superstar swing.

3 articles · Updated · MLB.com · Jul 16

613 picks across the 2026 MLB Draft were distilled by MLB Pipeline into one favorite selection for each of the 30 clubs, spanning from first-rounders to a ninth-round choice.
No. 2 overall pick Grady Emerson headlined the list after the Rays landed MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 prospect, while the White Sox opened the draft by taking UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky at No. 1.
Several clubs were praised for value plays after projected first-round talent slid, including the Yankees getting Hunter Dietz at No. 35, the Marlins taking Jacob Lombard at No. 14 and the Brewers landing Sawyer Strosnider 41 spots later than mocked.
Later-round upside also stood out, with the Red Sox targeting ninth-round outfielder Martin Shelar using savings from No. 20 and the Blue Jays grabbing prep catcher Will Brick in the fourth round.
The roundup framed teams’ best picks through three lenses—talent value, organizational fit and projection—offering a club-by-club read on how the 2026 class may reshape farm systems.