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The 2026 Draft is a little over a month away, and we've got questions.
Who will go No. 1 overall? Who should go No. 1 overall? Which top Draft prospect is the biggest wild card? And a lot more.
So we asked the experts. MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo surveyed the baseball scouting industry -- from scouting directors to assistant general managers to national crosscheckers -- for their takes on the upcoming MLB Draft, which kicks off on July 11.
Here's a sample of their responses to three of the biggest questions:
Who will the White Sox take at No. 1?
This one had an overwhelming majority answer: UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, who is MLB Pipeline's No. 1-ranked Draft prospect. Fifteen of the 21 Draft experts surveyed predicted that the White Sox will take Cholowsky with the first overall pick of the 2026 Draft.
One scouting executive said of Cholowsky: "Roch has separated himself as a near ready Major League shortstop. He bet on himself going to college, and it paid off. I'd be shocked if by the end of 2027, he's not in a big league uniform."
Another scouting director said: "He is the best player ... don't overthink it."
Who's the actual best Draft prospect?
This is a different question than who will actually go No. 1 overall. Now, it turns out the Draft experts' consensus was the same (Cholowsky), but one other player also got a bunch of votes. That was Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey, who MLB Pipeline has ranked as the No. 3 Draft prospect. A 20-year-old catcher with an all-around skill set offers a lot of upside for a team.
One scouting director said of Lackey: "He’s the best player with an impact ceiling who stays in the middle of the field. Athlete, tools, durable body, performer with plus makeup."
Who is the biggest wild card in this year's Draft class?
The polarizing player who got the most votes here (nine) was Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron, who is MLB Pipeline's No. 9 Draft prospect. A year ago, Lebron was the frontrunner to be the top overall pick in this Draft, but he was leapfrogged by Cholowsky. But if you've been watching Lebron in the NCAA tournament, you can see that the tools are there.
Also receiving votes were Florida high school shortstop Jacob Lombard (No. 4) and Coastal Carolina right-hander Cameron Flukey (No. 11).
See the rest of the Draft survey results here >>
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