roch-cholowsky-imagn.png
Imagn Images

Major League Baseball's latest draft is in the books. After two days and 20 rounds of selecting players, evaluators across the league can now take a deep breath and begin sizing up next year's class. Between the Cape Cod League and other summer showcase circuits, the search for talent never stops.

With that established, below CBS Sports has highlighted five names worth knowing in the 2026 MLB Draft. Mind you, this is not a ranking or a projection of the top of next year's class. It's merely an introduction to the group through the examination of five particularly interesting players. Got it? Good, let's proceed.

1. Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA

A lot can change by the time February rolls around, but Cholowsky is the early favorite to enter next spring atop my draft rankings. He's a fluid athlete (he was recruited to play quarterback at Notre Dame) with a good feel for both the position and the game overall. (I'm certain scouts took notice when he pushed a bunt through Iowa's infield and legged out a double during the Big Ten tournament.) Cholowsky isn't just a plus glove and set of wheels at a premium position: he's a compelling offensive prospect, too, as evidenced by him leading UCLA in home runs, average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage -- all while walking 15 more times than he struck out. Again, there's a lot of road between now and February, but I consider Cholowsky to be in the lead.

2. Drew Burress, CF, Georgia Tech

The careers of Corbin Carroll, Mookie Betts, and José Ramírez (among others) have made it clear that height doesn't measure slugging upside. Consider that a win for Burress, a 5-foot-9 lefty-swinging outfielder whose capacity for lifting and pulling the ball has permitted him 44 home runs across two seasons. He wasn't able to match his statistical brilliance from 2024, when he was perhaps the best freshman performer in the country, but he remained the Yellow Jackets' most productive hitter. Another strong season could put him in contention for the No. 1 overall selection.

3. Grady Emerson, SS, Argyle HS (TX)

Only one player has ever been drafted directly from Argyle High School: former Yankees farmhand Austin Aune. Emerson, a Texas commit, is certain to become the second. He has a strikingly efficient operation at the plate, both in terms of his mechanics and his approach. He's also a skilled defender who ought to stick at shortstop, even as he fills out his 6-foot-2 frame. In what looks like a strong class for shortstops, there's a real chance that Emerson emerges as the best of the bunch.

4. Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep HS (FL)

This year's draft class featured a few high-profile shortstops with big-league bloodlines in Eli Willits and Ethan Holliday, who went No. 1 and No. 4 overall, respectively. Next year's bunch will boast Lombard, who has a few noteworthy connections himself. His father, George, appeared in parts of six big-league seasons as an outfielder, and now serves as the bench coach for the Detroit Tigers. His brother George Jr. meanwhile, is a minor-league shortstop for the New York Yankees and one of the top prospects in the minors. Jacob, blessed with a dynamic toolbox that includes improving strength and good speed, has a chance to earn that designation himself in short order.

5. Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama

Lebron is a capable shortstop who has hit .327/.425/.593 with 30 home runs and 24 stolen bases (on 25 attempts) in two seasons at Alabama. You can understand, then, why he's considered to be one of the top collegiate prospects for next year's class. There is a bit of a catch here, however, as he struck out in more than 31% of his plate appearances within conference play. He'll have to improve on that mark next spring if he wants to hold serve as a potential top-five selection.