The first round of the MLB Draft is complete, and while every organization believes it found a future cornerstone, some clubs walked away with better fits and greater long-term value than others. Below, we break down every first-round selection, what each player brings to his new organization, and what collectors should know before this draft class arrives in Bowman products.

We’re breaking down the 2026 Draft pick by pick. Look for notes on the player, their potential hobby impact and where to find cards if you’re looking to stock up. But first my 1st Round Superlatives:

Best Pick	Jacob Lombard, SS, Marlins
Biggest Surprise	Jake Schaffner, SS, Red Sox
Best Value	Ace Reese, 3B, Mariners
Best Collector Target	Trevor Condon, OF, Cardinals
Best Team Fit	Liam Peterson, RHP, Guardians

1. The White Sox took the number 1 player on the board Roch Cholowsky and they’ll be happy with the results for the next 10 years. He’s a very good defender at shortstop with a ton of hitting ability. He can be a .300 hitter with 20-plus home run upside. He also has the draft’s highest floor. Collectors have known his name as he was the projected #1 pick all season, but expect a significant bump when he gets to the majors. Historically, early Leaf and Stars & Stripes cards often soften once Bowman Draft releases, making them potential bargains once the prices decrease.

2. Grady Emerson was a great consolation prize for the Tampa Bay Rays. The high school shortstop has potentially the highest ceiling in the draft with the potential to be a dynamic five-tool shortstop. That said, as a high schooler there’s more risk in his development. Emerson was also a well-known prospect, but his prices are lower than Cholowsky. Emerson has a chance to be kept out of Bowman Draft, as they like to keep the No. 2 pick for the following year’s Bowman. He has a legitimate chance to become the best player from the draft, so keep a watchful eye on his prices.

3. The Twins grabbed catcher Vahn Lackey and his immense offensive upside. If Cholowsky doesn’t end up the best player from this draft, my money would be on Lackey surpassing him. He’s a great defensive catcher but really shines with the bat. He has received comps to former Giants star and future Hall of Famer Buster Posey. He can be added to your collection via products from Leaf and Stars & Stripes before he gets any professional performance to create even more demand for the cards.

4. First pitcher taken! Jackson Flora instantly becomes the top arm in the Giants system, who will play in a terrific pitcher’s park. As always, there’s risk with drafting pitching, however Flora does have the advantage of being a college arm and the extra experience and maturity that brings. At first reaction, Flora projects to debut near the top of our August Top 100 update, likely inside the Top 50. His cards can be found in Leaf and Stars & Stripes which allow collectors to add a relatively fair priced, high upside pitcher to their collections.

5. The first real surprise of the draft! The Pirates deviate from the clear Top 6 prospects in the draft and take statistical model darling Derek Curiel. He’s a legitimate hitter, but he lacks the power of many of the other elite prospects in this draft. He will be a nice complement to Konnor Griffin in Pittsburgh, but I would have liked this pick better if the Pirates had kept the #34 Pick and added a higher upside talent at that spot. Curiel has been in products since his High School days and could be found prominently in Leaf and Team USA Stars & Stripes products.

6. Back to back surprises, although I am a big fan of Zion Rose. He’s a professional hitter who has above-average on-base skills. He may not have the impact you look for nowadays, but in my opinion he’ll be a real plus for the Royals long-term. He’s a little green in the outfield, having been a former catcher, but he’s got the athleticism to be above-average. Collectors looking for an early autograph has options as he appears in Leaf and Panini’s Stars & Stripes and since he’s not a typical power hitter you may be able to get some deals on them.

7. The Orioles went back to the rankings and took the player many considered the best outfielder in the draft, Eric Booth Jr. Booth is a great runner and puts up huge exit velocities. He may be stuck at one of the corner spots, but he should be solid in the field. He doesn’t currently have any cards available, so expect him to be one of the bigger chases in Bowman Draft. One sneaky play for collectors may be to pick up his minor league card once it comes out, especially if they get it to market prior to the season being over.

8. Year after year, the Athletics seem to find exceptional value in the draft. This time they snag Drew Burress from Georgia Tech. He’s got a great swing that generates above-average power. Some scouts think his size may limit his professional power potential, but after multiple live looks at him during his college career I would argue that his power will play. He’ll be a great addition to the A’s line-up as they head to Las Vegas. Looking to add him to your collection? Check out multiple Leaf and Stars & Stripes sets where autographs are in the $15-20 range.

9. We have the Braves going a little bit down the list to add a good college hitter in outfielder AJ Gracia. He’s another hitter I got to see in ACC play and the bat should play as a professional. Gracia could be a quick mover which is positive news for collectors. You can find his early cards in Leaf products as well as Stars & Stripes.

10. The Rockies picked up one of my favorite college players this year, Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell. He was originally a 2nd Round pick of the Rays in 2024, so he came into college with a lot of fanfare. He showed he was a well rounded shortstop with the lone question mark his power. That should play up in Colorado and he has shown the ability to pull the ball with power in college. You can find his cards in Stars & Stripes, just like we did in this YouTube video.

11. Chris Hacopian has some question marks that worry me, but the Nationals are betting on his bat. The second baseman had a strong offensive year at his lone season at Texas A&M, after transferring from Maryland. He makes contact and doesn’t strike out which is a plus, and he’s shown at least average, if not above-average, power during his career. There are some legitimate concerns. Defensively, there’s a lot to be desired and injury questions have followed him during his amateur career. If you want to bet on his bat, he is featured in newer Leaf products.

12. Another shocker as the Angels take one of the most interesting names in the draft, high school two-way star Jared Grindlinger. The Angels announced him as an outfielder, which is a potential positive for collectors as position players tend to have more value in the hobby. This was also interesting as the Angels under interim-GM John Mozeliak broke from the trend of the Angels taking close to the big league college players in the 1st Round. Grindlinger is one of the biggest risks, potentially highest reward players in the draft. If you want to get a card before he takes off you can start following his Stars & Stripes cards.

13. This pick fits the Cardinals organization perfectly. They took one of the most popular high school outfield names among prospect publications at pick 13 in Trevor Condon. His stock rose significantly toward the end of the process thanks to his ability to put the bat on the ball. He does have a strange looking swing, but it works for him. Collectors can pick up some cards from Stars & Stripes products from the past few years.

14. This was my favorite pick of the 1st Round so far, with the Marlins grabbing premium shortstop Jacob Lombard. The Miami native is the son of former big leaguer George Lombard and the younger brother of Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. He has perhaps the highest upside outside of Cholowsky and Emerson. He does strike out a little more than you would like to see at the high school level, but his talent is top tier. Once the draft day premium comes down, his cards are in Leaf and Stars & Stripes products for $15-20.

15. The Diamondbacks got the second rated catcher in the draft, Ryder Helfrick. His defense is top-tier and he has above-average power making him one of the safer bets to enjoy a long major league career. He has a ton of cards, appearing in Leaf, Onit and Stars & Stripes, which give you plenty of opportunities to add a future big leaguer to your stash.

16. My favorite pitcher in the draft Gio Rojas goes to the Texas Rangers. This is a great organizational fit for the Rangers as the lefty has the potential to move quickly for a high school arm. I’ve seen him carve up high school talent over the last two years and can’t wait to watch him in the minors. You can find his cards in Stars & Stripes, just like we did in this YouTube video.

17. The Astros went off the board and took outfielder Logan Hughes from Texas Tech. He’s a lefty hitter with the ability to hit for average and power. He’s smaller (5’11” 210 lbs) than most teams like in the 1st Round, so there is not a lot of room for physical development left. Defensively, he’s limited to a corner spot, most likely left field, and may ultimately need to move to DH or 1st. He has cards available in Leaf and Onit although I’m likely to wait until he has more cards come out and the demand for these early cards come down.

18. Justin LeBron’s slide finally ends, with the Reds selecting the polarizing shortstop. He was expected to be a top of the draft talent, but took a major step back this season at the plate. He swung and missed a lot, but when you see him on his best days you can see why he was once mentioned as a possible 1-1 pick. He has cards in Leaf and Stars & Stripes products if you want to take the gamble on him improving his contact skills.

19. The Guardians made a pick that we will likely look back at and wonder how such a talented pitcher fell in their lap. They used the 19th pick on the University of Florida ace Liam Peterson. He struggled this year, but it may have been due to some issues with his former pitching coach. The Guardians pitching development team will love getting a crack at straightening out an arm this talented. There are a decent number of his cards available, especially in Leaf products or Stars & Stripes. We pulled a card of him in this YouTube video.

20. The biggest shocker of Round 1 has to be the Red Sox drafting UNC shortstop Jake Schaffner. This seems to be an instance of a team taking a player with the expectations of signing him to a significantly under slot deal to spread the savings amongst later picks. That said he is a solid defender at shortstop and could stick at the position. Offensively, he’s a contact over impact hitter with plus speed. He does not currently have any cards.

21. Once Brody Bumila went down with a UCL injury, Coleman Borthwick became the most obvious match for the Padres in the 1st Round. San Diego loves large, high school pitchers and Borthwick fits that bill (6’6″ 260 lbs). He has a big time fastball hitting the upper 90s and a hard slider, that should help him as a pro. He can be found in Stars & Stripes sets over the past few years and is probably worth a pickup to stash for down the line.

22. Once in consideration for the top pitcher in the draft, Cameron Flukey missed most of the season with injuries. That allowed him to fall to the Tigers who will look to get him back to his previous form. He could potentially make a strong Top 2 of the rotation with Jackson Jobe in Detroit. He is featured heavily in the newer 2026 Leaf products.

23. The mini run on pitchers continues with the Cubs taking Cade Townsend. He was great at Ole Miss and has a good fastball and adds a cutter, slider, curveball and splitter as secondary pitches. We’ll see if the Cubs cut down his arsenal to help him improve his results. He could be a sneaky play for collectors as Cubs fans do support their pitching prospects well. Search for his early card releases in Leaf and Stars & Stripes products.

24. The Mariners were able to get a bat that was projected to go 10 spots higher in Ace Reese. He’s a slugger that has plus raw power although defensively he is probably a first base only player. He could be one of the best values in the draft so far for collectors. His cards can be found in Onit and Stars & Stripes products.

25. Another off the radar pick, the Brewers select Trey Ebel. Another shortstop to add to their absurd organizational depth. Just 17 years old, he’s a similar prospect to his brother Brady, in that he’s more contact than impact at the plate and a slightly below average runner. A long-time member of Team USA, he can be found in various Stars & Stripes sets.

26. The Braves took outfielder Carter Beck, which was a bit of a surprise. He played at Indiana State and able to contribute in all facets of the game. A shorter player (5’11”) his power is a question mark, although he did hit a career high this season. He is currently not featured on any cards.

27. Carson Wiggins saw his stock rise after his performance at MLB Draft Combine after missing the season due to injury. He’s a fun pitcher to add to the Mets system and has top of the rotation upside if he can stay healthy. His fastball was one of the best in the entire draft. He’s featured on cards with Leaf which you can get for a fair price in comparison to his hobby upside.

28. A very popular college pitcher goes to the Astros. Jack Radel from Notre Dame has a large frame at 6’5″ 250 lbs, he’s been a workhorse in college and his stuff ticked up this season. He adds a really interesting arm to an Astros system and should be their top pitching prospect when he signs. He is not currently featured on any cards.

29. With the first pick of the Competitive Balance round, the Giants selected the second ranked high school lefty Carson Bolemon. Entering the year, he looked like a potential Top 10 pick, but still ends up being a 1st Rounder. He’s a strike thrower with plenty of stuff, this could be a really nice pick for San Francisco moving forward. He has cards from his time with Team USA in Stars & Stripes products.

30. Taylor Rabe is a favorite of Lance Brozdowski and his pitching models. The Royals were able to add him with the 30th pick and it seems like a great fit for their organization. Although Rabe didn’t pitch much in college before this season, he put together a great year for Ole Miss, led by a fastball that touched 100. He is not currently featured on any cards.

31. The Diamondbacks used their second pick on high school pitcher Blake Bryant. I haven’t seen much of Bryant but he’s a huge 6’5″ 180 lbs and has plenty of room to develop more physically. He throws from a 3/4 arm angle and has hit the upper 90s with his fastball. His secondary pitches are both a work in progress but he has a slider and curve. There are no cards available for him yet.

32. Tegan Kuhns has been on my radar for a few years as he first appeared on cards in 2023 while still in high school. He’s had a successful career at the University of Tennessee, which has a great reputation for developing arms. His four pitch mix should allow him to have early success in the lower levels of the minor leagues for the Cardinals which could quickly boost his prospect status and start attracting more attention from collectors. You can pick up his cards relatively cheap as autographs were priced below $10 the last two months.

33. The Rays are having themselves a draft adding another strong bat to the class in Taj Marchand. He had a strong showing at the MLB Scouting Combine and showed off his power potential. I can see him performing well once he signs and getting a lot of love from collectors once he has cards come out. This is another player where finding his first minor league team set card could be a good way to add him to your collection for now.

34. Here’s a fun name for the White Sox, Landon Thome! The Sox got this pick in a trade last night with the Pirates, where they sent Jacob Gonzalez and Brandon Eissert and received this pick (and it’s corresponding slot value) and minor league pitcher Jaden Woods. Thome is the son of Hall of Fame Jim Thome, but he’s a solid prospect on his own. He has above-average power and good contact skills. He’s currently a shortstop may move over to third or second base, where his bat should profile well. He figures to draw a lot of interest from collectors once he has cards out.

35. Hunter Dietz had some momentum as a possible Top 20 pick heading into the draft. Instead the Yankees get him at 35, where the tall, hard throwing lefty joins a group of impressive pitching prospects from the SEC. He reaches the upper 90s with ease and has a hard slider that can generate some swing and misses. He is featured on Onit and Leaf cards although the prices have really jumped today since he was picked. Since Yankees prospects fetch a huge premium in the market, if the prices come back down to a sub-$15 range they could be a solid pickup before his 1st Bowman comes out.

36. The Phillies get a potential steal in this spot with high school outfielder Tyler Spangler. At the beginning of the year he was a Top 5 High School prospect in the country but he didn’t play at all this year due to an injury in his back. If he’s healthy this is the type of super athletic, high upside bat Philadelphia needs in their system. Even after getting drafted today, his prices are still in the $15 range. If they come down over the next two weeks, it would be a good time to add a high risk/upside player to your collection.

37. The Rockies have back to back picks and took catcher Daniel Jackson from Georgia. He’s got a lot of offensive potential, especially showing impressive power. If he’s able to carry that power over to professional ball he could be special. I do want to caution that the Rockies drafted Charlie Condon out of Georgia and he did have issues with power early on. It’s something to keep an eye on. If he has a strong debut, expect his first cards to be highly prized once they come out.

38. In one of Major League Baseball’s stranger quirks, this pick is actually a 2nd Round pick because the Blue Jays and Dodgers were penalized 10 spots each for their teams spending on payroll. The Rockies got Logan Reddemann who had a fantastic year at UCLA and was in the running for the second college pitcher off the board but suffered an injury at the end of the year. He came back and pitched well at the MLB Draft Combine and re-established his prospect status. Pitching in Colorado is a rough proposition, so I would be hesitant to pick up cards at their current prices.

39. The Blue Jays getting Cole Carlon here was a great pickup. He had a strong year in the rotation at Arizona State after pitching exclusively out of the bullpen. The Jays have some really interesting prospects and this is another big piece to add. He probably is a few years from the majors, but keep an eye on his Stars & Stripes autographs once the prices come back down.

40. The final pick of the 1st Round belonged to the World Champion Dodgers. They used this pick on a high upside high school third baseman Bo Lawrance. He generates huge raw power from a 6’5″ frame and should add more weight as he matures. He has no cards, but I imagine they will be a big chase in his first set and I know I’ll be adding him to my collection.

The 2026 MLB Draft added another impressive wave of talent to professional baseball, and it won’t take long for many of these names to begin climbing prospect rankings. I expect roughly a dozen members of this first-round class to crack our August Top 100 update, making next month’s rankings one of the most competitive and intriguing of the year. We’ll be following their professional debuts closely throughout the summer, updating our scouting reports, prospect rankings, and hobby analysis as this draft class begins its professional journey.