​After selecting switch-hitting collegiate shortstop Tyler Bell with their first pick in the 2026 draft, the Colorado Rockies doubled up on a collegiate position player with their second choice. Daniel Jackson stands at 6’2” and is a 21-year-old catcher who spent his first college season at Wofford before transferring to the University of Georgia, where he played two seasons and captured the SEC Triple Crown and the Golden Spikes Award in his junior year. Public prospect evaluators summarize him as a player with genuine power and the tools to be an average defensive catcher, but with a hit tool that carries strikeout risk.
Among public evaluators, Fangraphs rated Jackson the highest, placing him 27th on their draft board. They describe his hitting as dynamic: he’s fast, swings hard, and can sting the ball, posting a 55% hard-hit rate and an exit velocity of 108 mph in 2026. However, they note that whether he’ll hit in pro ball is debatable. His underclass strikeouts, including experiences on Cape Cod, were excessive, and even as they improved in 2026, he still displayed indicators of a player whose whiffs could become a recurring issue. In their assessment, Fangraphs gave Jackson a 45 grade as a toolsy but risky hitter.
MLB Pipeline ranked Jackson 28th in the draft class, assigning him a 50 overall grade. Their scouting report highlights a selective approach that has shown progress in 2026, with Jackson making better contact against velocity and non-fastballs. On defense, Baseball America describes him as an impressive athlete who runs well for a catcher, carrying average speed and sharp baserunning instincts. He has an average arm, though scouts are divided on his potential to stick behind the plate. The more optimistic scouts believe he possesses all the physical tools needed to progress in pro ball, while skeptics question whether he has the necessary hands for the catching position. If he does move off catcher, they anticipate him handling an outfield corner.
Overall, Jackson is viewed as a player with the potential to reach the ceiling of a Hunter Goodman-type catcher, but his floor—marked by swing-and-miss concerns—could limit his ability to unlock the power his skill set suggests. The 37th pick carries a bonus pool value of $2,696,700, and Jackson might end up being a touch of an overslot selection given pre-draft rankings that projected him toward the back end of the first round.
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