​The 2026 Major League Baseball Draft kicks off this Saturday in Philadelphia, and Alabama Crimson Tide shortstop Justin Lebron has consistently been viewed by analysts as one of the top 10 to 20 prospects in this year’s draft class. CBS Sports released its final mock ahead of the weekend’s events on Friday, with Mike Axisa projecting Lebron to go to the Texas Rangers at the 16th overall pick. In CBS Sports’ closing projections among college players, Lebron slots between Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick at No. 14 and Texas A&M second baseman Chris Hacopian, who sits one spot behind him. Axisa described a potential Rangers fit this way: “The Rangers have a thing for ‘famous’ prospects in the draft (think Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker), and Lebron is one of the most famous prospects available this summer. About 18 months ago, he was the favorite to go No. 1 overall, but some uneven performances (and Cholowsky’s breakout) cooled that talk. Lebron has some of the loudest tools in the draft class. We’re talking speed, power, athleticism, the works. Approach and plate discipline concerns have held him back, though.”
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel also released a final mock draft on Friday, placing Lebron 12th overall to the Los Angeles Angels, with LSU outfielder Derek Curiel taken one spot above Lebron by the Washington Nationals in McDaniel’s forecast. McDaniel noted that with a new interim head of baseball operations in John Mozeliak, who tends to stay hands-off on the draft, scouts will have a strong say in the Angels’ selection. He added that this scenario isn’t about maximizing prep upside, because the board might not reflect that, but he could envision the Angels valuing a college hitter with upside and less polish, such as Lebron, as a solid value pick at that juncture.
For The Win, part of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group, released its own 2026 mock draft on Friday. Wajih AlBaroudi projected Lebron as high as No. 8 overall to the Athletics, commenting that Lebron is a dynamic athlete whose primary flaw is patience at the plate; if he can refine that facet, he could become a central figure atop Oakland’s lineup. Keith Law’s final mock draft for The Athletic (subscription required for full access) has Lebron selected 15th overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Lebron ended his Crimson Tide career with a .313 batting average, a .414 on-base percentage, 45 home runs, 39 doubles, and 158 RBIs over three seasons. He also swiped 69 bases during his time in college. This past season, he hit .277 with 16 homers and 13 doubles as Alabama captured 42 wins and advanced to the College World Series for the first time since 1999.
The 2026 MLB Draft schedule begins this Saturday in Philadelphia. According to Major League Baseball, rounds 1 through 4 begin at noon Central Time, with the first 10 selections televised on NBC and streamed on Peacock. Picks 11 through 40 will be shown on MLB Network starting at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Rounds 5 through 20 start Sunday at 10:30 a.m. CT and will be available on MLB.com. Follow us at @RollTi for more updates.