​It may have slipped under some radar this year, but the MLB Draft has been moved up a bit, starting earlier than in previous seasons. Rather than taking place during the All-Star Break, the draft begins on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., with all television coverage anchored on mlb.com. Here’s how the schedule breaks down: Day 1, Saturday, July 11 (Rounds 1-4) runs from 1:00 to 7:45 p.m. ET, featuring a preview show and the first 10 picks from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock), followed by picks 11-40 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. ET (MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+), and finally picks 41-135 from 4:30 to 7:45 p.m. ET (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+). Day 2, Sunday, July 12 (Rounds 5-20) runs from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+). It’s hard to imagine a more strategic move for maximizing ratings than scheduling key selections on a Saturday afternoon in midsummer when MLB games are actively underway.
The Red Sox currently hold the 20th overall pick in the 2026 draft. They technically do not have a second-round pick due to the signing of Ranger Suarez, who carried a Qualifying Offer attached. Nevertheless, Boston did acquire the 67th pick from the Brewers, a Competitive Balance pick at the end of the second round, as part of the Kyle Harrison/Caleb Durbin trade. Last season marked the first time since 2017 (when Tanner Houck went to Boston) that the Red Sox selected a pitcher in the first round, choosing Kyson Witherspoon from Oklahoma. Over the two drafts that Craig Breslow has overseen, the club has leaned heavily into pitching, especially on the college side: 15 of 21 picks in 2025 and 14 of 20 in 2024 were pitchers.
With the major league pitching staff in solid shape and a healthy pipeline of young arms in the minors, it will be intriguing to see whether Boston swings toward a more balanced approach in the 2026 draft. There are plenty of informative mock drafts floating around if you want to get a sense of who Boston might target. Carlos Collazo of Baseball America, in a paywall piece, projects Taylor Rabe, a right-handed pitcher from Ole Miss, noting that “the Red Sox have been linked to just about every college pitcher on the board in this range.” Kylie McDaniel of ESPN tabs Ace Reese, a third baseman from Mississippi State. He also mentions that Jared Grindlinger (RF/LHP) from Huntington Beach High School (CA) has historically been a Boston favorite, though his stock has likely risen enough to push him higher than the early rounds. Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs also expects the Sox to pursue a college pitcher in the first round, highlighting Cameron Flukey, a right-hander from Coastal Carolina. He also notes Arizona State lefty Cole Carlon as a potential option, but argues that “Flukey’s strike-throwing track record with his fastball is much better, which is something last year’s Sox picks have struggled with.”
For those who prefer audio breakdowns, Sox Prospects interviewed Carlos Collazo this week with a clear Red Sox emphasis. James Anderson’s Rotowire Prospect Podcast featured Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline as a guest, and there’s also a plug for the Red Seat Podcast, which dedicated its second-half-week show to the draft. Personally, I’d like to see Boston grab a couple of bats early on. If that means nudging the strategy toward a different balance, so be it. The draft is ripe with both college and high school talents, and given the organization’s recent emphasis, there’s reason to anticipate a dynamic mix of intriguing options.
As you follow the draft, consider the broader implications of each pick: how a given college pitcher’s track record translates to pro performance, how a high school hitter’s upside could fill organizational needs, and how the club’s long-term development plan aligns with the choices available at 20th overall and beyond. The Red Sox have shown a willingness to push for pitching depth in recent years, but a thoughtful, well-rounded approach could yield a more versatile roster in the seasons ahead. With the 2026 class offering a mix of college arms and positional bats, Boston’s scouting and analytics teams will need to balance immediate pitching impact with longer-term upside, all while navigating a draft landscape that’s increasingly rich with talent across both tiers.