​The 2026 MLB Draft is set for this weekend, beginning Saturday, July 11, at the Philadelphia Convention Center. The opening day will cover the first four rounds and is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. EST, with television coverage kicking off at 1:00 p.m. This year, rounds 5 through 20 will take place on Sunday, July 12. The Pittsburgh Pirates boast the largest bonus pool in MLB history, at $19,130,700, while holding the fifth overall pick and a total of 22 selections across the draft. Baseball America weighed in on the Pirates’ situation, remarking, “Because of the amount of money they have to spend, it would be surprising if their draft haul wasn’t one of the most compelling in the league after the draft is over.”
Here’s how to access the MLB Draft coverage:
Day 1: Saturday, July 11 (Rounds 1-4)
– 1:00–2:30 p.m. ET – Picks 1–10 (NBC/Peacock)
– 2:30–4:30 p.m. ET – Picks 11–40 (MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)
– 4:30–7:45 p.m. ET – Picks 41–135 (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)
Day 2: Sunday, July 12 (Rounds 5–20)
– 11:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. ET (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)
Teams highlighted in the draft include the Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves (Drake Baldwin, 2025 NL Rookie of the Year), Houston Astros (Hunter Brown, top-three finisher in the 2025 AL Cy Young Award voting), San Francisco Giants (acquired from the Cleveland Guardians), Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays (from the Baltimore Orioles), Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Colorado Rockies. This lineup underscores a critical weekend for top prospects and franchises looking to secure premium talent to propel their rosters in the coming seasons.