​PHILADELPHIA — One team stole the show in a big way. Two brothers found themselves back with the Brew Crew, and it wasn’t exactly a favorable day for pitchers. Major League Baseball’s draft kicked off in a largely predictable fashion, with UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky going first overall to the Chicago White Sox, even as a few plot twists lingered in the wings. And although the draft began with a quiet tempo, it quickly revealed some surprising turns as the first round unfolded at Philadelphia’s Convention Center on Saturday, June 11.
GMs seemed to wield a maxim from the scouting world with a touch of sting: “There’s no such thing as a pitching prospect.” That sentiment surfaced in dramatic fashion as the draft made history with 15 of the first 16 selections being hitters. The San Francisco Giants diverged from the trend by selecting UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora with the fourth pick. After that, no pitcher came off the board until the Texas Rangers chose Gio Rojas, a left-handed pitcher from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, with the 16th selection.
So what happened to the arms? A number of expected top collegiate pitchers carried red flags or concerns that dampened their early value. Cameron Flukey missed time this season with a rib fracture, leaving him available to the Detroit Tigers at No. 22. Velocity dips haunted Logan Reddenmann and Cole Carlon late in the year, opening doors for the Colorado Rockies and Toronto Blue Jays at picks 38 and 39, respectively. And a slate of SEC arms—ranging from Florida’s Liam Peterson (19th, Guardians) to Arkansas’ Hunter Dietz (35th, Yankees) and Carson Wiggins (27th, Mets)—carried command or health issues that muted their projected worth.
The verdict on these arms, in hindsight, is likely to be more favorable than it appeared on draft day. Many of these pitchers could prove to be outstanding value as their careers unfold and the draft’s chalk lines blur with time.
The 2026 MLB Draft formally began in Philadelphia, and the atmosphere was electric as fans and teams alike absorbed the spectacle. The Philly Phanatic stretched across the scene, greeting the crowd ahead of the proceedings at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. While it’s common for draft values to look like safe bets in the moment, true value often emerges only as players develop, adapt, and respond to the rigors of professional baseball.
In a draft that included some surprising shifts, the No. 6 overall choice drew particular attention. It was widely believed that certain players—Cholowsky, prep shortstop Grady Emerson of Texas, Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey, Flora, and prep bats Jacob Lombard and Eric Booth—would be in contention for the early rounds. Instead, the Pittsburgh Pirates stunned the crowd by selecting Derek Curiel, LSU’s elite bat who can handle all three outfield and infield positions, at No. 5. That move was unexpected yet understandable given Curiel’s versatility and upside.
The Royals, meanwhile, made a striking choice by pulling Zion Rose, a Louisville outfielder, into the No. 6 slot. Rose’s ranking had him positioned far lower on some public boards, which underscored how quickly draft fortunes can shift when teams see a player’s potential translating to the next level. The result was a draft that felt unpredictable, even as it followed the broader public sentiment about the top ladders of the class.
As this draft session moved forward, the sense lingered that many of the promised arms could still emerge as coveted additions down the line. The short-term view may have favored hitters, but the long-term picture could reveal a different balance as players make the leap from promising amateur careers to professional trajectories.