​For our latest Rays Reacts poll, we asked you all who you think the Rays will take with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 draft, and after a tight vote, the result surprised me. Could the lesson of Buster Posey be catching up with us again? For a long time, Cholowsky has been widely hailed as the top prospect in this draft—and he might still hold that status—but in recent days the field has narrowed to a three-horse race, with Emerson and Lackey close contenders, and the trio is typically ranked in that exact order across the blogosphere.
Consider the Rays’ historical caution when it comes to evaluating top catching prospects. When the Rays found themselves in a position similar to a top-ranked catcher being among the elite draft prospects, they chose to pass on Florida State catcher Buster Posey in 2008 and instead selected a premier high school shortstop. Posey’s eventual success is widely remembered as a watershed moment that blessed the Posey era in Giants history, and it’s no stretch to wonder whether the Rays could be revisiting a similar crossroads nearly two decades later. Could they let another extraordinary catcher slip through their fingers again, or will they opt for a different path with the No. 2 pick in 2026?
For fans looking to engage further or place a wager, our partners at FanDuel sponsored this post and have a dedicated MLB Draft Futures section. It features markets on who will be selected with the No. 1 overall pick, as well as bets on other early picks. Players such as Grady Emerson, Roch Cholowsky, Vahn Lackey, Jacob Lombard, Drew Burress, and options like “Any Other Player” are all covered across various high-draft-position markets.
The 2026 MLB draft is scheduled for July 11–12, with the first round and early picks taking place on July 11, starting at 1:00 PM ET. The futures markets are live now, offering an array of bets for fans who want to weigh in on the top prospects and the overall draft landscape. If you’re curious to see how the top contenders stack up or want to place a wager on the No. 1 pick or other early selections, FanDuel’s MLB Draft Futures section is the place to check.