Just weeks away from entering the new year, this group’s draft year, Prep Baseball and the Draft HQ team is unveiling the Prep Baseball 2026 Draft Board, Version 2.0.

+ View our Top-200 Draft Board here, or at the bottom of this page.
+ View the recently updated Top-500 senior high school rankings here.

The fall season provided a glimpse at a plethora of college names of note as programs ramped up workouts along with intersquads and some high-profile game play across the country. Paired next to modest movement throughout the high school class, this second rendering of the Draft Board sees an expansion to 200 players as this year’s groupings and tiers seem to hint at a wider pool of prospects. In fact, while movement up or down from these tiers is usually reserved to a single step, the college class, in particular, has the potential of producing several multi-tier jumps in the spring. Top end talent is sure to have clubs salivating in the first round, but the impact depth of this group should provide ample opportunity for all to build in both quality and quantity.

Shifting to the top spot in the class is SS Roch Cholowsky (UCLA), whose alluring moxie is matched by a firm foundation and toolset that, when paired next to an incessant drive to win, is sure to captivate not just scouting directors, but also general managers, ownership, and fan bases. His high floor and foundational ceiling make him a strong 1:1 candidate heading into the spring.

From there, the grouping of Nos. 2-9 are sure to be sifted throughout all MLB war rooms. The trio of prep shortstops – No. 2-ranked Jacob Lombard (Gulliver Prep, FL; Miami commit), No. 3 Tyler Spangler (De La Salle HS, CA; Stanford), and No. 5 Grady Emerson (Fort Worth Christian HS, TX; Texas) – each hold a path to the top overall spot themselves. Each of the three carries the tools of an impact prospect reassuring makeup and the potential to produce at a high-level. Amplifying the electricity of this ever-coveted position group is dynamic SEC performer: No. 7 SS Justin Lebron (Alabama).

(Tyler Spangler; 7/18/2025)

This year is also marked to be defined by a slew of prep southpaws: No. 4 Gio Rojas (Stoneman Douglas HS, FL; Miami), No. 6 Carson Bolemon (Southside Christian HS, SC; Wake Forest), and No. 9 Logan Schmidt (Ganesha HS, CA; LSU). Each holds frontline potential with innate top-10 value.

Finally, while it is unfair to compare anyone to Paul Skenes at the moment, the similarities that No. 8 RHP/3B Coleman Borthwick (South Walton HS, FL; Auburn) displays on the diamond are astounding. The 6-foot-6, 250-pounder looks the part of a frontline starter with an imposing frame, big arm talent, and an arsenal that has jumped at least a grade over the past year. Even more intriguing is the fact that his powerful right-handed stroke might also drive earlier Day One consideration.

(Coleman Borthwick; 7/31/2025)

Here’s some more notes and nuggets on this draft class to keep in mind once we finally shake off the winter rust in the coming months.

MORE DRAFT HQ HEADLINES 📰

+ Prep Baseball Winter Mock Draft
+ MLB Draft Reviews: 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021
+ Top Sophomore-Eligible College Players
+ Forecasting the Prep Signing Numbers
+ Fall College Crossecheck: Midwest | Troy, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State | Arkansas, Dallas Baptist | TCU, Texas A&M

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Notable Prep Risers (Top-100) 📈

+ No. 30 OF Blake Bowen (JSerra Catholic HS, CA; Oregon State)
+ No. 35 SS James Clark (St. John Bosco HS, CA; Princeton)
+ No. 68 SS Connor Comeau (Anderson HS, TX; Texas A&M)
+ No. 85 SS/P Taj Marchand (James Island HS, SC; Ole Miss)
+ No. 89 SS Elliot Lascelles (Upper Canada College, CAN; Yale)
+ No. 92 RHP Tyson Grulkowski (Muskego HS, WI; South Florida)
+ No. 96 RHP Gannon Grant (Center Grove HS, IN; Tennessee)

Notable College Risers (Top-100) 🚀

+ No. 31 3B Gavin Grahovac (Texas A&M)
+ No. 32 C Ryder Helfrick (Arkansas)
+ No. 36 SS Maddox Molony (Oregon)
+ No. 52 RHP Luke McNellie (Florida)
+ No. 54 SS Steven Milam (LSU)
+ No. 64 LHP Hunter Dietz (Arkansas)
+ No. 71 3B Alex Hernandez (Georgia Tech)
+ No. 80 3B Ethan Surowiec (Florida)
+ No. 90 OF Kyle Jones (Florida)
+ No. 91 OF Ty Head (NC State)

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MORE PREP NOTES

+ Outfielders positioning themselves…

Each of these high school senior outfielders are trending up at just the right time: No. 17 EJ Booth Jr. (Oak Grove HS, MS; Vanderbilt), No. 28 Trevor Condon (Etowah HS, GA; Tennessee), and No. 29 Blake Bowen (JSerra Catholic HS, CA; Oregon State).

(EJ Booth Jr.; Prep Baseball All-American Game, 9/18/2025)

Booth’s unteachable skillset and athleticism is quickly polishing him into first-round form while Condon’s alluring bat-to-ball and sneaky barrel impact from the left side are elevated by a constant motor. Bowen, who is nearly unmatched in the class with real five-tool potential, continued to stack important performances throughout the fall, and could climb to even greater heights next spring.

(Blake Bowen; West Coast ProCase, 6/1/2025)

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+ Welcome, Will Brick…

Will Brick (Christian Brothers HS, TN; Mississippi State), a Prep Baseball All-American catcher, recently jumped up from the ‘27 class after committing to Mississippi State, and immediately took over as the top backstop in his new senior class.

(Will Brick; Prep Baseball All-American Game, 9/18/2025)

Brick is an astounding athlete with eye-opening metrics. The 6-foot, 200-pound right-handed hitter is sure to receive plenty of attention from the scouting community throughout the spring. While the right/right profile can be less heralded, it says a lot about the potential impact of the hard-working Brick that he will begin the new year at No. 30 on this combined list (No. 17 in the prep class).

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+ Prep Righties: Depth & Dominance…

There might not be a Seth Hernandez or Jackson Jobe in the class (yet!), but the frontline dominance and ultra-valuable depth provide ample opportunity for clubs who are willing to take on the risk of the polarizing prep right-handed pitcher profile this July. Of the top-60 high school players in the country, last year’s Class of 2025 group featured 14 right-handed arms whereas this year’s number is 1.5 times larger (21). With still more pushing to enter that top-60, expect area scouts and analytics teams to be combing the country throughout the winter and into the spring.

On Wednesday, we mocked two prep righties inside the first 37 picks of the MLB Draft, both of whom reside in Florida, actually, and were featured at the 2025 Prep Baseball All-American Game: Kaden Waechter (Jesuit HS, FL; Florida State) and the aforementioned Coleman Borthwick.

(Kaden Waechter; NPI, 6/5/2025)

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+ Don’t lose sight…

While the summer circuit can be heavily weighted in the minds of decision-makers, longer track records might be necessary to uncover the players who have more quietly thrived. Below is a list of nine players to follow in the new year with less present buzz, either due to summer hiccups or shutdowns and/or a lack of main stage opportunities.

1. 3B Anthony Del Angel (NM)
2. LHP Brody Bumila (MA)
3. RHP Keller Bradley (PA)
4. RHP Bryce Hill (CT)
5. RHP Drew Milner (TX)
6. RHP Cade Allen (TN)
7. C Kahanu Martinez (HI)
8. SS Ryne Barker (AZ)
9. RHP Rhett Britt (NC)