MLB Mock Draft: Rays take college catcher at No. 2, three shortstops go in top four - CBS Sports

MLB Mock Draft: Rays take college catcher at No. 2, three shortstops go in top four outlines a third updated projection for the 2026 MLB Draft with the event beginning Saturday, July 11. The model keeps the White Sox at No. 1 after finishing 60–102 last season and earning the lottery pick, with Roch Cholowsky of UCLA as the most likely selection. At No. 2, the Rays are projected to take Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey, although the piece notes mounting buzz Tampa could instead select shortstop Grady Emerson if Chicago chooses Cholowsky. For the top four, it includes shortstops Emerson and Cholowsky with the Giants moving up to No. 4 after jumping from No. 15. The analysis also reiterates draft rules: no lottery picks (Nos. 1–6) in three consecutive years, protections for first-rounders from free-agent compensation, and penalties tied to exceeding the $281 million third competitive balance tax threshold in 2025.