Overview
- The 2026 MLB Draft will be held Saturday and Sunday, July 11–12, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia with Rounds 1–4 on Day 1 and national coverage split across NBC/Peacock, MLB Network and MLB.com.
- The Chicago White Sox own the No. 1 overall pick after the draft lottery set the top-six order again, while the Houston Astros hold No. 14 and an extra Prospect Promotion Incentive pick at No. 28 awarded for Hunter Brown’s Cy Young finish.
- Reporters say no draft-eligible players plan to attend the Philadelphia event for a second straight year because many prospects want to preserve negotiating leverage and celebrate at home with family.
- A proposed rule under discussion would cut the draft from 20 rounds to 12 and make high-school players ineligible, a change that would reduce high-school leverage over offers and likely alter teams’ bonus-pool strategies if adopted.
- Several clubs were pushed back in the order after receiving 10-pick penalties for exceeding the second Competitive Balance Tax surcharge, a shift that will change when those teams can spend and how they allocate signing bonuses.