"Clubs believe that college pitchers will rise up boards by the time the Draft arrives, and Townsend could move up more than most. He can hit 98 mph with his fastball and spin a pair of plus breaking balls as well as a plus cutter."
"The first three picks shouldn't surprise anyone, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Texas prep shortstop Grady Emerson, and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey. The first pick that might surprise a little would be the Giants taking prep shortstop Jacob Lombard fourth. Then as expected the fifth pick is UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora. The sixth pick is another surprise with Florida prep lefty Gio Rojas, leaving Mississippi prep outfielder Eric Booth Jr. to go seventh, and Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick to go eighth."
"The Braves came up at nine and were taking Ole Miss right-hander Cade Townsend, for the second time in a mock released yesterday after Keith Law also made this pick in his mock. Others of note in this mock draft would include Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress at #10, Etowah HS outfielder Trevor Condon at #15, and Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron #16."
"I like Townsend as a prospect in this draft, though I am not feeling like he is the guy I would target at #9. He has been great at a sophomore this year, a real improvement over his freshman season in 2025 - especially with the command. He also has potentially four pitches that could be plus offerings, though there is still some effort in his delivery which could keep his command in the more fringe-average range."
The 2026 MLB Draft mock covers the first 25 picks and the first selection for teams picking after that point, leaving the Braves’ second first-round pick at #26 unaddressed. Early selections include UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Texas prep shortstop Grady Emerson, and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey. Jacob Lombard goes fourth to the Giants, followed by UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora at fifth. Florida prep lefty Gio Rojas is sixth, Eric Booth Jr. is seventh, and Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick is eighth. The Braves pick ninth and select Ole Miss right-hander Cade Townsend, described as a pitcher who can reach 98 mph and has multiple plus breaking pitches and a plus cutter. Other notable picks include Drew Burress at #10, Trevor Condon at #15, and Justin Lebron at #16.
Read at Battery Power
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]