The start of the 2026 MLB Draft is a little more than 24 hours away.
We’ve already covered the details of which Ole Miss players are expected to be taken high and go pro, who is more of a question and how all of that will impact the look of the Rebels’ roster in 2027.
But we are starting to see some final mock drafts from national baseball experts. Those are confirming what we’ve known for a while. Pitchers Taylor Rabe and Cade Townsend will hear their names early to enough to make the decision to go pro an easy one. Everyone else is a question mark.
Here are a few of the major final mock drafts from around the internet on Friday.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel Final Mock Draft
Cade Townsend, No. 27 to New York Mets
“Townsend slips a bit, but is likely to be selected by 30 or 35. He could move quickly, with three crisp breaking pitches and a mid-90s heater, but there are some questions about his frame and how many innings he could rack up. Other players linked here include Aiden Robbins, Will Brick, Reddemann, and Bolemon.”
Taylor Rabe, No. 40 to Los Angeles Dodgers
“Brick is also mentioned here, but Rabe is a great value, as he’s getting nibbles in the teens and early 20s after his strong finish to the season. This would be a floor for Prosek if he slides and for Edwards if he slides a lot; I’m hearing almost entirely college players for slot at this pick.”
The Athletic Final Mock Draft by Keith Law
Taylor Rabe, No. 14 to Miami Marlins
“Rabe is the hottest name in the draft in terms of how much he seems to go up every time I do this exercise, having finished very strongly and scoring very well in teams’ draft models. I have heard them a little with some upside players (Justin Lebron, Gio Rojas), but more with somewhat safer college players, hitters or pitchers. The Marlins’ model tends to favor defense, so Lebron might fit but several of the other college bats wouldn’t.”
Bleacher Report Final Mock Draft
Taylor Rabe, No. 20 to Boston Red Sox
“College pitchers and prep slugger Bo Lowrance are the names generally linked to the Red Sox, and Rabe had some serious helium down the stretch with a 1.46 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 24.2 innings over his final four starts while allowing just 13 hits. His fastball-heavy approach could be a red flag for some teams, but Payton Tolle had a similar reliance on his heater coming out of college and he quickly developed into one of the best pitching prospects in baseball.”
