{"id":125698,"date":"2026-07-12T22:11:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T02:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=125698"},"modified":"2026-07-12T22:11:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T02:11:59","slug":"surprising-day-one-2026-mlb-draft-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/07\/12\/surprising-day-one-2026-mlb-draft-picks\/","title":{"rendered":"Unanticipated Picks from Day One of the 2026 MLB Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

Months of preparation and deliberation have officially paid off for MLB front offices, as the 2026 MLB Draft<\/a> has come to a close. Beyond the intensive scouting on each player, each pick also comes with a conversation about the signing bonus, which can get lost in scouting publications and fans’ mock drafts.<\/p>\n

While player rankings are constantly updated throughout draft season, behind-the-scenes developments can cause the actual draft to unfold very differently than the rankings would suggest. The ’26 draft was no different. After the first four picks went as expected, fans saw multiple players hear their names called a lot sooner or later than originally expected. Now, just because a player went higher than his projection suggested does not necessarily mean it was a bad pick, but for those who read mock drafts for 12 months, it can certainly raise some eyebrows.<\/p>\n

Surprising 2026 MLB Draft Risers<\/h2>\n
\"Texas
Texas Tech’s Logan Hughes runs to first after an at-bat against Abilene Christian during a non-conference Division I baseball game, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Rip Griffin Park. CREDIT: \u00a9 Nathan Giese\/Avalanche-Journal \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It did not take long for a team to draft a player who was not typically seen among the top-10 picks in mock drafts. With the sixth overall pick, the Kansas City Royals selected Zion Rose<\/a>, an outfielder out of the University of Louisville. Rose was ranked the 30th-best player in the class by MLB Pipeline prior to the draft, but given his athleticism and raw talent, it’s not very shocking that a team would go after him in the top 10.<\/p>\n

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The moment a childhood dream comes true.@zionroseball54<\/a> x @Royals<\/a> #GoCards<\/a> | #MLBDraft<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/k3pG55LtAZ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Louisville Baseball (@LouisvilleBSB) July 12, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n