The San Francisco Giants were one of the biggest winners in the MLB Draft Lottery last year, moving up to get the fourth overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. While draft day is still a few months away, there is some early information on who the Giants may want to draft in 2026.
In a mini MLB mock draft, ESPN.com’s Kiley McDaniel reported that the Giants would “really like” they had the chance to draft high school shortstop Grady Emerson with the fourth overall pick. Although he appears to be the top target there, it appears they have plans for some quick returns.
At the beginning of the season, the consensus of evaluators was that UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowski would be the first overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft. However, as the season has unfolded, Emerson is now inserting himself into that mix. He is currently projected to be drafted second overall by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Emerson, age 18, is 6 feet 2 inches tall and plays left-handed. MLB Pipeline rates his hitting tool, fielding and arm strength at a 60 on a 20-80 scouting scale with 66-grade power and speed.
“Emerson is an all-around prospect who is a virtual lock to be at shortstop for a long time because of his plus range, action and arm strength. He’s a grinder in the box who takes a lot of pitches and spoils boundary line offerings unless opposing hitters give up and either give him something to hit or give him a walk.”
FanGraphs scouting report on Grady Emerson
If Emerson is off the board, McDaniel says San Francisco “would be happy to get” Georgia Tech catcher Von Lackey or UC Santa Barbara starting pitcher Jackson Flora.
Lackey could be an attractive option for San Francisco, as the catcher doesn’t seem to have a long-term plan. Patrick Bailey has provided Gold Glove-caliber defense behind the plate and is one of the best pitch framers in baseball, but he is also a well-below average hitter at catcher.
Flora, 6 feet 5 inches tall, entered the season as the consensus top 2026 MLB Draft prospect and has done nothing to change that this season. In 10 starts, he has a 0.71 ERA with a 0.84 WHIP and an 84-24 K-BB ratio with just 4.1 H/9 in 63.1 innings.
According to McDaniel, another name worth keeping an eye on is high school shortstop Jacob Lombard. The younger brother of New York Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr., he offers some of the most attractive equipment among position players in the upcoming class.
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