JUST BASEBALL TOP 50 DRAFT PROSPECTS - #1-5

 

2026 MLB Draft – Top 50 College Prospects

https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb-draft/mlb-draft-top-college-prospects/#entry-135444

1. Roch Cholowsky – SS

HT/WT: 6’2/200 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: UCLA | Hometown: Chandler, AZ | Projected Age: 21.3 

Once a more lithe, slender athlete as a prepster at Hamilton High in Arizona, Cholowsky has transformed his body into a more physical one without reducing the bounce and athleticism that scouts adored. 

The strength gains are visible throughout his entire body, and it has allowed his tools to blossom while at UCLA. A Freshman All-American in 2024, Cholowsky took his game to another level as a sophomore, becoming the biggest catalyst on a young Bruins team that found itself in Omaha. It’s a complete offensive package. 

Cholowsky’s swing is picturesque, boasting a compact stroke to the baseball with legitimate bat speed, barrel lag with consistent feel, and adjustability. He posted an 81% contact rate in 2025 (90% in-zone) with slight aggression in his approach, though there are very few holes in the swing. 

With the added weight, Cholowsky’s power has come to life. His feel to lift to the pull side, paired with robust exit velocities up to 114 MPH, means he’s capable of above-average to plus power production at the next level. You’d be hard-pressed to find better offensive projection up the middle like this. 

That’s not all, though. His defensive prowess has not wavered at the slightest at the “six.” He’s an agile athlete with bounce, great range, and impressive actions at the position. He makes the hard play look routine, boasting an exceptional internal clock with great arm strength across the diamond. It’s plus defense at the next level. 

The overall package is loud, and he’s the most complete prospect we’ve seen at the amateur level in some time. He’s got the best case to be 1.1 in this class.

2. AJ Gracia – OF

HT/WT: 6’3/195 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: Virginia | Hometown: Monroe, NJ | Projected Age: 21.8 

This quote encapsulated Gracia’s 2025 season: “It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish.” 

After scuffling through the first month and a half of the campaign, Gracia flipped a switch and found his timing, becoming the hottest hitter in the ACC during the second half of the season. Now at Virginia, Gracia is looking to put the cherry on top of an exceptional collegiate career. It’s as gorgeous a left-handed swing as you can find. 

It’s short, compact, and quick to the baseball with a long follow-through and one-handed finish. There’s easy bat speed with feel to lift the baseball repeatedly, and flashes big bat speed, though it’s slightly down from what it was a year ago. 

While he is passive, which has given pitchers an early advantage, his bat-to-ball skills are sublime. Gracia seldom whiffs on offerings, running an 88% contact rate and an in-zone rate of 92%, plus his chase rates are very respectable. He’ll need to attack pitches early in counts more, though that’s the biggest blemish in his offensive toolset. 

His power was slightly down in 2025, with more average exit velocities, but a return to 2024 form is in the cards. It could be above-average power paired with an above-average or better hit tool. It’s a tantalizing offensive package. 

Defensively, he’s relegated to a corner outfield spot with average speed and fringy arm strength, though he gets good reads off the bat and can be a serviceable defender. 

Teams will be buying the offensive up

3. Drew Burress – OF

HT/WT: 5’9/182 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Georgia Tech | Hometown: Perry, GA | Projected Age: 21.7 

What Burress lacks in size, he makes up for with impact on both sides of the ball. 

The top prep recruit to hit campus from a highly-touted 2023 crop, Burress has performed at a high level across two campaigns at Georgia Tech. It’s explosive bat speed from the right side of the plate with an affinity for hammering fastballs routinely. He posted a 92% contact rate on heaters alone during the 2025 campaign. 

There’s a lot ongoing with his mechanics, namely a big leg kick and some drift in the load, but his quick hands and twitch allow him to be on time. He can find himself guessing at times, especially with cambios, but the overall package is hard to ignore.

It’s a polished hit tool with feel to lift to the pull side with authority. While he’s smaller and less projectable, it may wind up being above-average or better pop. 

Defensively, he’s handled the “eight” well to this point, flashing good range with a strong arm at the position. He may wind up in right field once he runs into a better defender, but it may be a while before he hits that point. 

Even with his size and stature, he’s shown standout traits and tools to date. He looks like a top-15 pick from this chair right now.

 

4. Tyler Bell – SS

HT/WT: 6’1/200 | Bat/Throw: S/R | School: Kentucky | Hometown: Frankfort, IL | Projected Age: 21 

Arguably the brightest talent to reach campus from the 2024 draft, Bell opted not to sign with the Rays and made an immediate impact at Kentucky. For the first time in the Nick Mingione era, Bell hit the double-digit home run barrier in his rookie collegiate campaign, clobbering ten home runs and adding seventeen doubles to his baseball card.

 A true switch-hitter, Bell is more power-over-hit presently, though there’s enough to project more polish coming for the hit tool. Bell seldom whiffs against heaters (14% swing-and-miss, 8% in-zone), flashes solid bat paths from both sides, and has shown a tendency to pummel the baseball to his pull-side. He can find himself swinging too uphill, likely as a result of his back shoulder collapsing, which has led to more grounders than you’d like and some whiffs against off-speed offerings. 

With that said, Bell generates really good bat speed and leverage for his size and has the makings of an extra-base machine at the next level. It’s robust power with exit velocities clearing 110 MPH at times. He displayed solid bat-to-ball skills for his first taste of college baseball and possesses good swing decisions.

 Defensively, he’s a shoe-in to stick at the “six” long-term. He’s fluid, athletic, and nimble on his feet at the position, covering plenty of ground and displaying good bend in his actions. It’s adequate arm strength across the diamond, as well. 

Bell is in line to make a significant jump in production during his draft-eligible season in 2026, where he’ll be one of the key pieces returning to Lexington. 

. Ace Reese – 3B

HT/WT: 6’3/205 | Bat/Throw: L/R | School: Mississippi State | Hometown: Canton, TX | Projected Age: 21.2 

Once a Houston Cougar, Reese changed zip codes and found a new home in Starkville, where he put together an incredible sophomore season for the Bulldogs: twenty-one home runs, eighteen doubles, and an OPS of 1.140. Pretty darn good. 

He’s a menacing figure in the box, a physical player with length to his limbs and easy juice from the left side. Reese generates loud bat speed with legitimate feel to lift the baseball regularly, hammering pitches to either side of the park with ease. It’s above-average thump with a sneaky good ability to minimize whiffs. 

Reese can adjust his swing routinely and finds a way to take tight turns to the baseball, especially when he’s hammering them to right field. He demolishes fastballs, especially those in the zone, as he posted a 91% contact rate on those heaters alone. He does chase out of the zone more than you’d like, but his pure contact skills are good enough to curtail those woes. In short, it’s an excellent bat. 

In Houston, Reese spent the majority of his time in the outfield, though he moved to third base in Starkville. His defensive skills need some polish at the hot corner, as his footwork can get clunky and his lateral mobility can be tested at times, but he’s far from a non-serviceable defender there. If he moves off the position, he can find a home in a corner outfield spot. 

A slugging profile through and through, he’s done enough to warrant a first-round grade at this stage in the cycle.