2026 DRAFT PROSPECTS. - Five Possible 3rd Round Picks

 

Five Possible 3^rd Round Picks - MLB

Gavin Gallaher

3B, North Carolina

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 50 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Gallaher has established himself as one of the most clutch playoff performers in college baseball, earning MVP honors at NCAA Regionals in each of his first two seasons while leading North Carolina to the Men's College World Series in 2024 and a victory shy of a return last June. Though he was the Tar Heels' best hitter as a sophomore, slashing .325/.409/.603 with 17 homers, scouts aren't quite sure what to make of him. His performance outstrips his tools and he has slugged just .316 with two homers in 52 games during two summers with wood bats in the Cape Cod League.

A right-handed hitter, Gallaher doesn't have any obvious weaknesses at the plate. He manages the strike zone well enough, shows the ability to handle lefties and righties and all types of pitches and makes hard fly ball contact from gap to gap. His lack of power with wood is a concern, especially with a player who may not be able to handle a challenging defensive position.

A below-average runner with average arm strength, Gallaher manned third base in his first two college seasons but the game sped up on him too much there. UNC plans on using him at second base in 2026, though he lacks the actions and quickness to play there in pro ball. He projects as more of a left fielder than a middle infielder.

 

Mulivai Levu

1B, UCLA

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

The main attraction at UCLA for 2026 is undoubtedly Roch Cholowsky, the No. 1 prospect in the class. But teams not picking at the very top of the Draft will still have good talent to evaluate, starting with Levu, who spent most of his first two years with the Bruins as their starting first baseman. After a solid freshman campaign (.809 OPS), Levu took a nice step forward as a sophomore in 2025, finishing with a .320/.389/.522 line to go along with a dozen homers, finishing things off by playing for the U.S. National Collegiate Team over the summer.

A strong left-handed hitter, Levu has a fast bat and a good swing, with a ton of raw power to tap into. He can drive the ball to all fields with ease with at least plus raw pop. His impressive bat-to-ball skills and plate coverage can work against him at times; because he can get to everything, he swings at everything. He cut down on his swing-and-miss in 2025, but he’ll need to dial down the chase. If he does that, he could be among the nation’s leaders in home runs. Levu has incredible hand-eye coordination, proving it as an excellent pickleball player and in his experience as a flame-twirler as part of his Samoan culture.

While most feel Levu will likely be destined for first base (where he is a solid defender) at the next level, there is some athleticism for him to work with. He can throw and his hands work fine, albeit with long actions, so some don’t want to rule out the possibility of playing third as a pro. Regardless of his defensive home, his bat could fly off the board early, especially if he tones down his approach at the plate.

 

Myles Bailey

1B, Florida State

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Bailey was a Top 150 prospect coming out of the Florida high school ranks in 2024, and while he did go on to Florida State, his power potential was enough for the White Sox to take a flier on in the 20th round of that summer’s Draft. A year of crushing baseballs in the ACC -- he finished second in the conference with 19 homers and was a first-team freshman All-American -- has certainly provided more confidence that his juice is for real.

A strong left-handed hitter, Bailey is on a short list of hitters with the most raw power in this class, right up there with fellow Florida collegian Daniel Cuvet at Miami. Bailey can drive the ball to all fields and reaches the seats even when he mis-hits balls. The one question around him that’s traveled to Tallahassee is whether he’ll hit enough to get to that power consistently at the next level. While his ability to draw walks helps offset it, a 31 percent strikeout rate with a bit of a grooved swing as a freshman will have to be improved to give teams more confidence.

Bailey is a better athlete than he’s given credit for, and he’s played third and in corner outfield spots before college. That said, he’s likely destined for first, where he’s fine defensively. Some improvements in his approach to cut down on the swing-and-miss should help him be one of the more interesting Draft-eligible sophomores in the class.

 

Cole Prosek

3B, Magnolia Heights (MS)

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Prosek isn't as tooled up as fellow Mississippi prep prospects Eric Booth and Kevin Roberts Jr., but he's a better hitter than either of them and one of the most advanced bats in the entire high school class. Part of a Magnolia Heights (Senatobia, Miss.) program that has won seven consecutive Midsouth Association of Independent Schools 5-A championships, he homered twice in the 2025 title game. He also played well on the showcase circuit, winning MVP honors at the Perfect Game All-American Classic in July.

Prosek has a quick, compact left-handed swing that always seems to be on time. He can chase pitches and get pull-happy on occasion, but his good feel for the barrel allows him to make quality contact. He has the hitting ability, bat speed and strength for average power, and some evaluators believe he can become a plus hitter with solid pop.

Because he's a below-average runner and lacks lateral quickness, Prosek fits better at third base than in the middle infield. He has solid arm strength and has pushed his fastball to 93 mph on the mound. He'll be 19 on Draft day and eligible again as a sophomore in 2028 if he attends Mississippi.

 

Lucas Nawrocki

LHP, Aledo (TX)

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

Nawrocki spent most of his junior season at Aledo (Texas) HS as a DH, helping the Bearcats win the state 5-A Division I title by batting .532 and winning championship game MVP honors by going 4-for-4. But he opened eyes with his pitching during the summer, including a dominant turn at the Area Code Games where he struck out five of the 12 hitters he faced. Though his listed height of 5-foot-11 is generous, and he's almost certainly a reliever, his pure stuff could land him in the top three rounds.

Nawrocki may have the best slider in the Draft, an 82-85 mph beast that can top 3,200 rpm and can feature either tremendous depth or sweep, depending on what he wants. His four-seam fastball ranges from 91-95 mph with high spin rates that create quality carry. He doesn't use his firm 85-88 mph changeup much, but its fade and his ability to land it for strikes give it the potential to become at least an average offering.

While he's small, Nawrocki has a strong, athletic frame. It's impossible to project him as a starter, but it he can throw consistent strikes and maintain the stuff he displayed during the summer, he could become a high-leverage lefty reliever. Clubs may let him prove he can do that in college and he's committed to Louisiana State.