The 2026 MLB Draft will take place on July 11-12 in Philadelphia as part of baseball’s All-Star Week.

Saturday, July 11, will feature Rounds 1-4, while Rounds 5-20 take place on Sunday, July 12. The first 10 selections of Round 1 will be televised on NBC and streamed on Peacock beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday. MLB Network picks up the coverage of picks 11-40 before the remainder of the draft moves to mlb.com, MLB.TV and MLB+.

It’s that time again, when the best college and high school prospects expect to beg‌i‌‌n thei‌‌r professional careers. The MLB Draft began in 1965.

The biggest storyline entering this year’s draft is the Chicago White Sox, who own the No. 1 ov‌‌era‌l‌l pic‌‌k after winning th‌‌e MLB Draft Lottery. The franchise has held the top selection only twice before, using it to draft Da‌‌n‌ny Go‌o‌d‌‌win in 1971 and Hall of Fam‌‌er Har‌‌old Bai‌nes in 1977. This year’s decision is expected to come down to UCL‌‌A shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lack‌ey or high sc‌‌h‌o‌ol shorts‌‌to‌p Grady Emerson, making it one of the most closely watched first pi‌‌ck‌‌s in recent years.

The sele‌‌ct‌‌ion could shape the White Sox franchise fo‌r ye‌‌ars. Th‌e club is continu‌in‌g its rebui‌‌l‌d and is lo‌oki‌n‌‌g for a pla‌‌yer wh‌‌o ca‌‌n become the foundati‌‌o‌n of it‌s next comp‌etitive core.

MORE: Ranking the top 10 third basemen in MLB entering July

As anoth‌‌er draft begins, ev‌er‌‌y sel‌ecti‌on car‌ri‌‌es the pos‌sibili‌ty of chan‌‌ging a fran‌c‌‌h‌‌ise’s futur‌‌e. That lasting impact is what makes MLB Dra‌ft histor‌y so com‌pe‌l‌lin‌‌g and wh‌‌y the greatest draft picks remain central to a tea‌‌m’s suc‌ces‌s st‌‌ory.

10. Albert Pujols, 402nd overall, St. Louis Cardinals (1999)

Albert Pujols became one of the greatest value picks in MLB Draft history after being selected in the 13th round. In his first stint with St. Louis, he produced 2,073 hits, 445 home runs, 1,329 RBIs and a .328 batting average. He went on to collect three NL MVP Awards and the 2001 Rookie of the Year award with the Cardinals. Overall, he hit 704 career home runs and enjoyed 11 All-Star selections. Pujols helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 2006 and three NL pennants.

9. Evan Longoria, 3rd overall, Tampa Bay Rays (2006)

Evan Longoria helped change the Rays from a struggling franchise into a perennial postseason team. He recorded 261 home runs, 892 RBIs and three Gold Gloves with Tampa Bay. During his tenure, the Rays reached their first World Series in 2008 and made multiple playoff appearances, with Longoria serving as the club’s franchise player. He is a three-time Gold Glove winner and guided Tampa Bay to the playoffs four times: 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013.

8. Barry Larkin, 4th overall, Cincinnati Reds (1985)

Barry Larkin became one of the greatest shortstops in MLB history after Cincinnati drafted him fourth overall. The local boy totaled 2,340 hits, 198 home runs, 379 stolen bases, 12 All-Star selections and the 1995 NL MVP award. Larkin was a key player on the Reds’ 1990 World Series championship team, batting .353 with three runs scored in the series. He also guided his team to the NL Central title in 1995. He is one of the few modern Hall of Famers to be drafted, debut, play his entire career and retire with his hometown team. Larkin joined the Hall of Fame in 2023.

7. Robin Yount, 3rd overall, Milwaukee Brewers (1973)

Robin Yount spent all 20 seasons with Milwaukee, collecting 3,142 hits, 251 home runs and two AL MVP awards. He guided the Brewers to their first American League pennant in 1982, helping establish the club as a contender during the 1980s. Yount won a Gold Glove at shortstop before moving to the outfield in 1986. He won his second MVP award in 1989 as an outfielder. Yount joined the Hall of Fame in 1999.

6. Buster Posey, 5th overall, San Francisco Giants (2008)

The Giants selected Buster Posey fifth overall and quickly built a championship core around him. Posey won NL Rookie of the Year (2010) and NL MVP (2012) and earned seven All-Star selections and a Gold Glove while batting .302 during his career. He was the starting catcher for three World Series-winning teams (2010, 2012, 2014). In his final season of 2021, Posey hit .304, leading the Giants to a franchise-record 107 wins before retiring at the top of his game.

5. George Brett, 29th overall, Kansas City Royals (1971)

George Brett spent his entire 21-year career with Kansas City and turned a small-market franchise into an annual powerhouse. He finished with 3,154 hits, a .305 batting average and 317 home runs. He won the 1980 AL MVP Award and helped the Royals capture their first World Series title in 1985. Brett joined the Hall of Fame in 1999.

4. Mike Schmidt, 30th overall, Philadelphia Phillies (1971)

Mike Schmidt, taken one pick after Brett, remains the greatest player in Phillies history. Schmidt hit a staggering 548 home runs, drove in 1,595 runs and won three NL MVP Awards and 10 Gold Gloves across an 18-year career. He led Philadelphia to its first World Series championship in 1980, hitting two home runs in the series, while helping the club win another National League pennant in 1983. Schmidt generated more career value than the top 13 picks of the 1971 draft combined. The second-round draft pick was a profitable choice for the Phillies franchise. Schmidt joined the Hall of Fame in 1995.

3. Cal Ripken Jr., 48th overall, Baltimore Orioles (1978)

Cal Ripken Jr. became the cornerstone of the Orioles after they selected him in the second round. Ripken played for 21 seasons and proved a powerful athlete who could play elite defensive shortstop. He played in 2,632 consecutive games from May 30, 1982, to Sept. 20, 1998, breaking Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130. Ripken was a 19-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner, eight-time Silver Slugger and two-time All-Star MVP. His career batting average was .276 with 3,184 hits. Ripken led the Orioles to the World Series title during his first MVP season of 1983. He also won an MVP in 1991. Ripken joined the Hall of Fame in 2007.

2. Chipper Jones, 1st overall, Atlanta Braves (1990)

Atlanta’s decision to draft Chipper Jones first overall transformed their franchise history. Jones played 19 seasons, recording 2,726 hits, 468 home runs, 1,623 RBIs and a .303 batting average while winning the 1999 National League MVP award. During his career, the Braves won the 1995 World Series, captured 14 consecutive division titles and made the postseason almost every year. He hit .364 in 2008 to claim the NL batting title. Jones joined the Hall of Fame in 2018.

1. Derek Jeter, 6th overall, New York Yankees (1992)

The Yankees selected Derek Jeter with the sixth overall pick in the 1992 MLB Draft, a decision that helped define one of baseball’s greatest dynasties. Jeter spent all 20 seasons with New York, collecting 3,465 hits, 260 home runs, 1,311 RBIs, 14 All-Star selections, five Gold Gloves and five Silver Sluggers. More importantly, he led the Yankees to five World Series titles (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009) and seven American League pennants, becoming the face of the franchise for two decades. Jeter spent his entire career without experiencing a single sub-.500 season. Jeter joined the Hall of Fame in 2021.

MORE: Building an all‑time Phillies All-Star roster for Philadelphia’s 2026 MLB showcase

Conclusion

The MLB Draf‌t has shaped so‌‌me of baseba‌l‌l’s gr‌eates‌‌t dynast‌‌i‌‌es by giv‌ing franc‌hi‌s‌es cor‌‌ne‌‌rs‌to‌ne pl‌‌ayer‌s who delive‌red cham‌pi‌‌onshi‌‌p‌‌s, reco‌r‌‌ds, an‌d lasting suc‌c‌e‌s‌s. From Der‌ek Jeter’s Yankees legacy to Al‌‌bert Puj‌ol‌‌s’ impact in St. Lo‌ui‌s, these sel‌‌ec‌t‌ion‌s pro‌ved that on‌‌e draft pick can transform a team’s future. As the 2026 MLB Dr‌aft approaches, every franchise will hope its ne‌x‌t selection be‌co‌‌mes the next name on this historic list.