It’s been one week since baseball’s future stars heard their names called. Despite several head-scratching selections, some teams struck gold and made the best picks of the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft.<\/p>\n
Despite being a top-five prospect on nearly every draft board, Lombard fell to pick 14, where the Miami Marlins<\/a> happily selected him.<\/p>\n Lombard comes from a baseball family. His father, George Lombard Sr.<\/strong><\/a>, played in the majors for six seasons and now serves as a bench coach for the Detroit Tigers<\/a>. His brother, George Lombard Jr.<\/strong><\/a>, is the top-ranked prospect in the New York Yankees\u2019<\/a> farm system and could be called up as soon as this year.<\/p>\n This might seem like a tough act to follow, but Lombard might emerge as the best of the three. With 60 grade power and 65 run, he has legitimate 30-30 potential. Otto Lopez<\/strong><\/a> and Xavier Edwards<\/strong><\/a> have emerged as baseball\u2019s best middle infield pairing in South Florida, but Lombard looks set to join them down the road.<\/p>\n High school pitchers are tough to evaluate. Gio Rojas falling to pick 16 is a steal, especially considering many experts viewed him as a top-10 pick.<\/p>\n In 2026, Rojas allowed six earned runs in 72 2\/3 innings, striking out 124 batters for Florida\u2019s Stoneman Douglas High School. Rojas also has experience pitching for Team USA\u2019s 18U team, where he threw 11 shutout innings.<\/p>\n With a fastball that touches 98 mph, as well as a refined slider and changeup, Rojas looks primed for stardom.<\/p>\nRound One, Pick 16: Texas Rangers Select Pitcher Gio Rojas<\/h4>\n
Round One, Pick 35: New York Yankees Select Pitcher Hunter Dietz<\/h4>\n