A hearty congratulations to girl dad Eli White. In another set of moves prior to tonight’s series finale versus the Mets, the Braves placed him on the paternity list. Back with the major league club is outfielder José Azócar.

Azócar is on a variation of the Carrasco minor league contract / selection / DFA / free agency / re-sign cycle. He’s been selected to the major league roster twice prior to today and played nine games with the Braves in May with a .333/.375/.842 on the season. His line with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers is .243/.295/.638 in 58 games played.

Catcher Jair Camargo was optioned to Gwinnett on June 18, but has been DFA’d to make room for Azócar on the 40-man. Welcome to the Kyle Farmer backup catcher era, folks.

With the 2026 MLB Draft less than a week away, we’ll take a look at what the Rays are expected to do with their first round picks. We will update this as new versions of mock drafts are published through the day before the draft.

Baseball America

In BA’s latest mock draft, they’ve got the Rays selecting Grady Emerson with their second overall pick.

Emerson is a 6’3 lefty-hitting prep shortstop and arguably the best pure hitter in the class. It’s a comfortably plus hit tool thanks to a smooth swing, advanced approach, and ability to spray the ball to all fields. Emerson projects to grow into above-average power given his size and athleticism. He also features a strong arm and plus instincts that should allow him to stick at shortstop.

There’s the chance that Roch Cholowsky could go to the Rays too, but it’s more about what the White Sox do with the first pick.

Cholowsky is polished 6’2 college shortstop with an impressive track record to match his above-average tools across the board. He’s an advanced hitter who both controls the strike zone and has solid contact skills. He already has plus power from the right side to pair with his strong hit tool. He’s essentially a lock to stick at shortstop given his arm strength, lateral quickness, and soft hands.

Vahn Lackey has a chance to go here too. Lackey is a 6’2 right-handed hitting catcher with plus power. He’s already a solid defender with a plus arm, and his athleticism suggests even more room for growth that could make him one of the better defensive catchers in the league someday. Lackey’s impact on both sides of the ball would more than justify taking him at the top of the draft.

Things get a little more fuzzy at 33, but BA has high school SS Taj Marchand going to the Rays. They’ve been scouting him all spring and are drawn to his ability to impact the baseball from the right side of the plate. He has quick hands in the batter’s box and in the field. His projectable frame at 6’2 suggests more power could be on the way, and his arm strength is plus right now.

MLB Pipeline

Pipeline has the Rays also taking Emerson in their latest mock draft, and like BA, the Rays could also take Cholowsky if the White Sox pass on him. It’ll likely come down to Emerson vs Lackey, but ultimately they’re expecting it to be Emerson.

Pipeline has the Rays selecting high school 3B/C Cole Prosek with the 33rd pick. He’s a left-handed hitter with advanced feel for the barrel and the potential to grow into solid power in his 6’1 frame. A great athlete with a plus arm, Prosek looks like he could stick behind the plate or the left side of the infield.

ESPN

In his latest mock with ESPN, Kiley McDaniel has the Rays picking Emerson. Lackey could also be taken second overall, but McDaniel doesn’t think it would be at enough of a discount to make it worth the while. Interestingly, he mentions there’s some buzz surrounding college RHP Jackson Flora on a significant pay-cut, but it’s unlikely.

An even longer shot is college SS Tyler Bell – who was selected by the Rays in the Comp B round in 2024 but opted to go to the University of Kentucky. Bell is a switch-hitting, 6’1 shortstop with average or better tools across the board. His athletic testing data suggests there could be more power on the way if he can get the ball in the air more frequently. His approach teeters on passive at times, but his contact ability is solid from both sides of the plate. Bell should continue to play a strong shortstop as he advances through pro-ball.

Flora is the top pitcher in this year’s class. He’s a physical, 6’5 righty with multiple above-average pitches. His fastball sits in the mid-to-upper 90s and he can reach back for 100 at times. Flora’s advanced feel for spin allows him to throw a pair of solid breaking balls, and he even features a relatively new kick-change that could end up being his best secondary someday. His combination of stuff and command could allow him to move quickly through any system.

McDaniel has the Rays taking high school SS Archer Horn with pick 33. He’s a plus athlete who could stick at the position thanks to a strong arm. Horn also has solid bat speed from the left side, and that bat speed combined with his 6’2 frame suggests above-average power is on the way despite an unrefined hit tool. Stanford commits typically make it to campus, so a team that really wants Horn may have to go over-slot to land him.

The Athletic

Keith Law of the Athletic has the Rays selecting Lackey with the second overall pick. He’s a pretty safe bet to be at least a solid defensive catcher given his tools and track record. His above average power makes him and patience at the plate could make him a solid offensive contributor as well. Interestingly, Law doesn’t mention Emerson among the other possibilities for the Rays. He instead mentions Cholowsky, Flora, and Bell. He doesn’t take a crack at mocking the 33rd overall pick or any of the Comp A round selections.

FanGraphs

Not yet published!

Of note, The Board at FanGraphs lists Virginia CF A.J. Garcia at No. 2 overall as the highest ranked 50 FV prospect (Cholowsky at No. 1 is the only 55 FV prospect). Garcia is a left handed 6’3” power hitter with a well rounded profile that could stick in center. After Garcia the site ranks Flora, Emerson, and then Lackey as the other 50’s.

We will circle back with an updated mock draft round-up later this week.

Going for a series win behind Reynaldo Lopez, the Braves are shuffling their lineup a bit, swapping Michael Harris up to the leadoff spot and Drake Baldwin down to cleanup. Jim Jarvis gets another start at shortstop, facing the righty Peralta.

Meanwhile, AJ Ewing gets the start at leadoff for the Mets and Francisco Lindor takes a day at DH.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Monday, July 6, 7:15 p.m. ET

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

TV: BravesVision

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

With a 37-53 record that has them just a half-game ahead of the worst record in the National League, the Mets are set to be sellers at the deadline. And Will Sammon of the Athletic and Chelsea Janes of SNY have provided some insight into the organization’s thinking as the August 3 trade deadline approaches.

Sammon writes that teams will be interested in trading for one of the Mets’ catchers, but he sees a move of either Francisco Alvarez or Luis Torrens as unlikely. He also brings up the question of whether or not the team will trade Luke Weaver, who is under team control through the end of the 2027 season on a $12.5 million salary. And he mentions that the team is expected to trade Brooks Raley and A.J Minter, while noting that it seems very unlikely that Bo Bichette will be dealt given his underwhelming season, massive salary, and no-trade clause.

Janes mentions some of the same names in writing that players on expiring contracts will be available, adding Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, and Tyrone Taylor to the aforementioned pair of left-handed relievers. She says that the Mets will prioritize getting the best players in return—regardless of how close they are to the big leagues or what position they play. She floats the idea of other relievers like Huascar Brazobán and Devin Williams having appeal on the trade market, and she writes that the Mets aren’t in a rush to start making trades, as front offices are heavily focused on the upcoming amateur draft.

If you feel a breeze, don’t doubt yourself, it’s MLB Draft week once again. Since 2021, the MLB Draft has taken place over the All-Star Break, in an effort to combine the enhance the prestige of the event and turn the week into a baseball bonanza. It’s a move that has been lamented by scouts and front office folks, who note that the experience creates a cartoonishly packed weekend of work, however the fan experience may be more pleasantly what MLB is hoping for. This year, there are some small tweaks to make note of, and here at Lookout Landing we’ll have draft coverage rolling out all week in the leadup to Saturday and Sunday.

The majority of MLB’s All-Star Week this year will be broadcast by NBC, as well as simultaneously livestreamed by their Peacock service/app. However, the first broadcast event is the Historically Black College/University Swingman Classic Game on Friday, July 10th at 4 PM PT/7 PM ET on MLB Network and MLB.com.

When/Where is the MLB Draft, & how do we watch it?

The 2026 MLB Draft will occur Saturday, July 11th and Sunday, July 12th, in Philadelphia, PA as part of the All-Star Week festivities. Coverage will begin on NBC and Peacock at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET on Saturday, with rounds 1-3 being completed on day one. On Sunday, NBC/Peacock will pick things back up at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET again for rounds 4-20. Both days will also have live coverage on MLB Network and MLB.com

The Saturday outset is a tweak from years past, perhaps a slight genuflection to the requests of the clubs, moving the draft’s outset to a day slightly less packed with festivities. The MLB Futures Game will occur on Sunday, starting at 9 AM PT/12 PM ET, also to be broadcast on NBC. While it is a seven inning game, it may overlap with draft coverage, which seems likely to be pushed to MLB Network and MLB.com but is not entirely clear based on MLB’s website.

When do the Seattle Mariners pick?

The Seattle Mariners have the 24th pick in the draft, second-to-last in the “1st round” ahead of only the Milwaukee Brewers due to their reaching of the ALCS a season ago. The Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Yankees all had their first picks dropped 10 spots as a “fine” of sorts for exceeding the second payroll tax threshold (also known as the “Competitive Balance Tax”).

Their second round selection is the 65th overall pick, and their third pick (the final to be made on Saturday) will be the 101st selection. Seattle also had a pick given to them due to their eligibility for receiving “Competitive Balance Picks” in Round B, just after the second round, however they dealt that 68th overall selection to the St. Louis Cardinals as part of the Brendan Donovan trade this winter.

After picking 129th in the fourth round, Seattle picks every 30 selections afterwards for the remaining rounds as scheduled, save for rounds five and six wherein the Dodgers forfeited their picks as compensation for signing players who’d declined a qualifying offer.

What’s Seattle’s bonus pool situation?

Pretty small. Seattle has only $8,218,200 they are allowed to spend on signing bonuses for their draftees this year, 24th-most in MLB. The Pirates and Rays both are allowed to utilize over $19 million, by contrast. A season ago, Seattle selected LHP Kade Anderson 3rd overall and inked him to a $8.8 million bonus by himself. That was possible, of course, because after missing the playoffs in 2024, Seattle famously sprung up the lottery ladder to the third overall pick despite being projected for 15th, in the fairly new lottery system MLB has employed as part of their anti-tanking efforts. This, plus ineligibility to pick in the top-10 in consecutive years (or more than two consecutive years, depending on the market size of the club) have seemed to be savvy and successful disincentives towards active non-competitiveness instituted by MLB. You’ll see some less-favorable sentiments about draft-related proposals by MLB later on here, so it is important to note that they seem to have absolutely gotten this right.

Bonus pools are determined by draft slots in the first 10 rounds, and Seattle can save any funds unused initially to splash on players throughout the entire draft, so long as they sign those initial players. Seattle has nailed a number of major picks in recent years, and should be able to snag some impressive talents, but the realistic outcome is a less immediately eye-popping set of selections than some recent years.

Who is eligible to be drafted?

Anyone residing in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, or other U.S. territories who has never signed a previous MLB/MiLB contract and is either

• A high school graduate, OR
• Attending a junior/community college, OR
• Attending a four-year college/university which they have attended for at least three years/have reached their 21st birthday, whichever occurs first

The draft does not include players born and raised anywhere else in the world, wherein players are eligible to sign anytime after their 16th birthday to a contract with any big league club from each team’s capped bonus pool (players like Julio Rodríguez, Shohei Ohtani, or Yordan Alvarez), or as a true free agent once they are 25 years of age (almost exclusively established stars in countries with robust internal summer baseball leagues like Japan, Cuba, and South Korea, e.g. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jose Abreu, or Jung Hoo Lee).

There have also been recent changes to the draft’s rounds, with more dreamed of by MLB’s ownership groups. If you do not care for a bit of analysis on those suggestions, feel free to skim to the next headline.

Since MLB owners halved the number of rounds in the draft in recent competitive bargaining agreements, the draft has dropped from three days to two, and to 20 rounds from 40 since 2019 (and from 50 to 40 in 2011). The draft is once again a wish list item to warp for owners, who recently fantasized publicly with a dream of dropping to just 12 rounds, excluding high schoolers entirely (the players with the most leverage to negotiate their signing bonuses) and necessitating a higher age of eligibility for drafting to 20 years of age. While this could open up a batch of additional college players to eligibility, the intent is overwhelmingly a labor cost reduction. Players who debut earlier reach free agency earlier, and therefore can negotiate with more than just the team that claimed their right to work for the coming decade on draft day. From a pure on-field perspective, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodríguez would have seen their careers quite differently, while Colt Emerson and Ryan Sloan would still be on campus. Part of baseball’s distinct joy is in its many avenues to plausibility, and it would be nice not to see those curtailed.

What’s coming next on LL?

Plenty! Check out some of our draft profiles if you’ve not already, and keep an eye out each day for a roundup of coverage around the scouting world, our own mock draft of the first 50 or so picks, some deep dives from Max, Kate, and myself, live draft coverage this weekend, and more!

There’s no denying that we’ll know a lot more about the St. Louis Cardinals by the time this week is complete. 5 games over the next 4 days will be played at Busch Stadium against the NL Central division-leading Milwaukee Brewers. The Cardinals have momentum, but on paper the next 4 days look difficult for St. Louis.

Let’s start with the pitching matchups which feature some questions for how St. Louis will lineup the rotation:

Monday, July 6 – Dustin May – 5-6, 4.80 ERA, 78 SO vs Shane Drohan – 3-2, 3.12 ERA, 59 SO

Tuesday, July 7 (day game) – Cardinals starter unannounced vs Jacob Misiorowski – 9-4, 1.47 ERA, 156 SO

Tuesday, July 7 (night game) Starters unannounced for both teams

Wednesday, July 8 – Cardinals starter unannounced vs Kyle Harrison – 8-1, 2.82 ERA, 99 SO

Thursday, July 9 – Starters unannounced for both teams

Monday night’s starter Shane Drohan is 1-1 in his last 7 games. His 3 most recent starts have been no decisions. In his last start, Shane threw 5 2/3 innings on July 1 against the Reds giving up 2 runs on 6 hits with 7 strikeouts and 1 walk. What can I saw about Tuesday’s starter Jacob Misiorowski that you don’t already know? He’s 5-2 in his last 7 games including that infamous 105.5 mph record-breaking fastball. His most recent 3 games are interesting, though, as he’s lost 2 of them, but those were instances of lack of run support. Jacob’s last start on July 2 against the Reds was a loss, but he struck out 10 and only gave up 1 earned run. Wednesday’s starter, Kyle Harrison, is having a great season as he’s 8-1 with just a 2.82 ERA. The Milwaukee Brewers currently lead the league in team ERA.

The Brewers are not without big injury issues as Brandon Woodruff exited the team’s loss on the 4th of July in the 4th inning and was reportedly headed to the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. The Brewers injured list is full of pitchers.

Entering Monday night’s game, the Milwaukee Brewers lead the St. Louis Cardinals by 7 games. They have won 6 of their last 10 while the Cardinals are 5-5 over the same period. The Brewers team leaders are as follows:

Batting Average – William Contreras – .295

Home Runs – Jake Bauers – 15

RBI’s – Jake Bauers – 52

OPB – Jake Bauers – .365

Hits – William Contreras – 95

How successful or not the St. Louis Cardinals are during the upcoming homestand vs the Brewers and Braves prior to the All-Star break will likely play a large role in whether they are buyers, sellers or a mixture of both at the trade deadline. Successful management of the pitching staff will be crucial over this 5-game/4-day series. A strong start Monday night by Dustin May will be key.