The 2026 MLB Draft is a few months way but the Astros have more draft capital than they’ve had in years. The Astros first selection will be pick #17 in the first round, and hoping to add another top talent to the system. As the mock drafts are coming in hot, this is a list of who the draft pundits have the Astros taking in July.
ESPN:
Aiden Robbins, OF, University of Texas
“I’ve generally lumped Strosnider and Robbins together through this process, both power-over-hit outfielders at major Texas colleges, and things worked out in this scenario that they landed back-to-back to the two Texas MLB franchises. Robbins should go in the next half-dozen picks if he gets past this pick.”
MLB Pipeline:
Derek Curiel, OF, LSU
“Curiel’s power may not have developed as hoped, limiting his ceiling, but he’s a high-floor player who has hit well for two years in the SEC and proven this spring that he can play center field. Like Lebron, he could fit as early as the middle of the top 10.”
MLB (Jonathan Mayo):
Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky
“The Astros haven’t always had a first-round pick over the past several years, but when they have, they’ve typically used it to take a college bat (Xavier Neyens broke a streak of five straight times). Bell has played through a torn left labrum and still managed to hit .352 with a 1.119 OPS for the Wildcats.”
Baseball America:
Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU
“Strosnider has better physical tools and more pure upside than nearly every player in the class, but he’s not replicating the pure hitting ability he showed in 2025. He’s hitting .216/.339/.441 in conference play with a 20.2% strikeout rate.”
Bleacher Nation:
Tyler Spangler, SS, De La Salle HS
“The top Northern California bat in this class, Spangler is a lean, projectable infield prospect with some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the entire country. It’s polished, it’s easy, and he looks the part. Spangler starts with an upright, narrow stance from the left side, drifting slightly down the box with little wasted movement. He has a lengthy track record of putting the bat on the baseball, seldom whiffing against the opposition” – via Just Baseball.
Bleacher Report:
Eric Becker, SS, Virginia
“Becker is a high-floor middle infielder with one of the better hit tools in the 2026 class, and he sports a .356/.454/.621 line over 573 plate appearances as a three-year starter at Virginia. He played third base for Team USA last summer and might end up fitting best as an offensive-minded utility player who fills an everyday role without an everyday position.”
Perfect Game:
Chris Hacopian, SS, Texas A&M
“We kept Hacopian in-state with Houston. While the surface production has cooled slightly, the underlying metrics still point to a highly advanced offensive profile. He rarely chases or misses and shows the ability to really impact the baseball to all fields. Among middle infielders in this class, there aren’t many bats with this level of polish and consistency.”
SI.com:
A.J. Gracia, OF, Virginia
“Gracia transferred to Virginia from Duke and is having his best college season. He’s slashing .320/.453/.596 with 13 home runs through 47 games. At 6’3″ and 195 pounds, he should generate more power from his left-handed swing as he ages. Gracia’s calling card is his great plate discipline, and that should carry him. He’s not a great runner and doesn’t have a plus arm. If a team takes him in this range, it will be banking on him staying in center.”
After perusing the different drafts in here, which player would YOU like the Astros to select?
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