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:
Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
“Lebron’s landing spot is really hard to project right now. Models would have him somewhere in the top 10 picks, but evaluators are quite split on his outlook. This seems about as late as he’ll fall with Baltimore at the No. 7 pick as his high-water mark.”
MLB Pipeline (Callis):
Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
“Lebron ranked as the best prospect in the 2026 Draft 15 months ago, so this could be a coup for the Astros. They’re mentioned with several college bats, including Gracia, Bell, Strosnider and Jackson. One of those guys could get to Houston’s next pick at No. 28.”
MLB Pipeline (Mayo):
AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia
“With picks here and at 28, the Astros can add two quality players to the system before the second round begins. And it sounds like they’re mostly looking at college bats, which they did three years in a row before going the prep hitter route last year. Gracia or his Virginia teammate Eric Becker could come into play here, while Reese, Strosnider or Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson could be discussed.”
Baseball America:
AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia
“Gracia is difficult to project with confidence because he’s tied to a huge swath of teams. He has realistic landing spots from around No. 7 to the Orioles to as late as the back of the first round. His exit velocities in 2026 were a bit underwhelming, but he’s also a career .317/.459/.583 hitter who has hit 14 or more home runs in three seasons and has a strong 18.2% career walk rate. If Justin Lebron makes it here, this could be a potential landing spot.”
Bleacher Nation:
Hunter Dietz, LHP, Arkansas
“Dietz presents an unusual look for hitters, delivering pitches from a 6-foot-6 frame with a high three-quarters arm slot. After two years of little activity, he has filled the zone and contended for the Southeastern Conference strikeout title. He obviously comes with little track record but has first-round stuff.”
Bleacher Report:
Cole Carlon, LHP, Arizona State
“After logging 86 strikeouts in 54 innings pitching primarily in relief as a sophomore, Carlon has proven himself in a starting role this spring with a 3.87 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 83.2 innings. He is less polished than some of the other college arms in this same range, but the Astros have a knack for turning pure stuff into results, and he offers an extremely high floor as a fast-moving reliever if he needs to return to that role.”
Just Baseball:
Carson Bolemon, LHP, Southside Christian (SC)
“Bolemon is firmly in the conversation with the better prep pitchers in the class. He brings a longer track record than some of the other high school arms, throws strikes at a high clip and has the breaking-ball feel to project as a starter. His spring has been more uneven than expected, but Houston has enough early draft capital to get ahead of the high school lefty market here.”
After perusing the different drafts in here, which player would YOU like the Astros to select?
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