The 2026 MLB Draft is a less than two weeks away and 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:
Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia
“One of the biggest risers since my previous mock, Jackson appears to be the Golden Spikes favorite after winning the SEC triple crown as a catcher. He’s an above-average runner and has the tools to stick behind the plate, so his polish as a catcher and contact rates are the only hesitations. His profile combining raw power, measurable athleticism and defensive value also fits the Astros’ tendencies. This pick is more of a high watermark for him, but I’d be surprised if he got past the 35th pick.”
MLB Pipeline (Callis):
Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
“The Astros are connected to a variety of college bats, in part because they own the No. 28 selection as well. Lebron, Reese, Bell and Gracia are all prime candidates for their first choice, and Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson could be too after winning the Southeastern Conference triple crown and multiple national player of the year awards. They could try to wait until the supplemental first round on Jackson and outfielders Strosnider, Robbins and Zion Rose (Louisville).”
MLB Pipeline (Mayo):
Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
“We’ve mostly been hearing hitters for the Astros, but so many of the college hitters that they have been interested in are now off the board. I think they’re going to go Liam Peterson, who pure-stuff-wise belongs higher than this, but performance-and-command-wise, this is about where you start hearing his name more.”
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:
Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky
“Bell stood out for the well-rounded nature of his game as a high schooler in suburban Chicago, and the Rays spent a second-round pick on him in the 2024 draft. Bell is a lean switch-hitter with a 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame and a patient, selective approach. He’s shown a savvy batting eye since his prep days and rarely expands the strike zone, with excellent swing decisions and decent contact skills. Bell has shown the ability to pull the ball out of the park from either the left or right side of the plate, but his raw power is the biggest question mark of his profile.” – via Baseball America
Bleacher Report:
Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
“The Astros pitching pipeline has run dry, but they are well-positioned to select from the second tier of college arms. Peterson entered the spring as one of the top arms in the class after tallying 96 strikeouts in 69.1 innings as a sophomore. He did not take the step forward many were expecting, but he still has some of the best pure stuff in the class, and he continued to miss plenty of bats with 111 strikeouts in 84.1 innings this spring.”
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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