The Minnesota Twins are set to be right in the thick of the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday afternoon, and the third overall pick gives them a chance to land one of the class’ premier names. But with less than 24 hours to go, The Athletic’s Keith Law has opened the door to a twist: Minnesota might not be locked into the obvious choice.
Law’s final mock has the Chicago White Sox taking high school shortstop Grady Emerson first overall, the Tampa Bay Rays following with Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey, and the Twins landing UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky at No. 3.
That would be the clean, expected path. But Law also noted that the White Sox were “more engaged” with Cholowsky this week, and if the Rays decide to take Lackey instead of Cholowsky, Minnesota could be left staring at a very different board.
“I continue to hear the Twins will take Cholowsky if he’s there and probably would take Vahn Lackey, but I’m not certain about Emerson,” Law wrote. “In a situation where Lackey and Cholowsky are off the board they may take [Georgia Tech outfielder] Drew Burress or [UC Santa Barbara pitcher] Jackson Flora.”
That’s the wrinkle. Cholowsky and Lackey both going in the first two picks still looks like a long shot, especially with Law saying Emerson is the player the Rays “really want” at No.
- But the possibility is there, and it’s enough to make Minnesota a little more interesting than a straightforward top-three slot might suggest.
If the Twins do get their choice of Cholowsky or Lackey, they’d likely sprint to the podium. Lackey’s stock has surged after a huge 2026 season with the Yellow Jackets, while Cholowsky entered the year as the consensus top pick after a quieter 2026 than his dominant 2025 at UCLA.
Emerson, meanwhile, brings a different kind of appeal. He’s a high school shortstop with contact ability and strong defense, but he also comes with the longer development timeline that often comes with prep players.
That matters for Minnesota, where Kaelen Culpepper and Marek Houston are already pushing toward the majors at shortstop. Emerson’s upside is real, but the fit is less straightforward.
If the Twins decide to go another direction, Burress and Flora would both make sense as college options. Burress, a right-handed outfielder, hit 60 home runs in three years with the Yellow Jackets and showed impressive plate discipline last season, drawing 49 walks against 43 strikeouts in 254 at-bats.
Flora, meanwhile, has drawn attention from the analytics crowd and brings serious arm strength, with the potential to reach over 100 mph. He went 12-0 with a 1.06 ERA, 133 strikeouts and 32 walks in 102 innings last season.
Minnesota appears positioned to come away with a strong player no matter how the first two picks unfold. The cleaner path would be Cholowsky or Lackey. But based on Law’s read, the Twins may prefer the college route if Emerson is the one left standing.
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