The 2026 Draft is in the books, and now comes the fun part: sorting through the board and finding the picks that really jumped out as values. On the latest Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo zeroed in on one steal from each of the first 10 rounds, and the list is loaded with players who slid farther than their talent suggested.
At the top of the group is Gio Rojas, the Rangers’ first-round pick at No. 16.
MLB Pipeline had him ranked No. 8, and Mayo liked the fit immediately. "I don't think the Rangers thought they were going to get him, and they have also not gone the high school pitching route in the first round at all, so I kind of like that they saw this opportunity to get who we consider the best high school arm in the class and one of the best pitchers total at No.
16."
The compensation round brought another eye-opener in Hunter Dietz, whom the Yankees grabbed at No. 35 with the 17th-ranked player still on the board. Callis laid out the long road Dietz traveled at Arkansas, where injuries and setbacks kept him from building much of a résumé before he finally took off.
"He only pitched 1.2 innings his first two seasons at Arkansas so there wasn't a track record. He had a stress fracture in his elbow that required surgery.
It took a lot of time for his velocity to come back, and when he did, he was doing some band work and the anchor came out of the wall and hit him on the head, and that kind of wiped out his sophomore season. But he was great all fall.
People were saying that he was the best college left-hander in the 2026 draft, even though he barely pitched to that point. ... I'm just amazed that the Yankees got this guy with the 35th overall pick.
I think he's going to be very, very good."
Round 2’s standout was Rocco Maniscalco, the Cardinals’ No. 50 pick and the No. 49 player on the list. Mayo pointed to the shortstop’s age, defense and showing at the Combine.
"Super young player, reclassified, really good defender. He's going to play shortstop for a long time.
He was very impressive at the [Draft] Combine, and I think they may have gotten a first-round talent here in the second."
The Angels may have found another bargain in Round 3 with Gavin Grahovac at No. 81.
He was ranked No. 38, and Callis highlighted the power that made him one of the more dangerous bats in the class. "He was a part of A&M's College World Series team that went to the finals in 2024.
He hit 23 homers as a freshman. Then he got hurt, tore his labrum in his shoulder and missed most of last year.
Came back this year, hit 22 homers, some of the best bat speed and raw power you're going to find in the Draft."
Toronto’s fourth-round choice, catcher Will Brick at No. 131, was another big value play. MLB Pipeline had him at No. 46, and Mayo called him the top high school catcher in the class.
"He's the best high school catcher in the class. There's power there, he's a really good defender behind the plate.
I think what makes it stand out additionally is that the Blue Jays did not have a second-round pick, so to get a talent like Will Brick in the fourth helps offset the fact they didn't have a second-rounder, cause he's at least a second-round talent."
The Phillies landed Will Gasparino in Round 5 at No. 161, while Pipeline had him at No. 72.
Callis emphasized the size and upside in the outfielder’s game. "It's an exciting package of tools here.
He's 6-foot-6 ... he's very graceful and athletic despite being such a big guy. It's huge raw power, there is swing and miss but he's tightened that up some.
If he makes enough contact, it's All-Star-type tools."
In the sixth round, the Rays took left-hander Kyle Johnson at No. 174, with a ranking of No. 150.
Mayo noted the rough stat line at Virginia, but said the athleticism and stuff still made him a strong pickup. "The numbers don't look pretty, he struggled performance-wise at Virginia, but he had been a two-way player.
He's a super athletic left-hander with really, really good raw stuff. To get him in the sixth round, I don't know if he ends up in a bullpen or he's going to start, but the athleticism, the left-handedness, and the premium raw stuff, that's a good get at this point in the Draft."
Savion Sims was the Guardians’ Round 7 steal at No. 213, even though MLB Pipeline had him all the way up at No. 85.
Callis didn’t hide how much upside he sees in the 6-foot-8 right-hander. "Talk about guys you could dream on.
He's 6-foot-8, 215 pounds. Hits 100 mph with his fastball, does it with ease.
This guy's going to get stronger, and he throws without effort. I mean he's probably going to throw 104 one day.
It's an amazing arm."
The Orioles got shortstop Will Plunkett in Round 8 at No. 230, and Mayo pointed to a profile built on hit-over-power potential, athleticism and enough arm to stay on the dirt. "Six-foot-three right-handed hitter, it's hit over power.
There's definitely strength to come, but it hasn't shown up in games yet. He should be able to play shortstop, there's plenty of arm, there's good actions, the athlete is really good."
Rounding out the list is Red Sox outfielder Martin Shelar, taken at No. 274 in Round 9 and ranked No. 175.
Callis called out the high school power that made him stand out, especially given how much he produced this spring. "He's got some of the best high school power in the Draft.
It's well-above-average raw power, there's bat speed, there's strength, there's leverage. He's already 6-foot-2, 205 pounds.
Of all the players we have stats for, nobody hit more home runs this spring in high school than Martin Shelar. He had 19 homers in 33 games.
Hit a ball 470 feet at the Combine ... To take that kind of power upside in Round 9, that's intriguing."
In Other News...
Rays Just Reached A Trade Deadline Moment Fans Feared Most
The Rays have spent enough time this season threading the needle between contention and concern, and the latest injury watch only sharpens the pressure on the front office. Yandy Daz is day-to-day after a shoulder issue, while Junior Caminero is also on the mend, leaving Tampa Bay with the kind of uneasy health picture that can change the tone of a pennant race in a hurry.
With the August 3 trade deadline closing in, Eric Neander and his staff are staring at a familiar Rays dilemma: protect the lead in the AL East, or trust the current group to hold up long enough for October. The club is already in discussions on impact additions, and the next move could say plenty about how aggressively Tampa Bay intends to chase a postseason run. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Cash Just Got Overlooked Despite What The Rays Have Done
At the All-Star break, the Rays have done what they so often do under Kevin Cash: outplay the expectations attached to their roster and keep winning anyway. Tampa Bay sits with the best record in the American League, a reflection of a club that has absorbed pitching injuries and lineup uncertainty without losing its edge in the division race.
Even with that backdrop, Cash did not get the kind of first-half recognition his work might have suggested. Jayson Stark of The Athletic placed him behind another AL skipper in the manager of the year discussion, a reminder that even a team on top can get nudged aside when the voting starts to account for bigger turnarounds elsewhere. For the Rays, though, the more immediate question is whether they can keep turning attrition into advantage long enough to make the overlooked part of this story feel even more misplaced. [Read more 🡒]