Roch Cholowsky is the consensus best player in the 2026 draft. He is a rare plus-plus bat and plus-plus glove shortstop whose combination of athleticism, polish, and impact makes him the most sought-after college prospect since Paul Skenes in 2023. His offensive profile is driven by elite swing decisions (low chase, high zone contact) and top-of-the-scale contact quality, producing game power without selling out for damage. Defensively he shows the hands, range, and internal clock to be a long-term MLB shortstop. With fast-track indicators across bat speed, EV consistency, and defensive reliability, Cholowsky is seemingly a no-brainer number one prospect.

Mulivai Levu, a 6'1" 205-pound first baseman from UCLA, emerged as one of the most dangerous left-handed power threats in 2025 with a .320/.389/.522 slash line and 12 home runs while earning a spot on the U.S. National Collegiate Team. The junior possesses elite bat speed and plus raw power with a 105.8 mph 90th percentile exit velocity and 24.5% barrel rate, showcasing the ability to drive the ball with authority to all fields and tap into 30-homer upside at the professional level. Levu's impressive hand-eye coordination and bat-to-ball skills are both a strength and a weakness at times. His ability to cover the entire plate leads to a 30.2% chase rate as he expands the zone on pitches he can reach, though his improved 15.3% strikeout rate in 2025 shows progress in cutting down swing-and-miss. While most scouts project him as a solid-fielding first baseman long-term, his underrated athleticism, functional arm strength, and workable hands leave open the possibility of trying him elsewhere, though his longer actions make the hot corner a stretch. If Levu can tighten his approach and reduce his chase tendencies, his combination of elite raw power and improved plate discipline could make him one of the nation's home run leaders and push him into early-round consideration as a potential middle-of-the-order bat.