With the second overall pick in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft on Saturday, the Tampa Bay Rays selected shortstop Grady Emerson of Fort Worth Christian (North Richland Hills, Texas).

The choice came as little surprise. Emerson, who had been ranked as the No. 1 player in the Class of 2026 by Perfect Game since his freshman season when he was at Argyle (Texas), entered draft day as the consensus top high school prospect and was projected as the first prep player off the board in most mocks.

UCLA shortstop Rob Cholowsky was selected with the first pick to the Chicago White Sox.

Grady Emerson is the first Texas high schooler to go No. 1 overall since 1973. (PHOTO: Mike Janes)

Emerson earned MaxPreps All-American honors as a senior after batting .508 with 61 runs, 56 RBI, 14 doubles, eight home runs and five triples. He helped lead Fort Worth Christian to the TAPPS Division II state championship game.

Before transferring for his senior season, Emerson spent three years at Argyle. He joined Fort Worth Christian to play under former major leaguer Rusty Greer. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Greer also helped develop Bobby Witt Jr., the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Colleyville Heritage (Colleyville, Texas). Witt Jr. is set to play in Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia.

Emerson continues a recent draft trend. He is the second consecutive shortstop to be the first high school prospect off the board, following Eli Willits of Fort Cobb-Broxton (Fort Cobb, Okla.), who was taken with the top pick by the Washington Nationals in 2025.

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