Final Mock Draft: With The 21st Overall Pick, The Padres Draft A Powerful College Bat

[Jamie Cameron]

I take MLB mock draft rankings from major industry outlets like MLB Pipeline, ESPN, The Athletic (and many others) to form a consensus board, with a working hypothesis that using this approach will eliminate some of the noise and variance in MLB Draft mock rankings. This is the final mock draft board, locked in just before the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday, July 11.

Round 1: Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State

Reese has raked for Mississippi State since transferring from Houston ahead of his sophomore campaign. He's one of the better dual hit/power threats in the class, with any ceiling on his value being placed by an uncertain defensive home and limited supplementary tools.

Reese stands 6'4, 220, and has primarily played third base and first base in college. It's a solid arm, but fringe-to-average run and fielding tools. That might mean a long-term home at first base, which requires a greater level of offensive production.

Offensively, Reese shines. It's good bat speed and excellent raw power. He can homer to any part of the park (21 in 2025). Reese displays good bat-to-ball skills, both in and out of the strike zone, and he takes plenty of walks. A slightly elevated strikeout rate is rooted in his propensity to chase and expand the zone. If he can rein that in, he'll be a nightmare at-bat.

Reese finished 2026 with a .336/.432/.721 line with 24 home runs (27 XBH), a 14 BB%, a 21.6 K%, and a 144 wRC+. His approach and defensive home remain the only questions in an excellent, offensively driven profile.

Round 2: Blake Bryant, RHP, Citizens Christian Academy, GA

Bryant is a projectable prep righty standing 6'5, 180 pounds, currently committed to Clemson. He's jumped up boards throughout the cycle thanks to consistently outstanding performances on the summer circuit.

Bryant's velocity has ticked up in the last 12 months. His fastball is up to 96 mph with run and ride. He pairs it with a sweeper in the low 80s, a curveball that sits in the high 70s, and a split change that's a bit firm currently.

The command can come and go a bit with Bryant, which is typical for a lanky prep arm. It's a strong arsenal on which to build. It's easy to envision him being a problem when he fills out a bit more and polishes his repertoire.

Round 3: Ethan Bass, SS, Glenbrook North HS, IL

Ethan Bass is a prep shortstop out of Illinois who is one of the better defenders on the dirt on the prep side. While he doesn't have the same explosive offensive upside as some other prep hitters in the class, he performed extremely well on the summer showcase circuit last year, showing the makings of an above-average hit tool with a good approach at the plate, and possible average power when it's all said and done.

Defensively, Bass shines. He's an excellent defender with a good internal clock, smooth actions, excellent lateral quickness, and the ability to make any throw necessary for the position. You don't find too many prep profiles that are this complete, even if he lacks a standout offensive tool. Bass is committed to Wake Forest and bears some similarities to previous Demon Deacon shortstop Marek Houston.

Round 4: Ethan Norby, LHP, East Carolina

Norby is a college lefty who has established a three-year track record of performance at ECU. Norby is undersized for a starter at 5'10, 200 pounds. It's a clean delivery with a ton of strikes (6.8 BB% in 2026). Norby's fastball is a little underwhelming, sitting 89-92 mph, touching 93-94 mph.

Norby's best pitch is his slider, a 3,000 rpm sweeper that sits 85 mph and routinely generates a ton of horizontal break. Norby also throws a cutter and a changeup, though both of these pitches lag behind his fastball/slider combination.

Norby managed a 4.06 FIP in 90.1 IP in 2026, striking out 31.8% of hitters while walking 6.8%. Norby has plenty of assets, with a unique delivery and interesting release traits, but he'll need to add velo if he's to stick as a starter as a pro.

Free Agent Compensation Round: Bryce Hill, RHP, Greenwich Country Day HS, CT

Hill is a projectable right-handed prep pitcher out of Connecticut who already stands 6'5, 220 pounds with a ton of starter traits; he's currently committed to Stanford. Hill has a fairly extensive track record as a high schooler.

His fastball, a sinker, now sits in the 94-95 mph range with more to come as Hill fills out. It's complemented by two distinct breaking pitches, a firm slider and a slower, downer curveball that both show promise, with the slider further along in development. Hill also shows feel for a changeup.

There's an enticing combination of size, stuff, and enough strikes here. If Hill can be tempted away from his Stanford commitment, a year or two in a pro system doing some pitch design work could raise his ceiling further.

Curious to see the players around the San Diego Padres picks in the draft? Click on the button below to view the entire mock draft board!

View full article