The first high school player of the 2026 MLB Draft is off the board. Grady Emerson, a shortstop out of North Richland Hills (TX) Fort Worth Christian, has been taken with the No. 2 overall pick. It’s the Tampa Bay Rays that have taken Emerson. He now has a chance to begin his professional career with a top organization in baseball.

Emerson is currently committed to play college at Texas. Head coach Jim Schlossnagle snagged a pledge from the shortstop, wanting him to get to Austin. However, not too often do high school players taken this high actually make it to Austin. One of the negatives of recruiting at such a high level.

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But there is still a decision for Emerson to make. The flip side is becoming a bright young star in the Minor Leagues, working toward making his MLB debut. A nice signing bonus would head his way with this decision as well.

To say Emerson dominated in his senior year of high school would be an understatement. He finished with a batting average of .532 with seven home runs and 51 RBIs. Maybe the most absurd number is his OPS of 1.661. You would also be quick to notice 31 stolen bases. The Golden Spikes Award certainly did, naming him a semifinalist before cutting the list down to three college players.

What MLB Draft analysts are saying about Grady Emerson

Before the draft took place, MLB Pipeline produced a scouting report on Emerson. They talked about his ability at the plate — one of Emerson’s best traits. To say Pipeline was high on him would be an understatement, ranking the high school product as the No. 2 overall player in the class.

“Emerson’s advanced skills stand out as much as his tools, starting with the way he stacks up quality at-bats, making good swing decisions and barreling balls to all fields from the left side of the plate,” part of the report said. “He generates impressive exit velocities with a pretty left-handed stroke, and while he doesn’t sell out for power, his bat speed and projectable strength portend future 25-homer pop. He presently focuses on just making hard contact in game action but can launch balls in batting practice and finished second at the High School Home Run Derby during All-Star Week.”

Of course, Pipeline ranks on the 80-grade scale. Overall, Emerson comes in at 65. Three different categories — hit, arm, and field — come in at 60. Power and run are just a tick below at 55.