Rays take Grady Emerson with No. 2 pick in 2026 MLB Draft

Rays add a prep shortstop to the farm system.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Jul 111 min read

With the 2nd pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Rays select Grady Emerson. https://t.co/yPJxlNuW8j Via @MLBNetwork on X

What happened: The Tampa Bay Rays selected Grady Emerson with the second overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. Emerson, a shortstop out of Fort Worth Christian High School, becomes the headline addition to Tampa Bay's draft class.

Why it matters: Emerson entered the draft drawing comparisons to JJ Wetherholt and Kevin McGonigle from evaluators. Tampa Bay adds him to a system while the big-league roster sits in playoff position, giving the front office a long-term piece alongside its win-now moves.

By the numbers: The Rays are 55-37 this season, 4-1 over their last five games with a current one-game win streak, and are scoring 4.5 runs per game while allowing 4.2.

What to watch: Emerson is expected to begin his professional career in the Rays' minor league system.

Sources

@MLBNetwork 2026-07-11T17:58:26.300369+00:00

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