The first four rounds of the 2026 MLB Draft are behind us now, and we're taking stock of how the day went down by examining our own intel and then taking a look at how each team's bonus pool situation is loosely shaped for tomorrow's marathon Day Two.

Of the first 13 high school players selected in this year's first round, each of those players were ranked inside Prep Baseball's top-25 overall. The connection between Prep Baseball and MLB war rooms has never been more visible, and our evaluators continue to identify the right names well ahead of the curve.

Additionally, 11 former Prep Baseball Super 60 attendees and 15 Prep Baseball All-Americans heard their names called across the first 135 picks on Day One.

Now attention turns to Day Two, where rounds five through 20 will be conducted and several high-profile talents remain available, likely at a hefty price tag. Let's take a look at who those players are and which teams look financially prepared to leap at a Day Two steal.

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Prep Baseball Connection: Day One

SUPER 60 ALUMNI

Prep Baseball All-Americans

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DAY TWO BONUS POOL OUTLOOK

Below, we've broken down and estimated approximately what each team's bonus pool situation looks like (roughly) headed into the second and final day of the MLB Draft.

Note: Estimates based on slot values, projected over/under-slot signings, and industry intel. Actual bonus figures may shift.

Teams Best Positioned for Day Two

• The Royals lead all clubs with an estimated $5.3M remaining in their bonus pool after presumably saving a considerable amount with their No. 6 overall pick (Zion Rose, Louisville). That would give Kansas City the most financial flexibility of any team heading into the final day of the draft. They'll pick at No. 151 next.
• The Braves are tough to forecast because it's hard to gauge just how much money they'll need to spend to sign prep righties Kaiden McCarthy (Vermont Academy HS, VT) and Jensen Hirschkorn (Kingsburg HS, CA), and how much they'll save elsewhere. But they, too, could have some room to work with on Day Two if they feel good about where they stand with their five Day One selections.
• The Rays ($3.9M remaining), Mets ($3.7M), Pirates ($3.6M), and Astros ($3.2M) each appear to be financially free tomorrow to take a shot on some overslot options. The Mets are an interesting case, since they only had three Day One picks, so we're curious if they'll be more motivated to splurge on a more first-round caliber talent, especially because they didn't get to pick until No. 38 overall in 2025 either. Houston meanwhile had six Day One picks and their sixth, Beau Peterson (Mill Valley HS, KS) might wind up being overslot and the amount would likely tweak the estimated remaining pool we've assigned to them, so they might not have quite the same flexibility as the other teams mentioned here, but we'll see.
• Using the estimated remaining totals, three AL East teams – Red Sox (36.9% remaining pool), Blue Jays (37.7%), and Yankees (36.2%) – retained over a third of their pools despite smaller overall allotments, giving them flexibility to push over slot for a prep lottery ticket on Day Two. Feels like Boston will save a bit with their first-round pick (Jake Schaffner, North Carolina). The Blue Jays' pool will depend on the price they'll pay for fourth-round prep catcher Will Brick (Christian Brothers HS, TN), who was one of the top prep players on the board overall, and one of the youngest.
• On the other end, the Dodgers (~$880K), Marlins ($1.6M), and Brewers ($1.7M) appear to have the least amount of room to work with. The Dodgers had the smallest pool to begin with and it's very possible their first-rounder (Bo Lowrance, Christ Church HS, SC) signs for slightly overslot, which would make them fairly quiet on Day Two. The Marlins' hometown first-rounder Jacob Lombard (Gulliver Prep HS, FL) was picked at No. 14 overall and it's possible it requires some overslot money to get it done, which is what we've forecasted here, though it's also possible the saved a little more than we projected with their last two Day One picks. The Brewers had a fun first day and appear to have played it aggressively with their four picks, and second-rounder Sawyer Strosnider (TCU) could be comfortably overslot, and prep righty Julian Garcia (St. John Bosco HS, CA) might be a tick above slot value as well. Milwaukee won't complain about a fruitful Day One though.

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TOP DAY TWO PREP TALENT

What helps makes the MLB Draft stand out against other amateur drafts is the creativity and strategy attached to the later rounds and it's where certain teams capitalize on their organization's skill set as either evaluators, developers, or both. It's most common for teams to spend overslot dollars on prep talent that would otherwise be content heading to college instead, and it's that leverage that requires the added expense.

Let's take a look at the top high school talent across each position who could entice a team to spend big on them on Day Two, luring them away from prominent college programs.

Top Available Prep Shortstops

Top Available Prep Right-Handers

Top Available Prep Left-Handers

Top Available Prep Outfielders

Top Available Prep Catchers

Top Available Prep CIF / UTL

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