Texas baseball star Grady Emerson goes No. 2 overall to Tampa Bay Rays in 2026 MLB Draft
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 11: Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred announces Grady Emerson as the 2nd overall pick by the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2026 MLB Draft presented by Nippon Express at Pennsylvania Convention Center on Satur
ARGYLE, Texas - Argyle shortstop Grady Emerson was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, making the North Texas standout one of the first players chosen in this year's draft.
Grady Emerson selected No. 2 overall
What we know:
.Emerson attended Fort Worth Christian School and entered the draft as MLB Pipeline's No. 2 overall prospect and was widely regarded as the top high school position player available.
The left-handed hitter capped his senior season by batting .532 with a .648 on-base percentage and a 1.013 slugging percentage. He added seven home runs, 50 RBIs and 31 stolen bases while earning Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year honors.
Emerson is the highest-drafted Texas high school player in this year's draft and also has an extensive international résumé with USA Baseball, becoming the first player to compete in multiple 15U and 18U National Teams.
Former Rangers outfielder Rusty Greer helped develop
Dig deeper:
Emerson played for former Texas Rangers outfielder Rusty Greer at Fort Worth Christian. Greer also helped mentor Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. during Witt's high school career.
Scouts have praised Emerson's polished hitting ability, developing power and defensive skills, projecting him to remain at shortstop as he advances through professional baseball. MLB evaluators ranked him ahead of several recent highly regarded high school shortstop prospects, including Eli Willits, Ethan Holliday, Konnor Griffin and Bryce Rainer.
What's next:
Away from the field, Emerson is featured in Season 2 of The Prospect, a three-episode documentary series produced by MLB Network that follows several of the nation's top MLB Draft prospects through the draft process.
The Source: Information in this article as provided by live coverage of the MLB Draft.