MLB Pipeline’s first mock draft for 2026 has the SF Giants making a surprise pick in the first round

The SF Giants hold the No. 4 pick in this year’s draft and hope to land a cornerstone player. On Thursday, Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline published his first mock draft, with the Giants taking prep shortstop Jacob Lombard.

MLB Pipeline’s first mock draft for 2026 has the SF Giants making a surprise pick in the first round

Luck was in the Giants’ favor, as they jumped to the front of the first round after an 81-win season in 2025. The draft order will revert to reverse standings after that round.

Not only did the Giants land a top pick, but they also added the slot value that comes with that pick. The No. 4 pick carries a slot value of $8.4 million, and the club’s total bonus pool sits at just over $14 million.

For the Giants, this will also mark the first time since 2023 that they hold all of their draft picks. Over the past two drafts, they have forfeited multiple picks due to crossing the luxury tax and signing players who rejected a qualifying offer. 

The Giants can exceed their bonus pool by five percent. The penalty is a tax on the overage. Teams risk losing future draft capital if they exceed their bonus pool by more than five percent, but that has not been done in the slot value era. The Giants have usually come in right below that five-percent threshold. 

In Jim Callis’ first mock draft, he has the Giants taking middle infielder Jacob Lombard out of Gulliver Prep School in Miami, Florida. Callis notes that the Giants also like shortstop Roch Cholowsky out of UCLA, but he is widely expected to be taken by the Chicago White Sox with the No. 1 pick. 

On Lombard, Callis notes that he has quelled some concerns about his bat this spring:

"Other clubs believe the Giants' preference would be [Jacob] Lombard, a premium athlete who has assuaged concerns about his bat this spring after a lackluster performance on the showcase circuit."

Jim Callis on Jacob Lombard

The Giants have also been connected to Vahn Lackey out of Georgia Tech and Jackson Flora out of UC Santa Barbara. Lackey is not expected to slip to the No. 4 pick, but Flora fits an immediate need for San Francisco.

The strength in the Giants’ system is middle infielders, so drafting Lombard would add to a surplus. That said, there is an element of gamesmanship with scouting. Teams do not like to tip their hand, so they throw teams off the scent. That could be what is at play with Lombard. 

On the other hand, the Giants are light on pitching prospects. Jacob Bresnahan is viewed as one of the top pitching prospects in the system, and they have some other intriguing arms as well. Adding a pitcher of Flora’s caliber would give them a prospect with the upside to be a frontline starter

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