Every pick the Padres hold in the 2026 MLB Draft

The San Diego Padres will make 21 selections during the 2026 MLB Draft, beginning with the No. 21 overall pick in the first round.

That gives A.J. Preller and the Padres another chance to replenish a farm system that never stays full for very long. San Diego develops prospects, builds up their value and regularly cashes them in for major-league help. We know the routine by now. So let’s hope they approach this draft with something more than a two-year countdown before these picks hit the trade market.

The draft begins Saturday, July 11, with the first four rounds. Rounds 5 through 20 will take place Sunday, July 12. The Padres will make five selections on the opening day, including an additional pick after the fourth round. 

The Padres earned the No. 134 overall compensation pick after Dylan Cease rejected their qualifying offer and signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. Because San Diego exceeded the competitive balance tax threshold last season, the pick comes after the fourth round. It still brings additional bonus-pool money, and this organization should gladly take every extra dollar it can get. 

Complete list of Padres 2026 MLB Draft picks

• Round 1, Pick No. 21
• Round 2, Pick No. 60
• Round 3, Pick No. 97
• Round 4, Pick No. 124
• Compensation pick, Pick No. 134
• Round 5, Pick No. 157
• Round 6, Pick No. 186
• Round 7, Pick No. 215
• Round 8, Pick No. 245
• Round 9, Pick No. 275
• Round 10, Pick No. 305
• Rounds 11-20: One selection in each round

Nobody needs to pretend the Padres are difficult to read on draft night. They have used nine consecutive first-round selections on high school players, including prep left-handers Kash Mayfield and Kruz Schoolcraft in the past two drafts. Another high school pick would extend that streak to 10 years.

The Padres insist all four major groups remain in play: college hitters, college pitchers, high school hitters and high school pitchers. Fair enough. But nine straight years is no longer a coincidence. San Diego trusts its scouts to identify teenage talent before the rest of the industry fully understands what those players could become.

There is risk in that approach. High school prospects require more projection, more patience and more development time. The Padres have never been frightened by any of that. This is an organization run by Preller. Risk is practically part of the uniform.

With nearly $9.5 million available, San Diego could pay full value for the best player left at No. 21, work out an under-slot agreement and push money toward a later pick, or use the extra compensation selection to attack another expensive high-upside prospect.

The Padres should not draft for immediate organizational need. Their needs change every six weeks, usually because Preller has made another trade. They need talent with real value, whether that player eventually reaches Petco Park or becomes part of the next blockbuster package.

That is the blunt reality of the Padres’ draft operation. These players are not only the future of the franchise. Some of them are future trade currency.

San Diego has repeatedly stripped down its farm system while chasing major-league upgrades, yet the scouting department has continued finding enough talent to rebuild it. That cycle cannot continue without strong draft classes.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow