MLB’s way-too-early mock draft has the Guardians selecting yet another shortstop

On Tuesday, MLB held its annual draft lottery, where the White Sox earned the No. 1 pick after another rough season. Meanwhile, the Guardians have the No. 19 pick and the No. 29 pick, which is a Competitive Balance A selection. 

The MLB Pipeline team wasted no time getting things going after the draft, as they unveiled their first way-too-early mock draft on Wednesday morning not long after the body was still warm from Tuesday’s daft lottery. 

And while a lot can still happen between now and next summer’s draft, there’s always a kernel of truth to these mock drafts — which is why it shouldn’t be surprising that the Pipeline team had the Guardians selecting University of Virginia shortstop Eric Becker with their pick. 

MLB Pipeline has the Guardians selecting intriguing college shortstop in 2026 MLB Draft 

Becker currently sits as the No. 21 prospect in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline, and seems poised to get picked in the first round after two years with the Cavaliers. 

In 95 collegiate games, Becker hit .366 with 17 home runs, 98 RBI 30 doubles and just 72 home runs. He’s a strong left-handed hitter with power to the gaps, but he may not stick at shortstop due to his average arm and average speed (though most scouting reports laud his instincts). 

He also comes from a baseball family, as his younger brother Nick is a prospect in the Mariners system and his dad Jeff spent two seasons in Cleveland’s minor league system at the start of the century. 

If the Guardians do select Becker, he’ll be another interesting option in the Guardians crowded middle-infield picture (honestly when hasn’t the Guardians’ middle infield picture been crowded?)

While Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio covered the middle-infield for most of 2025 (and seem set to do so again in 2026), Travis Bazzana is also waiting in the wings less than two years after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick. Angel Genao also fits into that picture after he was added to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. 

This mode of operation has become a necessity for the Guardians due to their lack of desire to spend the amount of money necessary to keep veteran players. 

It happened in the late 2010s when they acquired players like Rocchio (international signing) and Arias (trade with the Padres) to prepare for Francisco Lindor’s eventual departure, and it’s starting to happen again as they work to prepare for the next era of Guardians baseball. 

The Guardians are hoping that they found the next outfield star of the future thanks to their selection of Jace LaViolette, while their selection of Will Hynes with the pick they acquired in exchange for Josh Naylor is also looking like a solid pick. 

Cleveland’s always going to need to build through the draft, and their potential selection of Becker would fit into that ethos — so long as they give him the best chance to succeed.