The MLB draft in Philly has a few firsts, including the Phillies being penalized

The 2026 Major League Baseball draft kicks off Saturday in Center City Philadelphia as part of the All-Star festivities, taking place in the City of Brotherly Love for the first time since the production hit the road in 2021.

Another first? NBC will broadcast the first hour and a half of the draft, which kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. It’s the first time since MLB started televising the draft live in 2007 that it’ll air on broadcast TV, at least until it switches over to the MLB Network at 2:30 p.m.

The MLB draft hasn’t historically been a big TV draw because of how long it takes players to make it to the big leagues. Last year’s No. 1 pick, shortstop Eli Willits, is just 18 and is currently playing for the Washington Nationals’ single-A team in Fredericksburg, Va.

The fastest top pick to be called up? Former third baseman (and one-time Phillie) Dave Roberts, who started just one day after being taken with the No. 1 pick by the San Diego Padres in 1972.

For the fourth-straight year, the first six picks of the draft were determined by a lottery that took place in December. The Chicago White Sox enter the draft with the No. 1 pick for the first time since 1977, when they took future Hall of Famer Harold Baines.

The Phillies don’t technically have a first-round pick; they were pushed back 10 spots because their 2025 roster exceeded the second surcharge of MLB’s luxury tax. As a result, they have the No. 36 pick, the first time in franchise history they’ve received such a penalty.

Here’s everything to know about the MLB draft:

The 2026 MLB draft is scheduled to begin Saturday at 1 p.m. Philly time at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and run through 7:45 p.m., but not all of it will air on TV.

NBC will broadcast the first hour and a half, covering the first 10 picks, before handing off to MLB Network at 2:30 p.m. The event will shift to streaming only at 4:30 p.m., with both Peacock (which is streaming the entire draft) and MLB.com carrying the proceedings through the fourth round.

Rounds 5 through 20 will stream on Peacock and MLB.com Sunday beginning at 11:30 a.m.

While NBC is dipping its toes into broadcasting the draft, MLB Network will be handling the production. A new face this year will be 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels, who will provide analysis alongside Mark DeRosa, Harold Reynolds, and former Colorado Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd. Coverage will be hosted by Greg Amsinger.

The Phillies have five picks Saturday: Nos. 36, 64, 100, 128, and 135.

They’ll get 16 more Sunday, beginning with the No. 161 pick in the fifth round and ending with the No. 209 pick in the 20th round.

Yes, the MLB draft is long, but a lot shorter than it used to be. The draft used to last 40 rounds before being cut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to 2011, it ran upwards of 50 rounds.

It’s really anyone’s guess who the Phillies will take with the No. 36 pick, but experts have some thoughts.

In his final MLB mock draft, ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel has the Phillies selecting 2026 grad Archer Horn, a shortstop prospect who already committed to Stanford after batting .406 with six homers this year for St. Ignatius Prep in San Francisco.

One other name McDaniel mentioned is Taj Marchand out of South Carolina, another high school shortstop, who hit .531 with 13 home runs this year. But Marchand is expected to be taken before the Phillies are on the clock.

MLB Network’s Jonathan Mayo predicted the Phillies would take Notre Dame pitcher Jack Radel in his most-recent mock draft.

The Athletic’s Keith Law, who correctly predicted the Phillies would take Gage Wood last year with the No. 26 pick, didn’t include the Phillies in his final mock draft.

The Phillies have had some success landing major league players in recent years, with three former first-round picks — Justin Crawford, Bryson Stott, and Alec Bohm — currently starting for the team.

Andrew Painter, the Phillies top pitching prospect, struggled during 12 starts for the team this season and was demoted to triple A last month. The Phillies haven’t outlined a timetable for when he could return.

Two former first-round picks play for other teams. Mickey Moniak, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in 2022 and currently plays for the Colorado Rockies. Pitcher Mitch Abel, taken with the No. 15 pick in 2020, was traded to the Minnesota Twins last year in the deal that landed closer Jhoan Duran.

Here are the Phillies recent first-round picks:

This year, the first round of the draft has just 25 true picks. Three teams — the Phillies, New York Yankees, and New York Mets, exceeded MLB’s surcharge tax threshold in 2025, pushing their first-round picks 10 spots down into the second round.

The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros were awarded picks for promoting prospects

There are also a handful of compensatory picks that will take place after all the first-round picks have been made.

Here is the order for the first round, including supplemental picks that begin with No. 26: