The Detroit Tigers will soon be on the clock.
The 2026 MLB Draft will take place on Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12, with the first day featuring Rounds 1-3 and the second day featuring Rounds 4-20. Day 1 will begin at 1 p.m. ET and will be televised on NBC and Peacock.
The Tigers, following a second straight playoff run in 2025, have three Day 1 picks – a first-round pick (No. 22 overall), a second-round pick (No. 61) and a competitive balance pick (No. 69). Detroit does not have a third-round pick after signing pitcher Framber Valdez to a contract ahead of the 2026 season, forfeiting the No. 98 overall pick after Valdez rejected a qualifying offer from the Houston Astros before signing with the Tigers.
Watch the 2026 MLB Draft on Peacock
Detroit has 20 picks overall in the 20-round draft.
The Tigers are looking to re-stock their farm system after calling up recent top prospects like pitcher Jackson Jobe and shortstop Kevin McGonigle. According to MLB Pipeline, the Tigers fell from having the top farm system in baseball ahead of the 2025 season to having the No. 5 system ahead of 2026.
Here’s what you need to know about the 2026 MLB Draft.
What time is the MLB Draft?
- Dates: July 11-12.
- Time: Day 1, 1 p.m. ET; Day 2, 11:30 a.m. ET.
- Location: Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia.
What channel is the MLB Draft?
- Time: Day 1, 1 p.m. ET; Day 2, 11:30 a.m. ET.
- Channel: NBC.
- Streaming:Peacock.
Both Day 1 and Day 2 of the draft will be televised on NBC, with streaming available for both days on Peacock.
Watch the 2026 MLB Draft on Peacock
Detroit Tigers draft picks
The Tigers have three Day 1 draft picks, with their first-round pick landing at No. 22 overall.
Here is where Detroit will pick in the first five rounds of the 2026 MLB Draft, with the Tigers having 20 total picks in the 20-round draft.
- Round 1: No. 22 overall.
- Round 2: No. 61, No. 69 (competitive balance Round B pick).
- Round 3: None (forfeited after Valdez signing).
- Round 4: No. 125.
- Round 5: No. 158.
- Rounds 6-20: 23rd of 30 teams for each round.
MLB Draft first-round order
- Chicago White Sox.
- Tampa Bay Rays.
- Minnesota Twins.
- San Francisco Giants.
- Pittsburgh Pirates.
- Kansas City Royals.
- Baltimore Orioles.
- Athletics.
- Atlanta Braves.
- Colorado Rockies.
- Washington Nationals.
- Los Angeles Angels.
- St. Louis Cardinals.
- Miami Marlins.
- Arizona Diamondbacks.
- Texas Rangers.
- Houston Astros.
- Cincinnati Reds.
- Cleveland Guardians.
- Boston Red Sox.
- San Diego Padres.
- Detroit Tigers.
- Chicago Cubs.
- Seattle Mariners.
- Milwaukee Brewers.
- Atlanta Braves (prospect promotion incentive).
- New York Mets (10-pick penalty).
- Houston Astros (prospect promotion incentive).
- San Francisco Giants (via Cleveland Guardians).
- Kansas City Royals (competitive balance).
- Arizona Diamondbacks (competitive balance).
- St. Louis Cardinals (competitive balance).
- Tampa Bay Rays (via Baltimore Orioles).
- Pittsburgh Pirates (competitive balance).
- New York Yankees (10-pick penalty).
- Philadelphia Phillies (10-pick penalty).
- Colorado Rockies (competitive balance).
Five teams received a 10-pick penalty for spending past the second competitive balance threshold: the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies and Blue Jays.
Additionally, two teams received prospect promotion incentive picks (Braves and Astros), five teams received competitive balance Round A picks (Royals, Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Pirates and Rockies) while two others traded for competitive balance picks (Giants in the trade of catcher Patrick Bailey to the Guardians, Rays in the trade of pitcher Shane Baz to the Orioles).
Can MLB teams trade draft picks?
For the most part, no, MLB teams are not allowed to trade draft picks.
The only exceptions are competitive balance picks. The Tigers own a competitive balance pick at No. 69 overall, and can trade it or draft a player between the second and third rounds.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers 2026 MLB Draft picks, time, channel and streaming
