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Sixteen sports editors out of 26 who took part in the poll said Rogge, a former yachtsman and a participant in the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Olympics, would be selected to take over when current IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch retires.
The poll was conducted by global press and information agency Reuters.
"Jacques Rogge is a young and energetic member of the IOC. He was successful in his post of president of the European Olympic Committee besides having three Olympic medals in his collection," said Anthony Costantino at L-Orizzont in Malta.
Samaranch retires after 21 years in charge of the committee and the new IOC president will be decided in a vote of all committee members in Moscow on July 16.
Rogge, a 59 year old Belgian surgeon, is seen as a front-runner in the race along with Canadian lawyer Dick Pound and former U.N. General Assembly delegate Kim Un-yong from South Korea. The other candidates for the job are former U.S. rower Anita DeFrantz and Hungarian ex-fencer Pal Schmitt.
In the poll, one sports editor voted for DeFrantz, two opted for Kim and seven chose Dick Pound. Schmitt received no votes.
Rogge, who has singled out the fight against doping as his main campaign issue, has a reputation for being a natural diplomat and for solving problems through negotiation, which helped him organise a successful Games in Sydney last year.
"Qualifications being equal, Rogge is the safer choice over Dick Pound," said Patrick Grier at the Toronto Sun. "Pound has made enemies in his tenure with the IOC."
Dick Pound is probably best remembered for his IOC house cleaning after the Salt Lake City bribery scandal in 1998 and 1999. Ten members left the organisation for breaking rules on accepting gifts during campaigning for the 2002 Winter Games.
Pound was an Olympic swimming finalist in 100 metres freestyle at the 1960 Rome Games and freestyle gold medallist at the 1962 Commonwealth Games.
He was a key player in turning the Olympics into a commercial success through marketing and television rights deals. He has the reputation as a tough negotiator and has had a high-profile role at the organisation for some time.
He also has a tendency to speak his mind but sports editors said Pound is a strong candidate for the job. "Dick Pound has been lobbying... for a long time," said Joseph Romanos at the New Zealand Listener. "He is a politician and manages to convey an aura of strength, even if it is false."
One journalist said DeFrantz, who is considered the most powerful woman in world sports administration, is in with a chance. "The choice of a woman will improve the IOC's image," said Andre Fontenelle at Brazil's Placar magazine.
Commentators have said DeFrantz, who has been a member of the IOC since 1986 and was a rowing bronze medallist and the U.S. team captain at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, is very unlikely to be in the top two finishers. But she might have more chance of winning the race next time.
Pal Schmitt, team epee gold medallist at the 1968 Mexico Games and 1972 Munich Games and member of the IOC since 1983, is thought unlikely to get past the early rounds of voting.
Kim Un-yong competed at taekwondo, judo and athletics at national championship level and was a former secretary to the prime minister.
Some sports editors said Kim could get to the last round of voting but would ultimately lose out to Rogge.
"I think it will come to a showdown between Rogge and Kim and I guess that Rogge will win it," said Dieter Hennig, editor at SID in Germany. "Rogge has strong support, especially from Europe, and has no real enemies in the IOC."
Reuters