2027 MLB Draft – Top 50 College Prospects

HT/WT: 6’3/215 | Bat/Throw: L/R | School: Florida | Hometown: Toronto, ON | Projected Age: 21.7

A Canadian-born player has never been selected 1.1 in the draft’s history, though that could change in 2027. Lawson grew up in Ontario and made his way south to P27 Academy, though ailments hampered his efforts as a high school senior. That made him one of the premier bats to reach campus, and over two years in Gainesville, he’s lived up to expectations.

Lawson has undergone some swing and approach changes to achieve his success. As a prepster, Lawson employed a high handset that’s reminiscent of Nolan Schanuel’s and a wider base, electing to lace the ball to both sides of the field. Now, Lawson has become more upright, with his hands starting in front of his face before drifting back into a launching position. This move lets Lawson generate more leverage and torque, leading to ridiculous bat speed through the zone.

He began pulling the ball much more in 2026, with his PullAir% jumping from 19.52% to 27.14% and his PullFlyBall% spiking to 15%. He has double-plus raw power in the tank, registering a 111.2 MPH 90th percentile exit velocity, an outrageous figure to post in college baseball.

The hit tool itself isn’t too shabby either, with his bat-to-ball skills shoring up against secondary offerings and his swing decisions improving drastically. He does show some passivity in the zone, with a 51% swing rate, which he’ll need to improve. That said, his offensive ceiling could be special.

Defensively, Lawson was Florida’s everyday shortstop in 2026, where he fared well and made quality plays. However, Lawson sometimes rushed plays, and he’s expected to add more mass in the coming years. That leaves a move to the hot corner on the table, where his above-average arm strength would fit well.

In a draft class without many up-the-middle options, Lawson’s offensive tools give him the highest upside of any collegiate player in the class. If the defense at shortstop improves in 2027, it’ll be a cherry on top.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 70 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55

HT/WT: 6’5/218 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Oregon State | Hometown: Blackfoot, ID | Projected Age: 21.5

In the waning weeks of the 2024 cycle, Whitney had significant helium, though he turned down multi-million-dollar bonuses to wind up in Corvallis with the Beavers. He immediately stepped into the weekend rotation and became one of the top arms in the country, striking out 224 batters across 139.2 innings before suffering an elbow injury in late April.

Unfortunately, this injury will sideline Whitney through the 2027 season, but even with this wrinkle, he’s the best arm in this class. We’ve seen injured pitchers taken high before, but Whitney’s track record and stuff keep him in 1.1 contention.

The delivery is a bit unorthodox, with an extremely tight arm circle that turns into an over-the-top slot, but he’s a buttery-smooth mover with repeatable mechanics. Whitney’s stuff is outrageously good, starting with an upper-90s cut/ride monster of a fastball. He consistently cuts the fastball and generates plus carry, which led to a 37% whiff rate in 2026. That’s across a 545-pitch sample size, a truly incredible figure. It’s every bit of a double-plus heater.

He’s more than just the fastball, though, as each of Whitney’s secondary pitches has plus upside. He has a mid-to-upper-80s slider with fantastic snap and sweep. It has gotten upwards of 90 MPH, and he averages over 2,600 RPM. His low-80s curveball has little to no hump out of the hand, diving to the dirt with immense depth and some late lateral action. He kills a lot of spin on an upper-80s change-up that features solid fade and tumble, too.

The fact that Whitney projects to have four plus-or-better pitches with above-average command is astonishing, and it puts him in rare territory. It’s easy to see why scouts and analysts praise him as the best collegiate arm since Paul Skenes, and given the lack of up-the-middle talent in this class, he will have a chance to be taken 1.1 despite his injury.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Change: 60 | Command: 55

HT/WT: 6’0/175 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: West Virginia | Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA | Projected Age: 21.6

West Virginia has become a legitimate powerhouse in the Big 12, and Kelly was a major catalyst in the program’s first-ever appearance in Omaha this season. After impressing as a freshman for the Mountaineers, Kelly’s game elevated to superstardom in 2026, slashing .382/.477/.725 in 305 plate appearances, racking up 21 doubles and 19 home runs with a 43:45 BB:K ratio.

It’s a well-rounded profile on both sides of the ball. An athletic prospect with hitterish traits present, Kelly has a quick, compact swing that pairs with excellent barrel feel and swing decisions. Kelly led the NCAA in barrels last season and amplifies his power production with a swing that is built to lift the baseball in the air, playing to both sides of the field. His higher-end exit velocities suggest an average power hitter, though his ability to consistently impact the ball the way he does is impressive.

The bat-to-ball skills are just as remarkable, including his affinity for fastballs. While Kelly does have an exaggerated barrel wrap, he whiffed on velocity just 11% of the time in 2026. With improvements against breaking balls in 2027, Kelly could become the best pure hitter in the college ranks.

Defensively, Kelly has utility that will benefit his profile. He has split time between catcher and second base in Morgantown, and he’s also spent time in the grass on the Cape. Kelly’s athleticism and plus speed shine at those positions, and he has the arm strength to hold his own behind the plate. It’s reasonable to believe that Kelly can be an above-average or better defender with multiple places to slot him in on the lineup card.

Repeating his 2026 campaign will keep Kelly firmly in 1.1 discussions.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55

HT/WT: 6’2/225 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: Mississippi State | Hometown: Lockport, IL | Projected Age: 21.9

In a draft class that is filled to the brim with pitching talent, Valincius is the best southpaw available. After performing admirably as a freshman at Virginia, he followed head coach Brian O’Connor to Starkville and led a dynamic Mississippi State pitching staff.

With a thicker build, abundant strength, and remarkable feel for his arsenal, Valincius is one of the more pro-ready talents in the class. An easy mover on the mound with repeatable mechanics, Valincius hides the ball well with a shorter arm circle and has explosive arm speed from a low three-quarters slot. This gives him premium deception and lets the ball jump on hitters quickly.

While his fastball isn’t a bat-misser, it’s a monstrous mid-90s sinker that benefits greatly from the deception, and he can establish a tunnel to his secondaries. It’s also a strong groundball producer, as hitters pound the offering into the dirt at a 60% clip. Valincius’ mid-80s slider is a true plus offering that plays off the fastball tunnel, showcasing tight spin and sharp lateral bite that befuddles hitters. He can command the offering to both sides of the plate consistently, and it boasted a 48% whiff and 39% chase rate in 2026. Valincius rounds out his arsenal with a strong mid-80s change-up that gives him an above-average weapon against right-handed hitters. He sells the offering well, and the pitch tumbles below the barrel, inducing a 51% whiff rate.

It’s a strong three-pitch mix that is tied together with above-average command. As a result, Valincius has mid-rotation upside at the next level.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Change: 55 | Command: 55

HT/WT: 5’11/195 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: Arizona State | Hometown: Queen Creek, AZ | Projected Age: 21.5

The Hairston family has a long baseball legacy. Four family members have played in the big leagues, with Scott the most recent to have a successful career. His son, Landon, is next in line, and he has the tools to be just as successful as the others.

After forcing himself into the lineup as a freshman, Hairston was a Golden Spikes Finalist in 2026, slashing a ridiculous .400/.509/.860 with 50 extra-base hits, including 28 long balls. He has one of the most complete offensive profiles in the class, boasting excellent contact skills, burgeoning power, and a polished approach.

Hairston has a rhythmic swing with a compact bat path and robust bat speed. The barrel stays in the zone for a long time, and he’s efficient at creating backspin at contact, with above-average exit velocities in the tank. Adding leverage and pulling the baseball allowed the power production to take a significant jump in 2026, and it came with an improvement in bat-to-ball skills. Hairston torches fastballs in and out of the zone, plus he can adjust his swing plane to cover every quadrant possible. It’s a plus hit tool at the end of the day.

Originally an infielder in high school, Hairston transitioned to the grass in Tempe, where he’s manned left field for most of his career. It’s where he fits best at the next level with decent routes and reads, though with his athleticism steadily improving, there’s a non-zero chance he can stick in center.

If he proves that he can stay at the “eight,” it will improve his draft stock in a class that lacks up-the-middle talent. That said, even if he doesn’t, the bat is good enough to take in the top ten picks without thinking twice.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Field : 50 | Arm: 50

Interview: https://youtu.be/5l1XFqL0JHE?si=SNTPzdWdeuCHKs2t

HT/WT: 6’4/223 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Troy | Hometown: Downers Grove, IL | Projected Age: 21.4

Every draft cycle, there’s at least one or two mid-major stars with plenty of first-round buzz. This year, there’s a clear-cut leader in the clubhouse. Jimmy Janicki has it all, and it’s difficult to poke holes in his game at this point.

His bat-to-ball skills are stellar for a backstop, with a 19% whiff rate in his sophomore season after posting 13% the year prior. Even more, he recognizes spin exceptionally well and makes contact at a clip well above average, which was a big factor in his low strikeout rate of 13% last year. He does try to expand the zone a touch more than you’d like to see, but he still makes contact at a respectable rate when he does.

More impressively, Janicki’s best feature at the plate isn’t even his contact ability: it’s his otherworldly feel for the barrel. The Illinois native has made a career out of loud ABs, utilizing a pull-side-oriented approach that results in a ground-ball rate below 30%. Oh yeah, and a 110 mph 90th-percentile EV isn’t half bad either. Our newest writer, Josh Catlett, got a couple of up-close looks at him in Omaha from right behind home plate, and he truly might’ve been my favorite watch of the week.

Coming off a season in which he posted a 1.080 OPS with 21 home runs and 26 doubles for one of the final six teams standing, all eyes will be on the Troy star as he attempts to make a final push up draft boards in hopes of earning himself $3 million+ in July.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 70 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55

HT/WT: 6’1/175 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Wake Forest | Hometown: Holmdel, NJ | Projected Age: 21.4

After adding significant velocity in his senior spring, the Milwaukee Brewers selected Levonas in the second round. However, Levonas turned down millions to enroll at Wake Forest, and after enduring his lumps as a freshman, he put together a fantastic sophomore campaign. Across 15 starts, Levonas struck out 116 batters and posted a 2.82 ERA with an improved arsenal, lining himself up for a first-round selection in 2027.

An elastic, flexible mover on the mound, he creates outlandish extension for a pitcher his size, averaging just under seven feet. That said, there’s a good amount of effort present, which is something to watch moving forward.

Levonas’ fastball velocity ticked up into the upper-90s this spring, peaking at 101 MPH with cut/ride shape through the zone. Despite the velocity and shape combination, Levonas has yet to miss bats at a high clip because of lackluster fastball command, which he’ll need to focus on.

That said, his feel to spin and shape his breaking balls is fantastic. Levonas’ low-80s curveball is a hammer, averaging north of 2,700 RPM with fantastic bite and depth present. It’s a true plus pitch that Levonas likes to lean upon often. His mid-80s slider has significant sweep with spin rates similar to the curveball, and an upper-80s cutter is a great pitch that gives him a firmer option to throw in the zone. He can land all three breaking balls for strikes. A firm low-90s change-up finalizes the arsenal, acting like a two-seam fastball at times with spin-killing traits.

Levonas will need to evolve as a pitcher by tightening his command, but his frame and traits are incredibly enticing for a player development program.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Cutter: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Change: 45 | Command: 45

HT/WT: 6’3/211 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Tennessee | Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA | Projected Age: 20.11

Grindlinger was a highly touted prepster at Huntington Beach, ranking just outside the Top 200 in our 2025 rankings, but he landed at Tennessee after not hearing his name called. Despite a logjam behind the plate, he cracked the lineup full time in April and never looked back, racking up 14 extra-base hits from April 3rd onward. Now a draft-eligible sophomore, he’s ready to take on a full-time role for the Volunteers.

A big, burly hitter, Grindlinger pairs brute strength and solid bat-to-ball skills. He hasn’t changed his swing mechanics a ton since high school, maintaining a slightly crouched stance with a high handset pre-swing. It’s a short, compact swing with explosive bat speed, and his ability to live on the barrel stood out down the stretch.

Grindlinger has yet to sell out for pull-side power, rather lacing line drives up the middle and to the opposite field with ferocity. He has posted plus exit velocities, but he will need to add more loft to his swing. He pairs the power with very good contact skills in the zone, but he can get jumpy on spin and expand the zone at a high clip. We’ll see how the offense progresses across a full season, but the upside is high.

His athleticism has improved, and most scouts believe he can withstand the demands of catching. He has solid catch-and-throw skills and arm strength, though he needs to refine his blocking, receiving, and agility. He will get ample opportunities behind the dish in 2027, and if the defense improves, that will help his case.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50

HT/WT: 6’2/227 | Bat/Throw: L/R | School: Auburn | Hometown: Peachtree City, GA | Projected Age: 21.10

Once committed to Virginia on a tennis scholarship, the Peachtree City product has been one of the premier hitters in the SEC since arriving at Auburn.

A career .324 hitter, Fralick has always had feel for the barrel and natural feel for the zone. Arguably the biggest progression from year one to year two was his power, jumping from 4 home runs to 20 while cutting his groundball rate and increasing his flyball rate by 10 percentage points to 33% in 2026.

Standing 6-foot-2, Fralick provides a physical frame behind the dish that has taken big strides defensively, specifically with pitch framing. He displays really intriguing arm strength to bases, throwing out nearly 40% of runners who attempted to steal in 2026. Against southpaws, Fralick does his best damage middle-in, while he succeeds more often middle-away against right-handers. He consistently puts together professional at-bats, knowing when to let an A-swing rip and when to shorten up and move baserunners.

Whether Fralick catches at the next level is up for debate, as he’ll likely play a corner infield spot then. That said, you know what you’re getting offensively: a high-floor bat with an instinctive approach, contact skills, and a track record of production.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 30 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55

HT/WT: 6’3/215 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Mississippi State | Hometown: Hollywood, FL | Projected Age: 21.6

One of Mississippi State’s most reliable relievers as a freshman, McPherson made the jump into the rotation and shined before an unfortunate injury derailed his campaign. That said, he came back down the stretch and pitched well at USA Collegiate National Team training camp in June and July.

McPherson’s game is built around power. He has a workhorse frame with abundant strength, and he brings solid athleticism on the mound with uptempo mechanics. McPherson’s fastball is strong, sitting in the mid-90s with considerable life through the zone. He’ll add and subtract horizontal action, but one thing stays constant: he has impressive carry and ride due to backspin created at release. McPherson has no issue commanding the baseball on the top rail, and he’ll bully the opposition in that manner.

To pair with the heater, McPherson has a plus kick-change that he sells extremely well. Sitting in the upper-80s, it’s an extremely low-spin offering with tunneling traits, confidence, and shape manipulation. It’s a true out pitch, boasting a 49% whiff and 40% chase rate in 2026. McPherson wraps up his arsenal with two power breaking balls: a potent upper-80s cutter/slider hybrid and a mid-80s downer curveball. Both offerings have above-average upside, landing them for strikes and getting whiffs below the zone.

A strike-thrower through and through, McPherson projects as a starter at the next level, and a darn good one at that.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Change: 60 | Command: 50

HT/WT: 6’6/210 | Bat/Throw: R/L | School: Oklahoma State | Hometown: Fishers, IN | Projected Age: 21.11

Lund was a helium name during the 2024 cycle at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Indiana, but ultimately landed in Stillwater after going undrafted. He pitched seldom for the Cowboys as a freshman, but after a loud fall showing, Lund jumped into the rotation and led the Big 12 in strikeouts with 137 tickets punched.

Lund possesses a mix of incredible size, deception, and outlandish swing-and-miss stuff. Pitching with significant crossfire at release, Lund has a deceptive arm swing similar to Mason Edwards’, with his back elbow climbing into an over-the-top slot.

A heavy supinator, Lund generates plenty of cutting action on his fastball, which sits in the low-to-mid-90s and peaks at 97 MPH. Thanks to excellent extension, the heater jumps on hitters quickly, and it boasted a 28% whiff rate despite inconsistent strike-throwing.

His breaking balls do blend together at times, but both pitches have exceptional bite and play excellently off the angle he creates from his release. The low-to-mid-80s curveball is the better of the two: a true downer breaking ball with loud spin rates and huge depth. The mid-80s slider has similar downward break, and he’ll toss in a cutter to give him an offering with lateral action. He’ll throw the occasional change-up, but it’s a very small detail in the package.

Inconsistencies in his delivery have left Lund with below-average command, and while he threw strikes at a better clip at USA Collegiate National Team training camp, relief risk will still be present. The gap between his ceiling and floor is substantial, but with how good the upside can be, Lund will have plenty of suitors regardless.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Change: 30 | Command: 40

HT/WT: 6’6/260 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Texas | Hometown: High Point, NC | Projected Age: 20.11

Scouts have been aware of Cozart since he was a freshman in high school thanks to his size and velocity at such a young age. The youngest of the Cozart brothers, he’s taken his time to develop into the arm he is today, and now at Texas, everything is coalescing.

He got significant run as a freshman in the Longhorns’ stable, and now as a draft-eligible sophomore, many expect Cozart to make the leap into the weekend rotation. At six-foot-six, 260 pounds, you won’t find many pitchers with a more menacing appearance on the mound. He’s a burly athlete with broad shoulders, long limbs, and surprising athleticism for his stature.

The fastball is the primary attraction here, and it has a chance to be special. Cozart’s velocity has trended into the mid-90s, holding that velocity well across multiple innings with a peak of 97 MPH. Cozart gets behind the ball consistently, generating a ton of backspin and carry through the zone with downhill plane. He zones the pitch incredibly well, and hitters simply can’t touch it, missing bats at an outlandish 41% clip. With more velocity, Cozart is capable of garnering double-plus grades on the heater.

Beyond the fastball, Cozart has refined his secondary offerings somewhat, though he still has work to do. His mid-to-upper-80s cutter/slider hybrid is his best secondary, a firm offering with tight shape that plays off the downhill angle he generates. He also has a softer mini-sweeper, and he’s worked on incorporating an upper-70s curveball more, though it’s more of a strike-stealer right now. He also has a unique upper-70s splitter on the menu, though he’s still learning to command it. It can be a gnarly offering when he locates it below the zone, though.

The fastball quality and physicality will generate plenty of steam around his name, and with more refinement expected, Cozart could find himself in first-round conversations with ease.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Splitter: 45 | Command: 50

HT/WT: 6’2/200 | Bat/Throw: S/R | School: Texas | Hometown: Flower Mound, TX | Projected Age: 21.2

A switch-hitting shortstop who plays with swagger, Adrian Rodriguez is a can’t-miss talent in Austin.

He’s a hit-over-power profile with an easy, adjustable barrel and plenty of twitch, while posting just a 9% in-zone whiff rate in 2026. His swing decisions have improved throughout his two-year Texas career, as he’s walking more, striking out less, and significantly cutting his chase rate compared to year one. That said, Adrian’s power is below average, posting a 108 max EV and nearly a 50% groundball rate last season.

Defensively, Rodriguez made the full transition to shortstop and lived up to the standard, flashing good arm strength and creating good angles to the ball, though the question remains whether he can stick there at the next level. He also missed time in both seasons with a hand injury, sidelining him for a significant portion of each.

Adrian sees pitches naturally below the belt, so it’ll be worth watching how he handles pitches in the upper third across the 2027 season. If Rodriguez can increase his flyball rate and add strength to his frame while maintaining his already-strong contact skills, look out.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50

HT/WT: 6’2/196 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Louisiana State | Hometown: Houston, TX | Projected Age: 21.9

Despite a disappointing 2026 campaign, Casan Evans has still given scouts plenty of reasons to consider him as a first-round talent. Last season, Evans posted a 5.93 ERA, but it’s easy to see he mostly had a lot of poor BABIP luck, as shown by his 4.22 xFIP.

He has a very quick operation, with the fastball being maybe his flashiest pitch to the naked eye. His heater sits between 92-96 mph, but he’s also thrown a 99 MPH bolt over the past year. Primarily, it’s a four-seam with solid ride, but he’s also mixed in a two-seam that gets a little more arm-side run, though it doesn’t reach nearly the same velocity peaks.

One of the biggest benefits of Evans’ game is how many different looks he gives each batter and his tendency to mix in multiple secondaries at relatively even rates compared to his peers. This was evidenced in his overall whiff rate of 35% and strikeout rate of 33% in 2026.

His best secondary, and maybe one of the best pitches in the entire class, is his splitter. It’s used around 20% of the time with huge depth and massive velo drop-off from the fastball, resulting in around 50% whiff and over 40% chase this past year. When he locates it well arm-side, as he tends to do, it’s a lethal weapon. One hole in Evans’ game is that he lacks depth on his two breaking balls, but batters still miss half their attempts when offering at one.

More importantly, the big red flag for the LSU righty is his 11% walk rate. That number actually got slightly worse from the 2025 season, but many of the arms near the top of the college board have a similar issue this year. We’ve seen what Evans can do when he locates pitches more consistently, so as an evaluator, you just have to hope he gets a more consistent feel again and returns to his freshman-year self.

More than likely, Evans will get another shot at being LSU’s Friday night arm this upcoming year as they hope to bounce back from last year’s letdown, and he will look to take advantage of that role to solidify his name in first-round conversations.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Change: 60 | Command: 45

HT/WT: 6’6/220 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: Texas | Hometown: Thousand Oaks, CA | Projected Age: 21.9

Volantis quickly emerged as one of the premier freshman phenoms in college baseball in 2025, then transitioned into the weekend rotation with Texas as a sophomore, finishing third in the country in strikeouts (135).

Sporting a five-pitch arsenal, there’s a ton of intrigue that’s headlined by strikes and funkiness. Dylan releases from nearly a 7-foot angle; however, he naturally has arm-side action that’s difficult to pick up from that high. Volantis attacks with two fastballs: a sinker that’s 91-94 mph and thrown more often, and a four-seam with identical velo that gets quality ride and locates well up in the zone.

Dylan’s best offering is his curveball, a low-80s pitch featuring 12/6 action and over 11 inches of vertical drop that produced a 52% whiff rate in 2026. He rounds out his arsenal with two more pitches: a mid-80s bullet-ball cutter and a low-80s kick-change, both primarily thrown against right-handers.

The big question with Volantis is his lack of whiffs against both of his fastballs; however, both produce weak contact week in and week out. Alas, it’s a durable profile that spins the baseball exceptionally well while pounding the zone.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Curveball: 60 | Change: 50 | Command: 55

HT/WT: 6’1/200 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Southern Miss | Hometown: Laurel, MS | Projected Age: 21.3

A JUCO bandit who pitched one season at Pearl River CC, Clark transferred to Southern Miss prior to 2026 and started the year as the Golden Eagles’ closer. As the calendar turned to May, Clark was pushed into the weekend rotation and made an immediate impact, striking out 52 total batters across 33.1 innings in his final seven outings.

While he’s not the most physical arm on the mound, Clark has a monstrous fastball. A lengthy strider with extension numbers averaging six-and-a-half feet, Clark boasts a lower release height thanks to his drop-and-drive mechanics, allowing him to generate an extremely flat approach angle to the plate. With an average VAA below -4.00 and explosive carry, Clark misses bats frequently, boasting a 31% whiff rate and a 51% whiff rate when located above the top rail. Even with low-to-mid-90s velocity, Clark’s fastball projects as plus because of these traits.

To pair with the fastball quality, his mid-80s change-up is another plus offering with impressive vertical separation and tumble off the fastball, boasting a 46% whiff rate across a sizable sample size. Clark has two breaking balls: a big-bending mid-70s curveball and a firmer low-80s gyro slider, though both pitches lag behind the FB/CH combination. He spins both pitches well, but they lack sufficient bite and will need some refinement to reach average grades.

Clark is an outstanding athlete with excellent command of his arsenal, pointing towards a future role in the starting rotation. There’s a reasonable floor as a back-end starter, but there’s mid-rotation upside if the breaking balls take a jump in 2027.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 45 | Curveball: 45 | Change: 60 | Command: 50

HT/WT: 6’0/215 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Texas A&M | Hometown: Newport Beach, CA | Projected Age: 21.10

Savoie was Clemson’s best hitter in 2026 before entering the transfer portal and committing to Texas A&M for his incoming junior season.

His exit velocities rank among the best in the sport, with a 116 MPH max EV and a 110 MPH 90th EV. On top of that, he hit the baseball hard, boasting nearly a 60% hard-hit rate that ranks among the leaders in Power 4 conferences. Sure, Savoie’s swing decisions raise eyebrows, and he chases at a high rate; however, he misses in-zone far less often than peers with similar swing-decision issues. Savoie is physical in the box; his calm hands through his load create easy whip through the zone, coupled with immense lower-half strength.

There’s some murkiness on where he ends up defensively, whether it’s behind the plate or in a corner outfield spot, though his arm will easily play in either scenario. We anticipate the Aggies will use him in both of these areas across 2027 while being sharpied into the middle of the order and a possible 20-2B/20-HR candidate.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55

HT/WT: 6’5/235 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Mississippi State | Hometown: Uvalda, MS | Projected Age: 21.9

The final piece of the puzzle in Mississippi State’s rotation, Stone is a big-bodied right-hander with excellent athleticism and monstrous extension traits that point towards a future starting role. He barely pitched as a freshman, racking up just 4.2 innings, but he broke out as a sophomore, punching 107 tickets in 79.2 innings for the Bulldogs.

Stone has easy, repeatable mechanics and solid body control, and his extension is outlandish, averaging seven feet on the dot with his fastball. It’s a strong fastball foundation, sitting in the 92-95 MPH range with a mix of carry and run through the zone. It hasn’t been a big bat-misser to date, but he did show more swing-and-miss traits on the Cape this summer, and with additional velocity, the pitch could get a plus grade, maybe even double-plus. For now, it’s a future above-average heater.

It helps set up his plus kick-change, which is a diabolically good pitch. An upper-80s offering with excellent velocity separation, it’s a low-spin offering that Stone has abundant confidence in, hovering on the x-axis of pitch charts with depth and fade. He also has an above-average upper-80s slider with two-plane action, and he wraps up his arsenal with a bigger upper-70s curveball with good snap and depth.

His stuff can be inconsistent at times, and he tends to leave offerings over the heart of the plate, which has led to damage in the air from the opposition. That said, his size and traits belong in a starting rotation, and he’s in line for a big junior campaign.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Change: 60 | Command: 50

HT/WT: 6’3/215 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Stanford | Hometown: Seattle, WA | Projected Age: 21.0

Tokheim was a prominent follow as a prepster in the Pacific Northwest, but Stanford commitments are notoriously difficult to buy out.

As a result, he found himself on campus, and while he wasn’t a starter out of the gate, Tokheim pushed himself into the lineup in early March and never looked back. Across 48 games, Tokheim slashed .352/.414/.704 with 19 doubles and 17 home runs, and this success carried over to the Northwoods League with Kalamazoo, where he posted an OPS of 1.091 in 15 games.

His bat is the major selling point of his profile, and it has the potential to be a really good one. With a strong, athletic frame, Tokheim separates his hips and shoulders incredibly well, which lets him generate significant bat speed through the zone. Despite some moving parts, he repeats his swing mechanics well and can create tons of leverage at contact. It’s incredibly easy power, projecting as plus with some more on the way.

He’s more than just power, too. Tokheim has solid bat-to-ball skills and covers every quadrant of the zone with ease, displaying quality adjustability. While he is an uber-aggressive swinger with a chase rate north of 30%, Tokheim doesn’t have a whiff rate over 25% against any single pitch type. He’s a truly impressive hitter.

He’s struggled to find a true defensive home at Stanford, playing both corner outfield spots and first base as a Cardinal. He was a third baseman in high school and has the arm strength to survive there, but he hasn’t gotten reps at the position.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 40 | Arm: 50

HT/WT: 6’0/187 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Boston College | Hometown: Guayama, PR | Projected Age: 21.2

A true powderkeg of an athlete, Solier was one of the biggest breakout stars in the ACC, helping Boston College earn their first tournament appearance in the Todd Interdonato era. After playing in just 15 games as a freshman, he slashed .354/.434/.498 for the Eagles, racking up 23 extra-base hits as their everyday shortstop.

He’s an incredibly physical hitter with robust strength throughout his frame, and the twitch is evident immediately on film. Using an upright stance, Solier coils his body well, allowing him to generate torque and unleash loud bat speed through the zone.

Most of his loudest contact comes on a line, attacking the middle of the field regularly and rarely pulling the ball. It’s an inside-out swing with an outcome point centered on the right-center gap, and scouts want to see him pull the baseball more frequently and find more leverage. That would come with some sacrifice of the hit tool, which projects as above-average with solid adjustability to off-speed pitches.

He pairs that offensive profile with above-average speed, and he’s an aggressive runner who knows how to use it. Defensively, Solier is a stout defender with the athleticism and arm strength to handle shortstop, though some of his actions fit better at second base.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55

HT/WT: 6’4/210 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Louisiana State | Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA | Projected Age: 21.9

Schmidt was a sure-fire top 50 pick before pulling his name moments before the 2024 draft. Now two years into his time in Baton Rouge, the physicality and strength added to his lanky 6-foot-4 frame stand out.

Schmidt attacks hitters with a north-south approach while repping a four-pitch mix. With the fastball, it’s stellar: a mid-90s pitch with plus command averaging over 19 inches of induced vertical break and good spin.

Schmidt has two advanced breaking balls: a high-spin mid-80s slider featuring bullet shape and a 12/6 hammer producing over a 50% whiff rate (both averaging over 2650 RPMs). LSU nixed the changeup he sparingly threw in years past, but it’s a thought to bring it back or even a splitter to give lefties another pitch to see in at-bats.

Schmidt led the 2026 Tigers in innings pitched last season, and he will absolutely be among the leaders again in 2027.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Change: 30 | Command: 40

HT/WT: 5’10/184 | Bat/Throw: S/R | School: Vanderbilt | Hometown: Queen Creek, AZ | Projected Age: 20.10

A switch-hitting shortstop from Arizona, Waite rarely saw the field as a freshman before having a successful stint on the Cape with the Bourne Braves, posting an OPS of .825 with 13 steals. This success carried into 2026, when Waite showed more physicality and took over shortstop for the Commodores. A slash line of .305/.443/.508 and 27 extra-base hits led to an invite to USA Collegiate National Team training camp.

Waite’s right-handed swing is more polished than his left-handed swing, staying more compact and direct to the baseball with better pitch recognition and contact skills. His left-handed swing has better power, but comes with more swing-and-miss against secondary offerings. That said, his ability to pull the baseball and find leverage helps his profile. Waite can find fringe-average power when fully developed. His bat-to-ball skills against heaters are solid from either side of the plate, and with further refinement of his left-handed swing, he should achieve an above-average hit tool.

While his arm strength is merely average at shortstop, Waite is a composed defender in the dirt with impressive instincts and a strong internal clock. He can also throw from multiple slots. There’s a non-zero chance he could move to second base if he comes across a better defender, but it will likely take time to get there.

Waite will be one of the youngest players in the class, as he doesn’t turn 21 until late August.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 50

HT/WT: 6’1/195 | Bat/Throw: L/R | School: Stanford | Hometown: Palo Alto, CA | Projected Age: 21.9

Bates was a highly touted recruit who lived close to Stanford’s campus and turned down seven-figure opportunities to stay in Palo Alto.

A dynamic and tremendous athlete, he moves naturally well for his 6-foot-1 frame, being a legit defender who can create good angles and reads on balls in play. Bates was Stanford’s starting center fielder as a freshman, but transitioned to shortstop in 2026 and will maintain that role into year three.

In the box, he sees and connects on pitches lower in the zone most often, driving baseballs to all fields while unlocking more power in year two with more still to gain. It’s difficult to get him to miss within the zone, as evident by an 8% in-zone whiff rate, though scouts would like to see him attack pitches across the upper third more often.

His exit velocities have increased to a 110 MPH max EV with a 35% hard-hit rate, but if he can lower his groundball rate a bit while adding strength to his frame, he’s easily one of the top collegiate players on the West Coast.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55

HT/WT: 6’3/200 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: UCLA | Hometown: Tustin, CA | Projected Age: 21.5

One of UCLA’s most reliable arms over the past two seasons, Moss has excelled in a dual role as a starter and reliever for the Bruins. In 2027, many expect Moss to make the jump to a full-time rotation role, and given his projection and athleticism, scouts believe there’s another echelon of his game to unlock.

Moss is an elastic mover on the mound with whippy arm speed present, and he fills the strike zone at a frequent clip. While his fastball shape is on the pedestrian side, Moss’ extension and command help him execute the pitch well and find success. He creates modest carry when he locates on the top rail, pairing it with tailing action through the zone.

While he sits in the low-90s right now, most believe he’ll add more velocity. If he can get into the mid-90s more consistently, he’ll garner above-average grades on the pitch, and that’s what this ranking is banking on.

He has a plus pitch in his arsenal: a unique low-80s change-up. It’s a high-spin offering with excellent velocity separation off the heater, tunneling well and fading late to miss barrels below the zone. Moss has immense confidence in throwing the pitch, commanding it well to both sides of the plate and throwing it in any count. He bridges the gap between the fastball and change-up with a firm mid-80s cutter that he uses primarily against right-handed hitters, but it lacks sufficient bite.

If Moss adds velocity, we believe he’ll be a Top 50 pick in this class and fit well as a backend starter.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 45 | Change: 60 | Command: 50

HT/WT: 5’11/180 | Bat/Throw: L/R | School: West Virginia | Hometown: South Lyon, MI | Projected Age: 21.1

Playing on the other side of the second base bag with Gavin Kelly, Ineich might be the best pure hitter in the entire class. After lighting up the pitching in the MAC while at Ohio, Ineich took his talents to Morgantown, where he took the starting shortstop job while continuing to hit at a high clip.

A true plus hitter, Ineich makes excellent swing decisions and rarely misses the ball, posting an 88% contact rate with a 91% in-zone rate. Just as impressive as his in-zone rate, his out-of-zone rate is an astonishing 80%, an extremely rare figure to achieve.

It’s a smooth, low-effort swing that stays direct to the ball, opting to slap it around the yard. He gets to the barrel often, and his best contact quality comes via line drives, though his power is not expected to surpass below-average. That said, he’s the type of sparkplug that will fit perfectly at the top of a lineup card, and should progress through the minor leagues pretty quickly. If there’s anything to fix, it’s the passivity in his swing decisions.

Defensively, Ineich has handled his own at shortstop, showing good instincts and sufficient arm strength. A move to second base is likely, especially if he comes across a better glove at the position, though he’s capable of being an average defender at the “six.”

Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50

HT/WT: 6’2/215 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: Louisiana State | Hometown: Rochester Hills, MI | Projected Age: 21.3

Watters was a helium name during the 2024 draft cycle, though his game took off once he got to Notre Dame. As a freshman in South Bend, he slashed .317/.436/.549 with 18 extra-base hits and more walks than strikeouts, and he put up a similar campaign as a sophomore. This culminated in a transfer to Louisiana State, where scouts hope that necessary changes will take place under the tutelage of Jay Johnson.

He’s a burly, physical left-handed hitter with noise to the operation, but he has great hand-eye coordination and gets to the barrel consistently. His strikeout rates aren’t an issue, though he can get tied up by velocity. He can create significant bat speed and a whippy barrel through the zone, allowing him to generate robust raw power to both sides of the field.

That said, most of his production has come to the opposite field, as he lets the ball travel, but it’s above-average juice to that side of the field. Scouts will want to see Watters pull the ball more and lift it consistently. If he can do that, his power production can reach plus upside.

The bat will do the heavy lifting in his profile, as he’s struggled to pin down a defensive home to date. He has played a good bit of left field, though his route-running and defense are below-average and his arm strength is fringe-average. He will need to improve upon his defensive chops if he’s going to stave off a move to first base long-term.

He’ll have plenty of expectations in the SEC, and many are expecting him to have a big campaign in Baton Rouge.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 40 | Arm: 45

Interview: https://youtu.be/FJ2sOROlfJA?si=EKiEHnYPcwKlcCn0

HT/WT: 6’2/212 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Vanderbilt | Hometown: Ooltewah, TN | Projected Age: 21.3

A two-year starter at the hot corner for Vanderbilt, Johnston put together a nice freshman campaign before breaking out in year two.

He slashed his strikeout rate nearly in half while tripling his walk rate in 2026, creating a really compelling mix of power, patience, and productivity. Johnston tallied nearly a 50% hard-hit rate last season, seeing pitches down in the zone well against left-handers while often barreling middle-in pitches against righties. In the box, the physicality jumps off the page, coupled with a leg kick and elite bat speed while shifting to a wider stride and no leg kick with two strikes.

Defensively, Johnston is a third baseman for years to come, with good actions getting to baseballs athletically on either side and above-average arm strength. He has loud tools offensively with good athleticism defensively; Johnston will be a fun follow in 2027 and is projected to be one of the premier power hitters in the SEC.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60

HT/WT: 6’1/212 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Tennessee | Hometown: Columbus, NJ | Projected Age: 21.10

Mack threw over 80 innings as a freshman at Rutgers before transferring to Tennessee and becoming a mainstay in the 2026 weekend rotation.

Working a six-pitch arsenal, Mack uses two different fastballs: a mid-90s sinker that’s been up to 99 MPH, holding fine shape while being thrown for over 70% strikes, and a four-seam with more vertical offset that generates significantly more whiffs but is thrown far less often.

Mack’s best pitches are his cutter and slider, with the cutter holding mid-80s velocity and short glove-side action that produced over a 50% whiff rate in 2026, and the slider profiling as a sweeper with more extended lateral run that sits in the low-80s. Mack also mixes in both a 77-80 MPH curveball and an 86-89 MPH changeup, both primarily thrown against left-handed batters.

Mack is bound to take another significant step forward come year two in the SEC, which can push him up boards while building a successful three-year track record.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Cutter: 55 | Curveball: 40 | Change: 45 | Command: 45

HT/WT: 6’0/195 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: NC State | Hometown: Luling, LA | Projected Age: 21.10

Mikey Ryan has nearly everything you look for in a big-league shortstop. After spending his freshman year at LSU, the six-foot righty moved to Raleigh, and the results followed. He batted .342 with a 1.031 OPS last year, coming off a summer in the Northwoods where he averaged 1.1 stolen bags per game.

Beyond the counting stats, it’s clear the hit tool can translate to a higher level. Ryan posted a 20% whiff rate, including only about 26% against spin, and an 89% zCon during his sophomore campaign. The approach also shined, as he posted a 16% strikeout rate alongside a 13% walk rate. He battled a little adversity in 2026 with an ankle sprain that sidelined him for a few weeks, but he still batted .462 and showed nice range on the dirt after returning from the injury.

The swing could be a concern to the naked eye because of its flatter nature, but he still finds a way to get loft exceptionally well. His power is bigger than you’d expect from his stature, too, as shown by his 108 MPH 90th-percentile EV last season.

Defensively, Ryan has shown nothing but promise in the dirt, with a legitimate chance to stick at shortstop long-term. He’s shown impressive agility and possesses enough arm strength to stick on the left side of the infield if he wants.

There’s true first-round upside here, but I’d more likely project him to land in Round 2 or the Comp-B Round in July. Whichever organization is lucky enough to land Ryan in that range could get some of the best value in the entire class.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55

HT/WT: 6’2/205 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Florida | Hometown: Jacksonville, FL | Projected Age: 21.1

An excellent performer across his two years in Gainesville, King has punched 171 tickets across 28 starts for the Orange and Blue, but his best baseball is ahead of him.

He’s a high-floor starter prospect with a projectable frame, loose arm, and an arsenal that’s primed to take a jump forward. A pristine mover with repeatable mechanics, King has no issue pummeling the strike zone, and while it’s not overwhelming stuff yet, he’s daring hitters to attack his arsenal.

It all starts with his low-to-mid-90s fastball, which he can locate extremely well. He likes to deploy two distinct shapes: a traditional four-seamer with carry and run mixed in, and a two-seamer with late-tailing action. He likes to lean heavily upon the two-seam variant, attacking at the knees to set up the rest of his arsenal, though he’s shown feel to elevate and blow hitters away with the four-seamer. He’s also found success getting hitters to chase the fastball with how much he zones it.

His low-80s sweeping slider has the potential to be a really good offering, showing solid lateral bite that snaps out of the fastball tunnel late. Scouts would like to see him use the slider more often, and the same goes for his change-ups. Yes, the “s” is intentional, as he throws a traditional circle-change and a splitter. The splitter is the better of the two, killing adequate spin and diving hard below the zone. The circle-change doesn’t have the same kind of conviction as the splitter, though it has solid fading life.

An approach change is necessary to unlock another tier of King’s game, along with additional velocity and power in his arsenal. That said, King is a starter through and through, fitting in perfectly at the backend of a rotation.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Cutter: 50 | Splitter: 55 | Command: 55

HT/WT: 6’3/210 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: UCLA | Hometown: Granada Hills, CA | Projected Age: 21.9

Another UCLA arm on this list, Hawk has spent his two seasons with the Bruins as the team’s closer. He has racked up 22 saves in his career, though many scouts and analysts expect Hawk to make the leap into the weekend rotation next spring. It’s easy to see why, too.

Hawk has an easy, controlled delivery on the bump, with clean mechanics and little effort throughout. Hawk’s fastball velocity is impressive, sitting in the mid-90s and occasionally tickling triple digits, though the pitch is subject to damage. He has two fastball shapes, though neither shape is particularly dynamic, relying more on pure velocity and command to find success. That said, he can generate solid carry when he locates upstairs; his extension numbers are solid, and he draws plenty of chases.

Hawk’s mid-80s slider is an above-average pitch with solid bite and late lateral break, deploying it often as an out pitch. He commands the offering well to his gloveside, getting some ugly whiffs from right-handed hitters. He has a decent upper-80s change-up that he’ll deploy to left-handed hitters, though he’s still developing feel and conviction. There’s a loopier low-80s curveball that is used sparingly, as well.

With a move to the rotation expected, it’ll be interesting to see how Hawk adjusts to a new workload, but if he succeeds in an expanded role, it’ll help his draft stock.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Curveball: 40 | Change: 45 | Command: 45

HT/WT: 6’0/200 | Bat/Throw: L/R | School: North Carolina | Hometown: Burke, VA | Projected Age: 20.11

North Carolina getting their hands on a mid-major shortstop seems to be a pretty safe bet these days, don’t you think?

It’s not a one-to-one comparison, but there’s been lots of talk about Coach Forbes and his staff being able to develop Laskofski in a similar fashion to Jake Schaffner, and that’s a sentiment that’s easy to get behind. While not as good as Schaffner’s, Laskofski’s bat-to-ball skills show potential for a successful year in the ACC, coming off a year where he ran a 19% whiff rate with an 86% zCon.

You can tell his approach at the plate is focused on low contact rates just by looking at his stance, where he maintains a super low, wide base pre-load. The plate discipline is next level, too. He posted asinine rates of 10% K and 16% BB last season, though CAA competition isn’t exactly as quality as what he’ll face in 2027.

One area he’ll look to improve with the bat is his power. Although he registered 13 home runs in his sophomore season, the under-the-hood metrics were much less glowing, with an 85 MPH average EV and a 102 MPH 90th-percentile EV. Not to keep making the comparison, but if you’re looking for a silver lining, Jake Schaffner’s power metrics were considerably lower than Laskofski’s at this point last year, and he raised both marks by 5+ mph over his junior year. Laskofski also tends to struggle getting to his pull side just a tad, so look for that to be a point of emphasis this offseason.

In addition to his safe profile at the plate, Laskofski’s glove could be his best feature, amplified by the range he shows thanks to his above-average foot speed. Laskofski is pretty much your prototypical lead-off bat who plays a solid shortstop and is a versatile defender if need be, so expect him to be a big name to watch in the 2027 season, and don’t be surprised if he works his way into the first round come next July.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 45

HT/WT: 6’2/198 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Cincinnati | Hometown: St. Louis, MO | Projected Age: 21.2

If you’re looking for a glaring hole in Derrick Pitts’ profile, good luck. The uber-athletic Cincinnati outfielder seems to be an early candidate to be a “safe floor” Day 1 prospect next summer, and rightfully so. There might not be one offensive tool that fully jumps off the page, but his intangibles and sheer athleticism absolutely do.

Pitts batted .329 for the Bearcats last season while splitting time between center field and right field, both areas where he more than excelled. Under the hood, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any red flags at the plate for Pitts. He ran average overall and in-zone contact rates in his sophomore season, but took huge jumps in each area from the year prior.

The best specific element of his bat-to-ball ability is his ability to handle spin, posting only about a 25% whiff rate against breaking balls during the college season and a whopping 7% in the same area at USA Baseball events this summer. He may never get to more than league-average power or consistently find the pull side unless he shortens up his swing, but that didn’t seem to concern many evaluators when they watched him play for Team USA.

Defensively, Pitts has shown a knack for the highlight play and clearly has a future as an outfield leader. He takes good routes to the ball and pairs a plus glove with an arm that’s shown legitimate value.

All in all, Pitts has climbed steadily from an under-the-radar high schooler to a legitimate standout in one of college baseball’s premier conferences. If this progression continues, expect him to receive more public praise and draft helium down the stretch.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Field: 60 | Arm: 55

HT/WT: 6’1/190 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Texas | Hometown: El Granada, CA | Projected Age: 21.8

One of the more underappreciated mid-major bats on the West Coast, Armstrong turned two strong campaigns for Saint Mary’s into a transfer to Texas, where he’ll have Texas-sized expectations behind the dish in 2027.

It’s hard to believe there’s another echelon to his game to unlock, especially given the damage he inflicted in the WCC. Armstrong possesses significant raw power in the bat, grading out as above-average. He likes to keep weight in his back leg during his swing load, and the barrel explodes through the zone when he unleashes that energy. It’s exceptional barrel feel with exit velocities that have surpassed the 110 MPH mark.

His hit tool isn’t too shabby, though the SEC will test him. Armstrong likes to pull the trigger at a frequent clip, and while he’s shown the hand-eye coordination and adjustability to stave off strikeouts so far, his swing decisions will need polishing as he prepares to face premium pitching.

It’s not just the offense that catches your attention, either. Armstrong is a quality athlete behind the dish, corralling the baseball well with solid blocking skills and an accurate arm to second base. His best asset is his receiving, as he grades out exceptionally well, especially on pitches on the lower rung of the zone. He will need to improve his catch-and-throw ability and arm strength, as it’s merely average, though the accuracy of his throws has kept him afloat to date.

The blueprint for a power-hitting catcher is there with Armstrong, and we’re excited to see what he can do in the SEC this spring.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55

HT/WT: 6’5/207 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: Tennessee | Hometown: Pearland, TX | Projected Age: 21.3

The son of former NFL running back Chris Brown, Blaine is a toolsy outfielder who has shown two-way prowess in high school and college. The bat took center stage when he enrolled at Rice, and he translated that into an opportunity in Knoxville, where he flashed considerable upside in spurts during the spring.

He’s a powerful hitter who can compress the baseball like few can. Boasting robust bat speed and a heavy barrel through the zone, Brown has above-average to plus power potential at the next level, though his production has been diluted by an aggressive approach and inconsistent swing mechanics. SEC pitching exposed his aggressive approach and inconsistent swing mechanics, leading to a bloated strikeout and ground ball rate. His hands can get noisy during his load, which affects his timing and ability to catch up to high velocity and breaking balls below the zone.

If there’s one silver lining, it’s this: he’ll be able to focus solely on hitting in 2027. Brown pitched sparingly for the Volunteers in 2026, and he got better opportunities on the Cape, but an elbow injury required surgery, and he’ll stay off the mound as a result. It will give him an opportunity to focus heavily on his warts and refine his swing and approach. That said, he won’t play in the field in 2027 as he recovers from surgery.

He has shown plus arm strength in the grass and on the bump, reaching 96 MPH, though his route-running and glove lagged behind. He’ll be an interesting case to follow this cycle, but the upside as a power-hitter is too hard to gloss over.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Field: 45 | Arm: 60

Interview: https://youtu.be/ADPef2Cc_ak?si=1LfduotOo1srjW9i

HT/WT: 6’2/210 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Vanderbilt | Hometown: Roseville, CA | Projected Age: 21.2

Austin Nye had a fantastic freshman campaign for Vanderbilt, tossing over 50 innings while posting a 3.55 ERA across 15 starts. Things took an unfortunate turn in 2026, as he made just 3 appearances before undergoing a season-ending injury.

Operating with a four-pitch arsenal and a three-quarter arm slot, Nye primarily goes after hitters with his fastball/cutter combo. The heater is intriguing, working 93-96 MPH and up to 98 MPH before his injury, with plus ride and elite command and nearly 80% of his pitches for strikes.

The cutter is arguably his best pitch, living in the low-80s in velocity with short, downward bite that produced over a 60% whiff rate. Rounding out Nye’s arsenal is a low-70s curveball with two-plane action and an 80-81 MPH changeup thrown primarily to lefties that has legit tumble and low spin outputs, both thrown much less frequently.

There’s fair concern over the lack of whiffs Nye creates with his fastball, though his offspeeds make up for it. Expect Nye to take another step forward in the Commodore rotation while likely earning preseason SEC honors.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Cutter: 55 | Curveball: 40 | Change: 55 | Command: 45

HT/WT: 6’0/219 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Indiana | Hometown: Mooresville, IN | Projected Age: 21.7

A thickly built hitter from Indiana, Denny has one of the country’s more enticing hit/power combinations. After a solid rookie campaign for the Hoosiers, he became one of the Big Ten’s best hitters, slashing .357/.452/.647 with 18 doubles, 14 home runs, and a near 1:1 BB:K ratio. This earned him an invitation to USA Collegiate National Team training camp, becoming the seventh Hoosier to make the final team in program history.

While there’s little to no projection left to his frame, the offensive tools are already eye-opening. Denny has plus power that plays line-to-line, posting impressive high-end exit velocities and getting to the barrel consistently. His bat speed through the zone is incredibly easy, and he often gets to his power, backspinning the ball with ease.

He does have a hitch in his swing, as his hands sink during the loading phase, but it hasn’t affected his timing or contact rates much. It’s tough to sneak a pitch by Denny inside the zone, and his swing decisions are polished. It’ll be interesting to see how his swing translates to pro ball, but for now, it’s incredibly potent and has held up against solid competition.

His defensive home is a bit murkier, though despite his size, he’s a solid athlete with nimbleness to his game. He has caught behind the plate and played a reasonable amount of corner outfield, where he has above-average arm strength and decent route-running. Another position that makes sense is third base, and he got opportunities to work there in Cary with good results.

We’ll see how the defense shakes out, but teams are buying the bat with Denny.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55

HT/WT: 6’4/205 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Florida | Hometown: Snellville, GA | Projected Age: 20.10

Barberi was a big get for the Gators out of high school back in 2024, as he was a consensus Top-100 prep prospect from the greater Atlanta area. He was an immediate contributor within the Florida bullpen as a freshman, in a year featuring both bumps and strides forward.

In year two, Barberi cut both his BAA and FIP nearly in half while increasing punchouts compared to year one. He threw over 60% strikes with each pitch in his arsenal (64% total strikes in 2026) while molding himself into one of college baseball’s premier relievers.

Barberi is essentially a two-pitch guy. His heater is 70-grade; a weapon that’s been up to 101 MPH while sitting 96-99 MPH, with over 21 inches of ride and 2,500+ RPM reads. He often locates it at the top rail, making it a brutal challenge for hitters to barrel. His primary offering to complement the fastball is a mid-80s slider. It’s a hammer with sweep and firm bite that he can mix in against any hitter. Rounding out his arsenal is a 90-92 MPH changeup that gets plus tumble and chase rates and is exclusively thrown to left-handers.

Looking ahead to 2027, expect Barberi to assume his same role while tacking on 45+ innings. The combination of stuff, strikes, and spin capacity – all signs point toward Barberi being one of the first reliever profiles taken in next year’s draft.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 60 | Change: 45 | Command: 45

HT/WT: 6’5/218 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Texas | Hometown: Newport Beach, CA | Projected Age: 21.3

Garcia has logged plenty of miles on his travel card in the past couple of years, traveling from California to Florida during his senior year of high school and then stopping halfway on the route back for college in Lubbock. He impressed during the fall at Texas Tech and made an immediate impact in the lineup, racking up 26 extra-base hits and posting an OPS of .877. After the season, Garcia jumped in the portal and headed south, joining Texas’ stable of hitters for the 2027 campaign.

He’s an ultra-aggressive hitter who loves to swing the bat, limiting his opportunities to take walks and get on base. That said, his hand-eye coordination is solid, and he kept strikeouts below a 15% clip despite the bloated chase rates. Garcia has strong bat speed through the zone and has posted robust exit velocities and raw power, though his production has been limited by inconsistencies in his swing plane.

His swing can get slappy at times, leading to a high ground ball rate, and Garcia is intent on letting the ball travel and hammer it to the opposite field. Pulling the baseball and improving his batted-ball quality will be high on his list of necessary fixes, something scouts believe should happen under Texas’ coaching staff.

A physical infielder, Garcia has been a solid athlete at shortstop, though his size likely pushes him to the hot corner. He has quick hands, rangy actions, and solid footwork, plus his arm strength is well-suited for the left side of the dirt.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55

HT/WT: 6’3/220 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: East Carolina | Hometown: Hickory, NC | Projected Age: 20.2

One of the youngest draft-eligible collegiate players in recent memory, Jenkins graduated early and enrolled at East Carolina for the 2025 campaign, where he performed admirably as a Pirates starter. During the off-season, Jenkins bulked up and turned into a nightmare out of the bullpen, recording six saves before suffering a season-ending elbow injury in late April.

That said, what he showed was dynamic, and while his availability in 2027 is still up in the air, he’ll hear his name called early regardless.

Jenkins began throwing much harder in his new role, sitting in the mid-90s across multiple innings and reaching 98-99 MPH in shorter bursts. It’s a true sinker with bowling-ball-esque heaviness through the zone, inducing plenty of weak contact and ground balls. However, it’s not his best pitch.

He transformed his slider from a low-80s sweeper to an upper-80s torpedo slider, and he leans upon it heavily (62% usage). Jenkins can locate it consistently below the zone, and it’s a pitch that will garner plenty of whiffs against either handedness. He has a mid-80s splitter in his back pocket that he’ll deploy to left-handed hitters, but he’s still gaining feel for the pitch.

Assuming Jenkins is healthy and moves into a starting role, scouts would like to see his arsenal expand and his fastball usage increase. If he can’t make it as a starter, he’ll provide upside in the backend of a bullpen.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Splitter: 40 | Command: 45

HT/WT: 5’9/170 | Bat/Throw: L/R | School: NC State | Hometown: Youngsville, NC | Projected Age: 21.3

An undersized outfielder and one of the ACC’s best pure hitters as a freshman, Johnson is the definition of a sparkplug. He led the country in batting average among freshmen and put together a 28-game hitting streak at one point. Furthermore, he ended the 2026 season on a 30-game on-base streak.

He’s a pest who fits perfectly in the leadoff spot, and he’ll put the game in motion with exquisite contact skills and double-plus speed. He has a sublime approach, making excellent swing decisions and slapping the baseball around the park with ease. With an 89% contact rate, including 94% in the zone, Johnson has borderline elite bat-to-ball skills, with excellent pitch recognition and twitch. He fends off strikeouts at a great clip, shortening up with two strikes and making the zone minuscule with an exaggerated crouch.

He’s never going to be a large power threat with his size and approach, but he’ll utilize the gaps and let his speed go to work on the basepaths. He’s going to be a base-stealer, and a potentially successful one, thanks to aggressive instincts.

In the outfield, Johnson was stuck in left field with Ty Head manning center for the Wolfpack, but the expectation is that Johnson will shift over to the “eight” in 2027. He has the rangy actions and speed to be a solid defender, though he’s still gaining confidence in his route-running and decision-making in the grass. If he improves there, his glove will help expand the margin for error in his toolset and skills.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 30 | Run: 70 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50

HT/WT: 6’4/220 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: Louisville | Hometown: Philadelphia, PA | Projected Age: 21.8

With Myles Bailey and Caden Sorrell moving on to pro ball, scouts have turned to Davis as the next big-bopping left-hander in college. A true brute with wide shoulders and length, Davis has incredibly raw power, and his 34 home runs in 2026 prove it. It was a Golden Spikes-worthy campaign for someone who brings an old-school aura to the diamond.

The power in his profile is easily double-plus, and it might be the loudest in the entire country. It comes incredibly easy, too. Davis looks like he’s swinging a toothpick from the left side of the plate, generating leverage and loud bat speed through the zone. He covers the plate exceptionally well, and he’s been able to crush baseballs in areas outside the zone that you wouldn’t expect someone to get the barrel to.

Of course, this ludicrous power comes with substantial swing-and-miss and chase, something that teams shied away from in the 2026 draft. His contact rates are well below average, and strikeouts will always be a part of his game. That said, the power will help offset this wart, though his swing decisions will need to improve in 2027.

Relegated to first base duties at Louisville, Davis is a nimble athlete and moves well around the pillow, and while first base defense is not highly regarded in today’s game, he has the makings of an average defender at the position.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 30 | Power: 70 | Run: 30 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50

HT/WT: 6’2/210 | Bat/Throw: L/R | School: Florida | Hometown: Tampa, FL | Projected Age: 21.7

After missing his freshman year due to Tommy John surgery, Whritenour made a strong splash on opening weekend for the Florida Gators, leading to a successful first year.

A three-pitch profile, Whritenour goes after hitters with his four-seam fastball, and it’s no secret. A 96-99 MPH helium offering that’s been up to triple digits numerous times, it has premium spin, and he locates it well in the upper third of the zone. Arguably just as dominant is his low-90s slider, an offspeed offering with unique shape and a short, firm trajectory that produced a whiff rate north of 40%. Whritenour rounds out his arsenal with an 89-92 mph changeup that also spins at high RPMs, featuring a late dive and commanding well down at the knees.

With Rich Dorman entering as Florida’s new pitching coach, we wonder if they can unlock more whiffs from his ultra-fastball while changing some of his 2026 pitch sequencing, or even adding a sweeper to his mix, giving right-handers something else to consider.

It’ll be fun to keep tabs on Whritenour, an athletic mover down the mound who’s physical and has premium velocity on all three pitches.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 60 | Change: 40 | Command: 40

HT/WT: 6’2/200 | Bat/Throw: L/R | School: Texas A&M | Hometown: Forney, TX | Projected Age: 21.8

Sims didn’t get much run with the Aggies in 2025, making just six appearances as a true freshman. However, his stuff blossomed in the fall, and he earned a rotation spot that he held until he underwent surgery for an elbow ailment late in the season. That said, the surgery will not knock him out for his draft-eligible campaign, and he’ll get a shot at improving his stock in the spring.

Sims has good athleticism and a deep pitch mix, with the secondaries carrying the water in the profile. The fastball sits in the low-90s and has reasonably generic shape, though he does have an uncomfortable angle working in his favor. Throwing from the third base side, Sims lands closed and throws across his body, and when he cuts the heater on the top rail, he’ll get some swing-and-miss. That said, it’s merely average right now, and there isn’t as much projection present as some of his peers.

His secondaries are powerful, though. His cutter and slider mix can be difficult for right-handed hitters, and both project as above-average offerings with solid bite and loud spin rates. The cutter sits in the upper-80s, and he’ll locate it well to the gloveside, while his low-80s slider is a sweeping behemoth with up to two feet of lateral action. However, his best pitch is a low-spin change-up in the mid-80s with devastating depth and fade, projecting as plus. He does flip in a fringe-average low-80s curveball that is more of a strike-stealer than an out pitch, but it has decent traits.

It’s great pitchability and secondary stuff that will keep scouts focused on his outings, and he has backend upside in a starting rotation.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Cutter: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Change: 60 | Command: 50

HT/WT: 6’6/206 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: Auburn | Hometown: Salem, AL | Projected Age: 21.0

One year in the SEC was all it took for McCraine to make it obvious he has the ingredients to be the first draft-eligible sophomore bat off the board in July. It’s hard to miss a six-foot-six guy on the field anyway, but McCraine goes above and beyond to flash his tools to anyone in attendance.

We might as well lead with the one thing that could drag down his draft stock: bat-to-ball consistency, which wasn’t exactly pretty during McCraine’s first year on the Plains. He posted whiff rates of 35% against spin and 28% overall, both well below league average. More importantly, his zCon, which seems to be the most prioritized metric lately, was only about 77% and near the bottom of the conference. However, it was his first year at the collegiate level, and most freshmen post similar metrics at that stage, so we’re not terribly concerned.

His approach at the dish and discipline with pitch selection give reason for optimism, with only an 18% chase rate while walking 14% of the time and only striking out 21% of the time, which is a promising number when paired with worrisome whiff rates. In his swing, the lefty uses a wide base to use his length properly and find some juice. And it’s not just a little juice either. Despite using barely any load, McCraine registered a 90th-percentile EV of 109 MPH last year. Not too bad for a 19-year-old. That pop is pretty flashy at times, but not as flashy as his outfield arm.

He played mostly right field in 2026, but I’d expect a shift to center for the 2027 campaign because he can play the position with ease. It might be a 70-grade arm, and he uses above-average foot speed to show off his range on balls in the gaps. Mason McCraine will be a fun guy to watch over the next few months, and while some don’t view him as a Day 1 prospect right now, we expect that perspective to shift a couple of months into his sophomore season.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60

HT/WT: 6’2/168 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: Auburn | Hometown: Bayville, NJ | Projected Age: 21.0

Marciano moved from Virginia Tech to Auburn last offseason hoping to put the pieces together in his development, and it seems he got his wish. The southpaw improved in nearly every counting stat from his freshman to sophomore year, including fewer walks, more strikeouts, fewer hits allowed, and a significantly lower ERA.

He has a mechanically sound delivery out of a lower slot and is best known for commanding his pitches well. In 2026, he showed that by registering 68% strikes, a 30% strikeout rate, and only a 5% walk rate. The downside to having a pitchability lefty like this tends to be the lack of overpowering stuff, and that is sort of what you get here.

Maricano has a fragile frame at 170 pounds, and it shows in his fastball, which sits in the 89-92 MPH range. On top of that, the fastball’s shape is a tad in the dead zone, but he commands it in the upper third super well and gets good chase on the offering. His most used secondary is a wipeout slider that lives in the mid-70’s. He struggles to spin the breaking ball a bit, and his slot drops pretty noticeably when delivering, but the pitch still got north of 40% whiff last season, so it’s effective nonetheless.

The best secondary could be his changeup, which separates exceptionally from the fastball vertically and in velocity. Marciano kills spin properly with his cambio and produced around 40% chase last year, which factors into his chase rate of around 30% overall. He also uses a cutter as a bridge pitch, but it’s slow and mostly ineffective, so it could be a big addition if it works out, but in its current state it’s just another ordinary look.

It’s easy to see an increased ceiling with Marciano if he adds weight and muscle in the near future, and if that comes to fruition, he could become Auburn’s first arm drafted on Day 1 since 2022.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Cutter: 45 | Change: 55 | Command: 55

HT/WT: 6’0/185 | Bat/Throw: L/R | School: Yale | Hometown: Mesa, AZ | Projected Age: 21.7

The Ivy League doesn’t often have a premium draft prospect in its ranks, but Ohman has the chops to be a Day 1 arm. He’s had plenty of opportunities to take his talents to a bigger conference, but he’s chosen to stick at Yale, a rarity in today’s game. Ohman was a freshman sensation for the Bulldogs, posting a 1.34 ERA across 11 starts, though he couldn’t replicate that success in 2026 due to an injury and a drop in command.

That said, he has loud stuff and is an explosive mover down the mound, and while he is an undersized arm that fits more of a relief role, he has the chops to stick as a starter. Ohman sat in the mid-90s this spring when healthy, displaying considerable riding action through the zone with some tailing life. He has downhill plane given the over-the-top release, and he’s found success when commanding the heater on the top rail. His arm speed and athletic motions point to an arm that could touch triple digits in due time.

He pairs the fastball with a potent cutter/slider combination, with the mid-80s slider being the better of the two pitches. It’s a potentially plus pitch with nasty late sweep and robust spin rates. The cutter regressed slightly in 2026, though it’s still potent in the upper-80s. He also has a bigger curveball in the fold that he uses sparingly, and he’ll turn over an average change-up with decent fade to left-handed hitters.

Ohman does have bloodlines in the profile, as his father, Will, pitched for a decade in the big leagues. His three-start stint on the Cape pointed to more positive results, and he’ll have plenty of scouting heat present at his outings in 2027.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Cutter: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Change: 50 | Command: 45

HT/WT: 6’0/202 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Oregon | Hometown: San Diego, CA | Projected Age: 21.11

Sanford was one of the more durable and efficient starting pitchers in the Big Ten last season, making 17 starts while allowing just a .186 BAA and posting a 2.74 K:BB ratio.

His motion is swift: a drop-and-drive delivery that produced nearly six-and-a-half feet of extension on average and sinks well into his durable lower half. Sanford attacks hitters vertically, with his fastball/curveball tandem playing off each other within his four-pitch arsenal.

He throws his fastball a lot, and it’s a good one: 92-95 mph, averaging over 21 inches of induced vertical movement, with plus feel that makes it hard for hitters to barrel. Sanford’s curveball is just as appealing, generating nearly 2,800 RPM and 18 inches of drop, creating a whiff rate north of 40% in 2026. Though he throws it primarily against lefties, Sanford’s changeup is nasty; a mid-80s weapon with kill-spin and straight tumble that produced nearly a 70% whiff rate. Rounding out the mix is a low-80s short slider with downward tilt and some sweep; he’ll mix it against right-handed bats most often.

We expect Sanford to be in the running for preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year while maintaining the same workload as last season. He’s a candidate to shoot up the board if he can command his secondaries more frequently.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Change: 50 | Command: 45

HT/WT: 5’11/180 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Penn State | Hometown: Kuroishi, JPN | Projected Age: 22.6

With Rintaro Sasaki breaking down the door for Japanese players to explore collegiate options stateside, Sato opted to make the leap, accelerating his pathway to the major leagues. He enrolled in December of 2025, but sat out the 2026 season to grow accustomed to his new home. He will make his collegiate debut in 2027 for the Nittany Lions, and we currently expect him to get the ball on Friday nights.

Sato first burst onto the scene after blazing through a potent Collegiate National Team roster in 2025, recording six strikeouts in three relief appearances. His size will draw ire from the scouting community, but he’s an exceptionally hard thrower with solid strike-throwing.

He has reportedly reached 100 MPH, and he’ll sit in the mid-90s across his outings. He generates decent carry and run through the zone, and he commands it well, though it’ll be interesting to see how the heater performs against Big Ten opponents. Sato’s best pitch is a hard splitter in the 88-92 MPH range that is downright diabolical. A true plus pitch, he can locate the pitch anywhere, and it has ferocious bite and depth that hitters struggle to adjust to. Depending on who you ask, you may see a double-plus grade slapped on it. He has struggled to spin a solid slider, with gradual break present on a low-80s breaking ball.

He’ll need to find a serviceable breaking ball to stave off relief questions present in the profile. Sato will be a bit of a wild card, and how he performs in a starting role will have major implications for his evaluation. That said, this is an exciting pitcher who is taking a big risk that we hope pays off.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 40 | Splitter: 60 | Command: 45

HT/WT: 6’0/205 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Texas A&M | Hometown: Chandler, AZ | Projected Age: 21.0

As a freshman, Kellner was thrust into the starting lineup after an impressive fall showing for the Aggies. He adjusted well to the speed of the college game right off the bat, starting his career scorching hot, but he cooled off as the season progressed. That said, it’s a promising offensive profile that has attracted a good bit of attention.

He looks the part stepping off the bus, filling out his uniform with stout strength throughout his frame. Kellner employs a selective, yet passive, approach at the plate, rarely expanding the zone with excellent swing decisions. He does damage on pitches left in the zone, pulling the ball with authority, solid leverage, and feel.

Kellner possesses above-average raw power, and his higher-end exit velocities were impressive in his rookie campaign. He crushed southpaws, though Kellner struggled against right-handed pitching, giving him some platoon risk. That said, we’ll see if he can shed the label in 2027.

His physicality fits best at the hot corner, though he has proven to be a reliable defender at shortstop. He has good instincts and range, plus above-average arm strength across the diamond. Kellner can likely handle shortstop until he finds a better defender.

He will need to find more production in the spring, but the clay is there to mold into a Top 100 pick.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55