College Baseball: Five 2026 College Arms on the Rise
Here are five college pitchers positioned to make significant draft-stock gains this spring.
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Opening Day in college baseball is on the horizon, and the preseason draft boards are beginning to expand.
You know the top names to hear their name called early in July, but who are some other arms that could creep up rankings as the season goes on?
Let’s dive into five different arms you need to know before 2026 gets rolling.
RHP Logan Reddemann, 6’2, 200 lb (UCLA)
Reddemann was a big-time pickup for UCLA this past transfer portal cycle, leading the West Coast Conference in both ERA (1.22) and BAA (.203) within conference play.
An anchor within the San Diego rotation in 2025, Reddemann works with a true five-pitch palette. His command with each offering is intriguing to say the least, as he threw each of the five for 60% strikes or more.
His four-seam sits in the low-90s, touching 95-96 mph at times, and presents some ride traits. Logan’s best pitch is a low-80s slider that has some sweep, generating over a 40% whiff rate in 2025.
Complementing that is his changeup, an offering that flashes plus whiff and chase rates against both lefties and righties. Reddemann also mixes in a sinker creating some arm-side run and a mid-70s curveball, adding deception and giving opponents another pitch to think about.
Projected as a pillar in UCLA’s weekend rotation as well as a top five returner in ERA among qualified starting pitchers, it’s no secret to view Logan as an early Big Ten Pitcher of the Year candidate.
Reddemann comes in at No. 95 on our updated Top 100 College Prospects Board.
LHP Kenny Ishikawa, 5’11, 193 lb (Georgia)
One of the top two-way prospects in college baseball, Kenny Ishikawa brings a fascinating profile as he transitions to Athens and the SEC.
It wasn’t the most appealing statline this past season with Seattle, pitching to a 4.21 ERA and allowing 82 hits, but there’s legit intrigue when evaluating his full profile.
On the mound, Ishikawa leaned heavily on a two-pitch mix, throwing his four-seam fastball and curveball a combined 79% of the time. Even so, he filled the strike zone with his other secondary offerings when delivered.
His kill-spin changeup is a weapon that doesn’t get enough credit, generating a 45% whiff rate with 1,250 RPM in 2025, despite being used just five percent of the time. He also mixes in a short, low-80s slider and an upper-80s cutter with late movement; both pitches he shows strong feel for but again doesn’t throw much.
Ishikawa is a really dynamic mover, creating effective drive down the mound with fluid lower-half engagement.
Reports throughout fall have mentioned Ishikawa standing out not only in the box, but also on the mound. Expect Wes Johnson to unlock more pitchability from Kenny this coming spring allowing him to succeed more often in games, as he’s slated to be a weekend starter in a crowded and experienced Bulldog staff.
LHP Ryan Marohn, 6’2, 192 lb (NC State)
Marohn had a fantastic sophomore campaign for the Wolfpack, pitching over 85 innings to a 3.38 ERA and led the ACC in FIP (3.77).
Ryan does a lot of things well on the mound, highlighted by the deception he creates with a crossfire delivery that produces awkward angles for hitters, especially lefties.
His primary pitch is his four-seam which sits in the low-90s, an offering that gets plenty of ride with plus control. Marohn’s go-to off-speed option is his curveball, and it’s a plus offering. He threw it for over 60% strikes while generating a whiff rate north of 35%, creating funky swings as it tunnels well with the fastball.
Ryan’s changeup is also effective, averaging more than 16 inches of arm-side fade while giving righties trouble.
He rounds out his arsenal with both a cutter and a slider against left-handers, each showing similar shape and action toward the plate. It’ll be interesting to see over the course of the 2026 season if Marohn is able to create more lateral break on his slider shape, or keep it as is with short action with depth.
Overall, it’s a safe profile when it comes to evaluating him for the upcoming draft, Ryan is the epitome of a college ace; strikes, deception, and consistency.
Marohn comes in at No. 90 on our updated Top 100 College Prospects Board.
RHP Nathan Taylor, 6’5, 230 lb (Cincinnati)
Talk about undervalued aces, look no further than Taylor, who has started over 30 games and thrown 150 innings in two seasons with Cincinnati.
At first glance, Nathan presents a big and physical frame, paired with swift arm speed through the entire duration of his delivery.
Taylor is primarily a two-pitch guy with his four-seam and slider, as they combined for 90% of his 2025 usage, and both offerings play up. His 91-94 mph fastball features some ride through the zone as well as some natural cut, preferring to locate it east-west within the zone.
Taylor’s best pitch is the slider, a low-80s short action offering that generated over a 40% whiff rate and plus feel located down in the zone.
He also incorporates a changeup, which is currently an average offering used exclusively against left-handed bats. Thrown for over 65% strikes last season, it generates a good amount of chase, though improving his sequencing with the pitch is an area to improve upon.
Expect Taylor to not skip a beat in 2026, likely getting the nod to start on Fridays for the Bearcats while deservedly placing himself in Big 12 Pitcher of the Year conversations and cementing his draft stock as an early day two selection.
Taylor comes in at No. 98 on our updated Top 100 College Prospects Board.
RHP Clayton Freshcorn, 6’0, 180 lb (Texas A&M)
Clayton pitched his best ball late in the year for the Aggies in 2025, tossing 8 ⅓ scoreless innings allowing two hits with one walk and eleven strikeouts in his final five appearances.
When evaluating Freshcorn, his profile screams athleticism. It’s a high-energy delivery with advanced lower-half movement coupled with dynamic arm speed.
His four-seam is firm, a 93-95 offering that has been up to 97 with over 17 inches of ride and plays well to his favor when located up in the zone.
Clayton mixes in both a cutter and slider, leaning on both more often against right-handers and plays well off the fastball. The cutter is an upper-80s pitch with late action and plus command, throwing it for over 68% strikes. The slider is captivating, generating over a 34% whiff as well as getting nearly 16 inches of sweep.
It’s worth noting that Freshcorn sprinkled in a changeup against lefties last year also, as he will incorporate it more often into his arsenal this year.
All that said, it’s a fun snapshot; he throws plenty of strikes and features plus stuff. Regardless of whether Clayton starts out in the weekend rotation or a high leverage option out of the bullpen for Texas A&M, there’s legitimate promise for him to succeed in pro ball.
Freshcorn comes in at No. 80 on our updated Top 100 College Prospects Board.
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