2025 MLB Draft: Ten candidates to go first overall

For the second consecutive season, the Washington Nationals have won the MLB Draft Lottery, and for the third straight year they have positioned themselves for a top-two pick. They were ineligible to claim that number one overall pick last year and wound up selecting Seaver King tenth overall, but this time they'll do so for the first time since selecting Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper first overall in back to back drafts in 2009 and 2010. There is no clear frontrunner at this point, with bats Ethan Holliday and Jace LaViolette seemingly separating themselves as the most famous prospects in the draft for now, but pure hit tool questions are present for both. Behind them, two college arms have risen to the top of a shallow class in that regard, while Holliday narrowly leads an incredibly deep class of high school bats.

LHP Jamie Arnold, Florida State. My rank: #1.
Between Jamie Arnold and Tyler Bremner, the clear cut top two college arms in this class, Bremner is the more traditional prospect while Arnold brings a more unique, new school profile. That would seemingly make Bremner the more likely target for Washington, a more traditional organization, but Arnold has been so good that he's certainly worth keeping an eye on and he has pushed to the top of my draft board. In a year where offense was up across the board, Arnold seemingly missed the memo and went 11-3 with a 2.89 ERA and 159 strikeouts, the latter of which was far and away the highest total of any underclassman in the country – the next best sophomore was Wofford righty Zac Cowan, whose 124 strikeouts came while pitching against weaker competition in the SoCon as opposed to Arnold's ACC schedule. The stuff here is dynamite. Arnold's low to mid 90's fastball peaks at 97, impressive velocity for a lefty in its own right. His best pitch is a plus slider that dives across the plate with a foot of sweeping action, sending ACC hitters flailing and likely to make even MLB hitters look foolish when he snaps it right. While he primarily relies on the fastball and slider, his changeup has made strides and is looking like a solid average pitch with above average flashes and could be a game changer if it continues to improve. Everything plays up out of Arnold's hand due to his sidearm delivery, creating an ultra low release height that creates a very uncomfortable at bat for hitters. The low release point puts more run and sink on his fastball than ride, but it's still effective both up and down in the zone. Meanwhile, the 6'1" lefty has one more trait that makes him a unicorn, and that's his command. If it's tough enough facing a sidearming lefty with a fastball up to 97 and a devastating slider, he compounds that by pounding the strike zone and walking just 5.8% of his opponents last year, a feat virtually unheard of from his profile. The Tampa native has true ace upside if he can continue to develop on a normal path.
What the Nationals will look for in 2025: The book is straightforward here. The fastball and slider are good to go. Arnold's biggest focus should be refining his changeup, as continuing its positive trajectory by upping its usage in 2025 and truly incorporating it into his arsenal will make him a complete pitcher. I believe he can do it. Then of course, command is always the last X factor. Arnold has the command right now, so he'll simply need to avoid taking a step back in that regard in 2025. Though it's not the profile the Nationals look for, a three pitch lefty with explosive stuff and above average command will be hard for Mike Rizzo to overlook.

OF Jace LaViolette, Texas A&M. My rank: #2.
At this point, Jace LaViolette appears to be the very slight frontrunner as the best prospect in the class. A superstar since his very first days on campus at Texas A&M, he has done nothing but blast fifty home runs and slash .297/.433/.683 in 132 games for the Aggies so far, all before he could legally buy a drink. If the Nationals want an impact bat at the top of the draft, they should look no further. The power is unquestionable. Standing 6'6", LaViolette's left handed swing is naturally geared towards lofting balls to the pull side while his extra large frame provides the power to send balls rocketing off his barrel. While the swing is more pull-oriented, he has more than enough power to leave the park to any field at any time, and his 29 home runs in 2024 were the most by any non-draft-eligible college hitter last year. The Houston-area native is a patient hitter who also led all underclassmen with 64 walks last season, helping him spit on breaking balls and get that fastball he loves to crush. LaViolette's primary weakness is against quality offspeed in the zone, with his long levers causing some swing and miss issues that led to an elevated 24.3% strikeout rate last year. No matter how much power you have, striking out a quarter of the time makes it tough to get drafted in the first round, let alone first overall. Last year, only two first rounders ran strikeout rates of 20% or higher – #12 pick Braden Montgomery (20%) and #22 pick Vance Honeycutt (27.5%). LaViolette is a solid runner underway, though at his size he lacks the quick twitch first step to play center field and likely settles into right field, where he should be an above average defender with an above average arm. These days many tall college sluggers get compared to Aaron Judge, but it's an apt comp for LaViolette with the caveat that he bats left handed. As it stands today, no hitter in this draft has a better chance to anchor a big league lineup as an MVP-caliber bat.
What the Nationals will look for in 2025: The power is there. The approach is there. He's gotten opportunities to play center field while in college and while proving he could stick there would go a long way towards slotting him into the first overall pick, that does seem a bit unlikely and the Nationals are probably more or less comfortable projecting him as a right fielder. That leaves the hit tool as the primary barometer here. If he can continue to keep the chases down and cut down the in zone swing and miss, getting his strikeout rate under about 20% or preferably even lower would be the best thing he could do for his chances to go first overall.

RHP Tyler Bremner, UC Santa Barbara. My rank: #3.
It's a very different profile, but Tyler Bremner is every bit as talented as Jamie Arnold and as a more traditional starting pitcher, he probably fits the Nationals' mold a little better. Bremner was one of the better pitching prospects in Southern California in 2022, but made it to campus at UC Santa Barbara and broke out for an excellent 2024 in which he went 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA and a 104/21 strikeout to walk ratio over 88.2 innings. The fastball sits mid 90's and touches 98, a tick harder than Arnold, coming in with a ton of riding life out of a relatively low release point. He throws a plus slider that works between a sweeper and more of a gyro pitch, getting the type of break he needs for the situation. A separator here from Arnold, though is his changeup. While Arnold is mostly a fastball/slider guy right now, Bremner might have the best changeup in the draft with massive drop that just dives under bats with ease. Listed at 6'2", 190 pounds, he's big enough to handle a starter's workload and repeats his delivery well, helping him pound the strike zone with average command and above average control. It's an extremely well-rounded profile with no holes, with a high probability of becoming a mid-rotation starter or better.
What the Nationals will look for in 2025: Bremner already has a chance for three plus pitches, so there's nothing on the to-do list there. Like most college pitchers, he'll just need to focus on the two classics – stay healthy and stay in the strike zone. Having already thrown 144 innings over two years in Santa Barbara thus far, health hasn't been an issue yet, and his 6.4% career walk rate is plenty low enough to satisfy a picky front office. Fine tuning his command within the zone while maintaining his high end stuff could get him over the hump to the first overall pick.

SS Ethan Holliday, Stillwater HS [OK]. My rank: #4.
Three years ago, Jackson Holliday was the first overall pick of the 2022 draft, but younger brother Ethan enters his senior season at Stillwater High School in Oklahoma as a much better prospect. Jackson entered the 2022 draft cycle with more of an early second round projection, then came out for his senior year looking significantly more physical and put up a fantastic season to push his way to the top of the draft. Ethan, however, is already there and the 1-1 spot is well within reach. First off, he has four inches and fifteen-plus pounds on his older brother, leading to a very different profile. While Jackson was a hit-over-power type who grew into his pop, Ethan easily projects for plus power with a powerful left handed swing that naturally lofts the ball to make use of his imposing 6'4" frame. Having grown up around the game with a pair of Oklahoma State head coaches in his family and an MLB All Star father, Holliday's high baseball IQ is apparent on the field. He controls the strike zone well and taps his power in games, though at this point his long levers can create some swing and miss in the zone. At the top of the draft, defensive value is important, and Ethan provides that as well. A shortstop at present, he shows the same polish and baseball IQ on the dirt with smooth actions and a strong arm, though his size and lack of first step quickness will likely push him to third base in the long run. He'll still be solid to above average at the hot corner. While some prospect fatigue may have set in at this point, it would be perfectly reasonable for Holliday to match his older brother's draft position on his way to belting 30+ home runs annually to go with solid on-base percentages with a strong glove on the left side of the infield.
What the Nationals will look for in 2025: Holliday's biggest obstacle may be prospect fatigue at this point, having been closely followed since his freshman year of high school, which was also his brother's senior year. No one is questioning the power, but he'll have to make more contact than perhaps others in his position to stop that prospect fatigue from creeping up. More evaluators have questioned his pure bat to ball over the past six months ago, and while he won't face the toughest competition in northern Oklahoma, he'll want to keep the swing and miss to a minimum. Additionally, it will be helpful to show a little more athleticism to give hope he can stick at shortstop.

RHP Seth Hernandez, Corona HS [CA]. My rank: #6.
No high school right handed pitcher has ever gone first overall, and with NIL drawing more talent to college and teams pivoting just a little bit away from pitchers early in the draft, it seems less likely than ever to happen. Over the past seventeen years, the Nationals have drafted just one high school pitcher, Mason Denaburg (2018), in the first round. Seth Hernandez, though, has a chance to be the best high school pitching prospect since Jackson Jobe in 2021, and for that reason it's not out of the question that he ends both of those droughts. It's a huge right arm that sits in the mid 90's and reached triple digits over the summer, though the pitch stands out more for its velocity than its movement. His breaking ball is still searching for its identity, ranging from slurvy curveball to a cuttery sweeper to more of a bullet slider. At this point, that's the lone hole in his profile. Similar to Tyler Bremner, he throws a devastating changeup with late diving action that leaves high school hitters helpless, a true separator for a teenage pitcher. Though he's up there tickling triple digits, Hernandez has a smooth, athletic delivery with little wasted movement and nice extension down the mound. That lets him pound the strike zone with reasonably solid command, which should hold as he continues to fill out. The Southern California native has top of the rotation upside if he puts it together.
What the Nationals will look for in 2025: Health and command are evergreen checkboxes in this section for any pitcher, and of course Hernandez needs to stay healthy and throw his share of strikes. The big opportunity here, though, will be his breaking ball. His fastball and changeup are already both plus pitches, so finding a more consistent slider and/or curveball could make him a truly complete pitching prospect. At present, he probably belongs more in the 5-10 range on talent (bonus demands notwithstanding).

SS Eli Willits, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS [OK]. My rank: #7.
We're going to talk about Jackson Holliday again. While his younger brother, Ethan, is arguably the most famous name in this draft and has his sights set on 1-1, it's actually Eli Willits who shares the most similarities to the Orioles' shortstop of the future. Willits, like Holliday, is the son of a former major leaguer and current college coach, Reggie Willits, and lives in rural Oklahoma. With a similar average frame that isn't quite physically mature yet and a game predicated more on polish than present physicality, extending further similarities to Holliday. Holliday came out for his senior season in 2022 looking more physical than he had in the past, and early indications are that Willits may be in the same boat which is creating significant heat for the prep infielder. He's a switch hitter with a very simple swing from both sides of the plate, using his excellent plate coverage to go with the pitch and drive the ball with authority to all fields consistently. This has enabled him to be one of the top performers on the showcase circuit for a long time despite playing against much older competition – he only turned 17 in December, making him a full year younger, even a year in a half in some cases, than most of his counterparts. The power isn't quite there yet, as he's listed at just 165 pounds for now and needs to really turn on and crank the ball to get it out. That's where the age comes in again, with the hope that his youth brings significant added physicality going forward. Similar to his offense, he brings a polished glove at shortstop with above average arm and range to give him a good shot to stick at the premium position. He's also quick enough to play center field if needed, but the Nationals likely won't need that with much more depth in the grass than the dirt.
What the Nationals will look for in 2025: Jackson Holliday entered his senior season with a strikingly similar profile to Eli Willits, then came out looking much more physical in the spring. It appears Willits is tacking on physicality as well, so if added impact and over the fence power comes this spring as well, he could follow the exact same path to the first overall pick. He's set to play his entire pro debut at 17 years old, so the power should be coming. Proving he can stick at shortstop, which is not unlikely, will also help.

SS Aiva Arquette, Oregon State. My rank: #11.
The top prospect in a loaded Oregon State lineup that also includes Trent Caraway (#26), Gavin Turley (#33), and Dallas Macias (unranked), Aiva Arquette is a scout favorite who seems to be a "pick to click" for many. A highly regarded high school prospect from the Honolulu area, he put up a strong sophomore season at Washington in 2024 (12 HR, .325/.384/.574) then raised his profile further by hitting .291/.357/.437 on the Cape and impressing evaluators as he improved throughout. Clocking in at 6'4", 220 pounds, he has a big league body right now and has seen his on-field production steadily improve to match. He channels that size into above average power which he taps naturally with the ability to drive the ball in the air with authority. His approach is somewhat aggressive, which has led to subpar strikeout to walk ratios in Seattle and on the Cape, but he makes plenty of contact despite a swoopier right handed swing and is trending hard in the right direction. His bigger size might make shortstop a tough sell, but he has the mobility and arm strength to play an above average third base down the road. Similar to his offense, scouts have been impressed by the progress he's made with his glove and some believe he can stick at shortstop. With his glove and bat both trending hard in the right direction, he has a chance to turn himself into an above average all around hitter with the defense to stick on the left side of the infield and a track record of hitting through high school, college, and summer leagues.
What the Nationals will look for in 2025: Arquette may not be the flashiest option at the top of the draft, but if he cuts his chases in 2025, the strikeout rate will likely follow and he'll have a very productive season in Corvallis. Additionally, continuing to show well at shortstop will up his value if the Nationals believe he can stick there. If Arquette does go first overall, he would likely be an under-slot option due to a lower ceiling.

LHP Cameron Appenzeller, Glenwood HS [IL]. My rank: #15.
Glenwood High School just outside of Springfield, Illinois has produced numerous major leaguers, most notably former Nationals star Jayson Werth. If Mike Rizzo wants another Glenwood alumnus, Cameron Appenzeller could be an interesting option. As mentioned under Seth Hernandez, the Nationals have taken just one high school pitcher in the first round over the past seventeen years, but it can always happen. Appenzeller is a 6'6" lefty, which will already make scouts sit up and take notice. The fastball isn't overwhelming, sitting in the low 90's and peaking around 94, and he works between both a four and two seam. He has a nice, deep slider with plenty of sweep that he shows good feel for, working it to both sides of the plate and understanding how to deploy it to get the best results. His changeup gives him a third solid option with nice fade. Appenzeller does not sell out for velocity, instead using an athletic, free and easy delivery to help him pound the strike zone with better command than most high school pitchers. His low three quarters arm slot creates a tough look for hitters, with a low, wide release point and an east-west profile. He's not quite a top ten pick at this point, but he could get there quickly as soon as the Southern Illinois weather warms up this spring with all the ingredients to become an ace.
What the Nationals will look for in 2025: Command is always the X factor, and while he shows good command for a high school arm, Appenzeller of course has a long ways to go in that regard like any teenager. In order to vault into the 1-1 conversation, though, he'll need to add significant velocity to his fastball and power to his breaking ball. With plenty of projection, that could certainly happen if he comes out a little more filled out this spring. Those strength gains would also allow the velocity to come naturally so that he can keep pounding the strike zone with his low effort delivery. Appenzeller has ace upside if he adds power across his arsenal.

SS Dean Curley, Tennessee. My rank: #18.
We're moving farther away from the current contenders for the first overall pick, but I'm a believer in Dean Curley's skill set and I wouldn't be surprised to see him hit his way to the top. It's not easy to barge into Knoxville and claim the starting shortstop role as a freshman, but Curley did just that and hit .285/.386/.502 in 67 games last year. Having turned 19 while he was still in high school, he entered school the age of a college sophomore and will be draft-eligible and age-appropriate this year. He's a lean, physical 6'3" with an efficient right handed swing that causes the ball to jump off his bat with eye-popping exit velocities, lending to above average power.  Meanwhile, he's a disciplined hitter that makes contact at a high rate, which kept his strikeout rate to a reasonable 17.5% as a freshman and which will likely help him lower it further in 2025. Together, as he fills out his still-projectable frame, he has a chance to become an above average hitter with above average power. He doesn't have quite as much juice as last year's eighth overall pick and former Volunteer Christian Moore, and he's a better pure hitter, but his balanced bat could help him break out in a similar way in 2025. To this point, Curley has shown well at shortstop with the requisite instincts and mobility to go with a cannon right arm. Most projections have him moving to third base in time, where like Aiva Arquette he'll fit better given his size and lack of explosive athleticism.
What the Nationals will look for in 2025: I don't think there is one specific X factor for Curley. Last year, his under-the-hood numbers were better than his surface numbers, and he'll look for the latter to catch up to the former in 2025. The Nationals don't necessarily need major leaps from Curley in any one area, rather they'll look for him to elevate his game by about a half grade or so in all aspects - power, contact, defense, and overall athleticism. I'm a believer that Curley can do that.

RHP Chase Shores, Louisiana State. My rank: #38.
If the draft were today, Chase Shores may not even go in the first round, but he may have the best chance of any non-first round prospects at this point to push himself into consideration at the top of the draft. Shores was a well-known prospect out of high school in West Texas, then showed well to start his freshman season at LSU in 2023. Unfortunately, he went down with Tommy John surgery after seven appearances and missed his entire sophomore season, so he enters 2025 with just 18.1 innings under his belt. However, his huge stuff gives him every chance to vault forward. Listed at a massive 6'8", 245 pounds, he comes with as much arm strength as any pitcher in the class, capable of sitting in the mid to upper 90's for innings at a time and touching as high as 102 back in high school. The slider has big potential, too, with his best flashing plus with hard two-plane snap, though it can be inconsistent. His changeup plays well off his fastball and could be an above average pitch with increased usage, giving him a chance for three above average to plus pitches. The delivery is a bit raw at this point, but it's important to note that he hasn't had much chance to work on it since coming to campus. He showed fringy command in his brief stint in 2023.
What the Nationals will look for in 2025: To put it simply, everything. They'll want to see him come back healthy, first and foremost, and shoulder a full season's load. Then, they'll look to see if he has ironed out his delivery now that he's healthy and hopefully work to average or better command. Above average command would of course be a long shot, but the stuff is so loud that he might still be a National with average command if everything else breaks right. If that slider that has ranged between average and plus can come out more consistently plus this spring, and if the changeup can emerge as consistently above average, then he might be just fine with average command and a fastball approaching triple digits. It's a long to-do list, but Shores has very little mileage on his arm since coming to Baton Rouge and a clean bill of health could be just what the doctor ordered.

Other Options
#5 3B Xavier Neyens, Mount Vernon HS [WA]
#8 OF Cam Cannarella, Clemson
#9 SS/RHP Billy Carlson, Corona HS [CA]
#13 OF Sean Gamble, IMG Academy [FL]
#16 LHP/1B Kruz Schoolcraft, Sunset HS [OR]

2025 Hall of Fame: My Ballot

We've entered a really fun era of Hall of Fame voting. With Gary Sheffield falling off the ballot last year, the book is almost officially closed on the Steroid Era alleged cheaters as only Andy Pettitte remains. There are new era cheaters like Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, and Carlos Beltran (sign stealing, not PED's) who did so when cheating was a) less widespread and b) much more explicitly enforced. You can read my thoughts on cheating here from two years ago. But now, the debate focuses much more heavily on performance, and we have a bunch of very borderline cases that will be fun to debate. You have Bobby Abreu, Chase Utley, and David Wright who carried over from last year with very borderline cases, while newcomers like Felix Hernandez and Russell Martin bring their own 50-50 candidacies. Bobby was a great hitter for a long time, but with a lack of defensive value, did he hit enough? Utley didn't stand out in any one area, but he was above average in almost every category and that may be just enough to earn a vote. Wright and King Felix were on Hall of Fame tracks early before fading in their early 30's, but were their 20's enough? And does Martin belong in this group of names? Find out below.

Ultimately, I chose nine players of the available ten spots on my hypothetical ballot. Ichiro and Billy Wagner were the two easiest votes. Given my thoughts on cheating, A-Rod easily passes the test and earns my vote. I'm all aboard on Andruw Jones as well, and I think CC comfortably put himself over the threshold. The remaining four names are more borderline, as discussed above. While I lean fairly comfortably into Manny's and Felix's cases, Beltran and Utley are truly 50-50 for me. So is Abreu, who unfortunately ends up on the other side of the fence as the first one out.

YES VOTES

OF Ichiro Suzuki (2001-2019)
Regular Season: 117 HR, .311/.355/.402, 509 SB, 104 wRC+, 57.5 fWAR in 2653 games.
Postseason: 1 HR, .346/.400/.436, 4 SB, 126 wRC+ in 19 games.
Ichiro brings a very interesting case. The final numbers for his career are more great than elite, with just a .757 career OPS and a bat that broke league average just once (and not by much) over his final nine seasons. His 57.5 fWAR is on the wrong side of 60, the magic number where I think most Hall of Famers should be at or above. That said, this is the easiest yes vote on the whole ballot. If you vote against Ichiro, you hate baseball. This is a man who had over 200 hits and batted over .300 in each of his first ten seasons, including batting over .350 four times and setting the all time single season hits record with 262 in 2004. To color in just how impressive that last number is, first he needed to pick up 702 at bats, something that has only been done three other times in baseball history, then he had to hit a whopping .372 in that massive sample to get there. No other player since 1930 has had more than 240 hits in a season. In the end, it helped him reach three thousand hits despite not reaching the majors until he was 27 years old. Beyond that, he was a great defender in right field known for his cannon right arm and took home ten straight Gold Glove Awards to begin his career. Throw in over 500 career stolen bases, including over 25 in twelve straight seasons to start his career, and you have a tremendously well-rounded profile with everything but power. Then of course when you combine his stats from Japan, he finished his career with 4367 hits, an unheard of total. If he had played his whole career in the US, he likely wouldn't have reached the majors at 18 like he did in Japan and wouldn't have quite so many hits, but you'd have to expect he would still be approaching four thousand. Ichiro deserves to be darn near unanimous even if the counting stats don't exactly put him in that category.

SS/3B Alex Rodriguez (1994-2016)
Regular Season: 696 HR, .295/.380/.550, 329 SB, 141 wRC+, 113.7 fWAR in 2784 games.
Postseason: 13 HR, .259/.365/.457, 8 SB, 116 wRC+ in 75 games.
Turning around from a pretty straightforward yes vote, let's look at an even more better ballplayer with much more baggage. Alex Rodriguez is the new Barry Bonds. His accomplishments on the field put him way above and beyond what it takes to even be an inner circle Hall of Famer. With nearly 700 home runs, over 300 stolen bases, over 500 doubles, and an on-base percentage approaching .400 while playing stellar defense on the left side of the infield, he is quite literally one of the greatest to ever play the game. His 113.7 fWAR ranks thirteenth all time, ahead of names like Mickey Mantle (112.3), Mike Schmidt (106.5), and Rickey Henderson (106.3). But of course, that's not the point. Not only did Alex Rodriguez cheat, he did so at a time when it was clearly against the rules and he served a yearlong suspension in 2014. So he didn't just cheat, he is a cheater. That said, as I mentioned in my thoughts on cheaters and the Hall of Fame, so are dozens of players already enshrined. There is no purity to preserve. Put him in, and do the same with Bonds and Clemens while we're at it.

LHP Billy Wagner (1995-2010)
Regular Season: 2.31 ERA, 2.73 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, 1196/300 K/BB in 903 innings.
Postseason: 10.03 ERA, 5.01 FIP, 1.97 WHIP, 13/2 K/BB in 11.2 innings.
This is it, this has to be the year. After coming just five votes shy of the 289 he needed to be elected last year, Billy Wagner appears on the ballot this year for the tenth and final time. Left handed relievers are obviously extremely important, given that every team always ensures that they have one in the bullpen, yet there is not a single one in the Hall of Fame. Billy Wagner isn't just the best lefty reliever of all time – it's not even close. There aren't many cumulative stats available for relievers (no, I don't care about saves), but Wagner leads all lefty relievers in strikeouts fWAR (24.0, ahead of Aroldis Chapman's 23.0), RE24 (198.2, ahead of Orosco's 154.5), and WPA (28.4, ahead of Chapman's 21.6), three stats I think are very good measures of long term success, though Chapman just passed him in strikeouts this year. And while Chapman may only be a year or two away from catching Wagner in fWAR, he still holds a massive 28% lead in RE24, and a 31% lead on the all time WPA board. Take handedness out of the question, and he still stacks up extremely well to the six true relievers in the Hall of Fame right now. Mariano Rivera is head and shoulders above everybody, but looking at the others – Trevor Hoffman, Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, Lee Smith, and Bruce Sutter – Wagner has a better ERA, FIP, WHIP, RE24, and strikeout rate than all of them. 903 innings isn't a huge number, but it's big enough and he was so dominant in those 903 innings that the case is clear. The lone blemish on his resume is a rough, small sample postseason line, but that's hardly enough to keep him out. Wagner should have been in the Hall of Fame years ago and I hope 2024 is finally the year.

OF Andruw Jones (1996-2012)
Regular Season: 434 HR, .254/.337/.486, 152 SB, 111 wRC+, 67.0 fWAR in 2196 games.
Postseason: 10 HR, .273/.363/.433, 5 SB, 108 wRC+ in 76 games.
The more time goes by, the more clear-cut Andruw Jones' case looks. We are talking about a player in the conversation for the greatest defensive outfielder of all time, and that alone at least puts him in the Hall of Fame conversation. Throw in that he hit 434 home runs, including 25+ in ten straight seasons, and had four different seasons in which he posted an on-base percentage above .360. Yeah, the end of his career was pretty abysmal, as he slashed just .214/.314/.420 and put just just 6.0 fWAR in 589 games from his age-30 season onwards. But what he had done before that was nothing short of tremendous. From 1998-2006, a stretch of nine seasons, he slashed .270/.347/.513 with 319 home runs and 110 stolen bases, which together with his defense was enough to help him rack up the third most fWAR (57.3) in all of MLB behind only all time greats Barry Bonds (70.6) and Alex Rodriguez (68.6). And that's no fluke – that's nearly a decade sitting in the top three in the sport. That's a Hall of Fame-caliber prime by any measure, and even with the drop off at the end, it's hard to argue with a guy who hit 434 home runs on his way to being an 11% better than league average hitter, appeared in over 2000 games, and showed well in the postseason, all while playing some of the best outfield defense ever seen. That's pretty clear to me.

OF Carlos Beltran (1998-2017)
Regular Season: 435 HR, .279/.350/.486, 312 SB, 118 wRC+, 67.8 fWAR in 2586 games.
Postseason: 16 HR, .307/.412/.609, 11 SB, 169 wRC+ in 65 games.
They took very different paths to get there, but the final career numbers for Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones are remarkably similar. Beltran is slightly ahead across the board, including playing in nearly 400 more games, though Jones of course was an all-time great defender. For me, Jones is clearly in, and I'll consider Beltran a closer case. We're left with a pretty exceptional career even if no individual stats stick out. With 435 home runs, 565 doubles, 312 stolen bases, 1084 walks, 1582 runs scored, and 1587 RBI, the counting stats are impressive. He eclipsed 5 fWAR seven times in an eight year period from 2001-2008, totaling 46.6 fWAR in that stretch that placed him fourth in baseball to only Albert Pujols (62.2), Alex Rodriguez (61.9), and Barry Bonds (54.3). Like Jones, that eight year peak put him near the pinnacle of the sport for a long period of time. He put up six 20-20 seasons in that stretch and came two home runs shy of a 40-40 season in 2004. It's all great, but there's two more important factors to consider. One is that he was implicated as one of the ringleaders in the Astros' 2017 sign stealing scandal, so I have to apply the "cheating penalty." With that, if I'm being honest, he's probably not in. However, it's his postseason performance that pushes him over the edge. In 65 games, he hit .307/.412/.609 with 16 home runs, 15 doubles, and 11 stolen bases (without being caught), which would put him on pace for about 40 home runs and 27 stolen bases over a full 162 games. He's not the all time leader in anything because 65 games wasn't quite enough to match guys like Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez, and Jose Altuve in the counting stats, but few players in the history of the game can match his combination of quality and quantity of postseason performance. Whatever the cheating penalty takes off his resume, the postseason performance puts it back on, and for me it's just enough to earn a vote.

LHP CC Sabathia (2001-2019)
Regular Season: 3.74 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, 3093/1099 K/BB in 3577.1 innings.
Postseason: 4.28 ERA, 4.39 FIP, 1.53 WHIP, 121/63 K/BB in 130.1 innings.
CC Sabathia is a fairly easy yes for me. First of all, we have longevity. He pitched over 180 innings in thirteen straight seasons from 2001-2013 to begin his career, including at least 230 innings in five straight from 2007-2011. His 253 innings in 2008 are still the most of any pitcher since Livan Hernandez threw 255 in 2004, while his 3577.1 career innings are the most of any pitcher since 1993. Of course, pitching a lot isn't enough to get you into the Hall by itself, but it certainly helps. In game action, CC was a mid-rotation-caliber starter for most of his career, but he really made his money in a seven year stretch from 2006-2012 when he went 122-57 with a 3.14 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. Only Roy Halladay could best CC's 40 fWAR in that stretch, while his 1591.2 innings (unsurprisingly) led all MLB pitchers as did his 1453 strikeouts while his 122 wins were second to Justin Verlander's 124. Oh, and he won a Cy Young Award (2007) and a World Series Championship (2009) during that stretch. In most eras, I would have considered this a borderline case, but the post-steroid era was a bit lacking on great starting pitching. The Steroid Era had a historical collection of top arms led by Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and Roger Clemens among many, many other greats, while the most recent era saw Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, Zack Greinke, Adam Wainwright, and Verlander lead the way. Many of the best arms of the era including Johan Santana, Felix Hernandez, Roy Oswalt, and Tim Lincecum lacked the longevity of the all time greats, with Sabathia joining Halladay and Verlander as the top arms of the era that managed to sustain longevity. At the end of the day, pulling the camera out to a twenty year period, Sabathia had more fWAR (66.1) than any other pitcher in baseball from 1999-2018 despite not debuting until 2001. If you're the single best cumulative pitcher over a two decade period, it's hard to argue against a Hall of Fame case.

RHP Felix Hernandez (2005-2019)
Regular Season: 3.42 ERA, 3.52 FIP, 1.21 WHIP, 2524/805 K/BB in 2729.2 innings.
Postseason: N/A
With the pandemic ultimately cutting his career short and having thrown his final MLB pitch at the age of just 33, Felix Hernandez lacks the longevity of other Hall of Fame starting pitchers to say the least – among Hall of Fame starting pitchers in the post-integration era, only Sandy Koufax (2324.1) threw fewer innings than Hernandez's 2729.2. That said, few pitchers could match King Felix's dominance at his peak. From breaking into the majors at just 19 years old (and putting up a 2.67 ERA!) to winning the 2010 AL Cy Young Award to throwing the 23rd perfect game in history in 2012, he rightfully earned his royal nickname. Specifically, his six year peak from 2009-2014 is just about unmatched around baseball over the past couple decades. In that stretch, he went 86-56 with a 2.73 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP while leading MLB in strikeouts (1358) and innings (1394.1) and finishing neck and neck with Clayton Kershaw in fWAR (37.3 to 37.2). In those six years, King Felix was a true ace and much more both in terms of sheer performance and by chewing up huge numbers of innings. And outside of that peak, he was a solid #2/#3 starter with strong numbers in the 2005-2008 and 2015-2016 periods on either side of that dominant run. Ultimately, he went just 9-23 with a 5.82 ERA after his 32nd birthday, but he did more than enough from ages 19-31 to get into the Hall in my book despite never pitching in the postseason. He's also still only 38, somehow younger than Adam Ottavino and Matt Carpenter.

OF Manny Ramirez (1993-2011)
Regular Season: 555 HR, .312/.411/.585, 38 SB, 153 wRC+, 66.3 fWAR in 2302 games.
Postseason: 29 HR, .285/.394/.544, 1 SB, 140 wRC+ in 111 games.
Manny Ramirez presents a very interesting case. Like Alex Rodriguez, he cheated, he got caught, and he cheated at a time when it was clearly against the rules. So now I have to apply that penalty to his numbers, which on their own are pretty comfortably up to Hall of Fame standards. I noted that borderline players who were caught or at least have a consensus around them using PED's would not make my ballot, but because Ramirez is fairly comfortably above that threshold, he then becomes a borderline case after the PED penalty has already been factored in. Still, even with the PED's, it's hard to go ahead a guy that finished well above 500 home runs and nearly reached a .300/.400/.600 career line in over 2300 games. Only five hitters ever can match all three legs of Manny's slash line – Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, and Hank Greenberg. All of those guys played at least partly in the 1930's when offense was just as juiced up as the Steroid Era. None of them appeared in a game after 1960, and among that group, only Ruth out-homered Ramirez. Ramirez is a top-25 hitter of all time by wRC+, a feat made more impressive by the fact that offense was at an all time high when he played, and he reached a 140 or better wRC+ fifteen times in a sixteen year stretch from 1995-2010. So for a decade and a half, he was no less than an elite hitter at virtually any time. Throw in the fact that he is the all time postseason home run leader at 29, and I feel comfortable getting over the PED penalty and the poor defense.

2B Chase Utley (2003-2018)
Regular Season: 259 HR, .275/.358/.465, 154 SB, 118 wRC+, 61.6 fWAR in 1937 games.
Postseason: 10 HR, .224/.364/.410, 11 SB, 110 wRC+ in 68 games.
Chase Utley appears to be a no on the surface, but the closer you look, the more compelling his case becomes. On the surface, he seems like a textbook "Hall of Very Good" player. 259 home runs is nothing special, 411 doubles is nice but not a standout stat, he played in fewer than 2000 games, had an unremarkable .823 career OPS, and hit just .224 in a large postseason sample. I grew up watching him play in the same division as my hometown Nationals, and while he made a great team alongside guys like Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, and Cole Hamels, I didn't see him as standing out and never felt like I was watching a Hall of Famer. But let's look closer. His peak from 2005-2009, while short, was truly elite. He accumulated more than 7.0 fWAR in five straight seasons, totaling 38.4 that made for the second highest total in all of baseball behind only Albert Pujols while slashing .301/.388/.535 with 146 home runs in 758 games. Five years among the game's elite isn't a ton of time, but over the next five years from 2010-2014, he continued to contribute at a high level and in fact when you pull the camera out to the nine year stretch from 2005-2013, he's still second to only Pujols with his 53.9 fWAR in that stretch. I'll reiterate that – over the nine year stretch, no small sample, he was the second best player in baseball by fWAR in the post-steroid era. How did he do it? Utley was an on-base machine, posting OBP's above .375 for six straight seasons and stayed over .340 for nine straight, and he hit for power too, with four consecutive seasons of 73 or more extra base hits. All along, he played very strong defense at second base, was one of the game's most efficient and effective baserunners, and was an overall consistent, steady presence for the Phillies dynasties of the 2000's. Lastly, let's look back at the postseason resume. Sure, he only hit .224, but that's in large part due to an abysmal 3-43 run over his final two postseasons at the age of 37 and 38 – before his 37th birthday, he was a career .263/.404/.497 hitter in 49 games, including a Herculean .296/.424/.648 effort in the Phillies' ultimately unsuccessful 2009 title defense.

NO VOTES

OF Bobby Abreu (1996-2014)
Regular Season: 288 HR, .291/.395/.475, 400 SB, 129 wRC+, 59.8 fWAR in 2425 games.
Postseason: 1 HR, .284/.392/.418, 2 SB, 111 wRC+ in 76 games.
In the past, I have voted for Bobby Abreu and every year I'm very 50-50. It's an extremely borderline case in a year with quite a few borderline cases. Bobby Abreu had a great career, clubbing nearly 300 home runs and nearly 600 doubles while getting on base at a nearly .400 clip and stealing 400 bases. From 1998-2006, he posted an OBP above .400 eight times in nine seasons, he hit at least fifteen home runs in thirteen straight seasons from 1998-2010, clubbing at least 30 doubles in eleven of those, and stole at least nineteen bases in fourteen straight seasons from 1998-2011. He was an on-base machine, could hit for some power, and was an extremely smart baserunner that maximized his speed on the base paths. Add in that he played in over 150 games in thirteen straight seasons from 1998-2010, and he was a model of consistency that contributed to the Phillies, Yankees, and Angels offenses in a wide variety of ways. It's a rock-solid offensive profile, if not the most flashy, but his glove doesn't do him any favors. With an average glove, I think I would vote Abreu in. But he was a net-negative in the field, especially in the second half of his career, so the pressure is on the bat. And it was a very, very good bat. But was it truly great? I think it was close, but I do lean towards a small Hall philosophy and ultimately Bobby Abreu falls victim to that this year. If he got voted in, I wouldn't be opposed, and I may even vote for him in the future.

2B Dustin Pedroia (2006-2019)
Regular Season: 140 HR, .299/.365/.439, 138 SB, 115 wRC+, 44.8 fWAR in 1512 games.
Postseason: 5 HR, .233/.313/.374, 3 SB, 81 wRC+ in 51 games.
Dustin Pedroia isn't quite a Hall of Famer, but he's my all time favorite player for whom one of my childhood dogs was named and he'll get his due here. For a while, Pedroia looked like he was on a Hall of Fame track, picking up a Rookie of the Year Award, an MVP, and a World Series ring all by age 25. From 2007-2014, an eight year stretch, he hit .301/.368/.447 with 104 home runs, elite defense, and 38.8 fWAR that amounted to the seventh highest total in baseball. Having just turned 31 at the end of that stretch, he could have pushed himself more seriously into the HOF conversation had he continued to perform like the solid regular he was towards the end of his prime. Unfortunately, he started to battle hamstring problems in 2015 and then his knee gave out on him in 2016, which ended up being his final full productive year even though he played most of it at age 32. In the end, Pedroia was cut off at just 1512 career games, a very small sample for a Hall of Fame contender, and failed to reach the 50 WAR mark that generally begins the conversation. He'll be remembered for his hard-nosed style of play, elite defense, and the Laser Show he brought to Fenway Park driving the ball around the field – he blasted 102 doubles from 2008-2009.

C Russell Martin (2006-2019)
Regular Season: 191 HR, .248/.349/.397, 101 SB, 104 wRC+, 54.5 fWAR in 1693 games.
Postseason: 6 HR, .191/.306/.327, 1 SB, 76 wRC+ in 58 games.
Honestly, Russell Martin is probably the sneakiest name on this entire ballot. In fact, if elected, his .248 career batting average would be the lowest of any position player in the Hall of Fame. And even with that, he still slugged under .400 for his career, never hit more than 23 home runs or slugged above .469, and never hit .300. He was also overshadowed playing in an era with many great catchers including Yadier Molina, Joe Mauer, Buster Posey, and Brian McCann. That said, there might not have been a single catcher in that era with a game as well rounded as Martin's. Despite me dogging his offense, he was a solid hitter who finished his career above league average and popped to hit .293/.374/.469 in 2007 and .290/.402/.430 in 2014. Early in his career, he was also a very solid baserunner who picked up double digit stolen base totals in each of his first four seasons, including 21 in 2007. And most importantly, he was an elite defender who would have won a lot more than just the one Gold Glove (2007) had he not been stuck competing with Yadier Molina. Martin's athleticism behind the plate was head and shoulders above what is typically seen back there, helping him contribute to the game in many ways beyond what a typical catcher could. WAR can be finicky for catchers, who draw so much value from their defense which is inherently harder to measure, but his 54.5 fWAR led all catchers over a 24 year period from 1997-2020. That's not too shabby. Ultimately though, the bat is just a little bit light and the sample size a little too small (less than 1700 games over just fourteen seasons) for me to pull the trigger.

C Brian McCann (2005-2019)
Regular Season: 282 HR, .262/.337/.452, 25 SB, 110 wRC+, 52.1 fWAR in 1755 games.
Postseason: 4 HR, .172/.252/.297, 0 SB, 48 wRC+ in 39 games.
While they were different players, Brian McCann has a fairly similar case to Russell Martin. Martin has the edge with better defense and baserunning value, but McCann was the better hitter with nearly one hundred more home runs and a much higher slugging percentage. He was also a better hitter at peak, putting up a huge 2006 in which he hit .333/.388/.572 with 24 home runs and just 54 strikeouts in 130 games. That being his first full season, he would only put up one more big offensive season hitting .301/.373/.523 in 2008, but he remained a strong bat and reached twenty home runs ten times in an eleven year stretch from 2006-2016. And while Martin was the better defender, McCann more than held his own back there as one of the game's better defensive backstops throughout the better chunk of his career. And also like Martin, he hit under .200 in a large postseason sample and was in fact a complete non-factor in his eight postseasons, putting up just a .549 OPS overall. I think McCann is safely under the Hall of Fame threshold, but had he been even an average hitter in his postseason sample, I think I'd be taking a bit longer of a look. Overall, like Martin, he'll likely get overshadowed by the flashier names of Molina, Mauer, and Posey.

3B David Wright (2004-2018)
Regular Season: 242 HR, .296/.376/.491, 196 SB, 133 wRC+, 51.2 fWAR in 1585 games.
Postseason: 2 HR, .198/.311/.319, 1 SB, 72 wRC+ in 24 games.
David Wright is close. He had some excellent seasons, including an exceptional four year run from 2005-2008 in which he accrued 25.8 fWAR (fifth most in MLB) while hitting .311/.394/.534 with 116 home runs. While his true peak only lasted four years, he continued to play very well over the next half decade or so, putting himself on a Hall of Fame pace. Unfortunately, from age-31 (2014) onwards, his production collapsed and he hit just .265/.339/.395 with 20 home runs in 211 games, good for just 2.6 fWAR, and he played in just two games after his 34th birthday. Overall, David Wright looked like a Hall of Famer from 2004-2013, a nice decade of production, but couldn't close out the deal. It doesn't help either that he didn't take much advantage of his two postseason opportunities and hit under .200.

LHP Andy Pettitte (1995-2013)
Regular Season: 256-153, 3.85 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 1.35 WHIP, 2448/1031 K/BB in 3316 innings.
Postseason: 19-11, 3.81 ERA, 4.09 FIP, 1.30 WHIP, 183/76 K/BB in 276.2 innings.
The phrase "Hall of Very Good" gets thrown around often, and I think Andy Pettitte can be a prime example of what that looks like. The closer you look at his resume, the better it looks, with a very long career that provided a tremendous amount of value to the Yankees and the Astros. He was a true workhorse that topped 200 innings ten different times and 185 innings thirteen different times, and for the most part he kept his ERA in the 3.50 to 4.30 range most years despite pitching in hitter-friendly parks in the Steroid Era. His postseason resume is impressive, too, as his numbers did not dip at all and he earned the 2001 ALCS MVP Award. Fans can underestimate the value of a strong #2 or #3 starter, and Pettitte provided that for nearly two decades, even popping for ace-like seasons in 1997 and 2005. There is a place in the Hall for consistency and longevity, but ultimately I see it as a place for the all time greats, not just those who were able to string together enough cumulative value to make it. For as great as he was, aside from those two great seasons I don't think opposing teams looked at the lineup card in the morning and thought "uh oh, Andy Pettitte is pitching." That's not to diminish the difficulty in squaring up against him, but the point stands. Andy Pettitte was very, very good for a very long time, but I just don't see a Hall of Famer.

LHP Mark Buehrle (2000-2015)
Regular Season: 214-160, 3.81 ERA, 4.11 FIP, 1.28 WHIP, 1870/734 K/BB in 3283.1 innings.
Postseason: 2-1, 4.11 ERA, 3.47 FIP, 1.08 WHIP, 16/1 K/BB in 30.2 innings.
Mark Buehrle is closer than you'd think, but ultimately not quite a Hall of Famer. He was a model of consistency, going fifteen straight seasons with at least 198.2 innings pitched while only once allowing his ERA to rise above 4.28 or his FIP above 4.46. He generated a lot of weak contact, took care of some of it himself with a standout glove, and gave the White Sox and later Marlins and Blue Jays a rock near the top of their rotations. However, he also spent much of his career pitching in a weaker AL Central and he was never particularly dominant, save for perhaps his 2005 season (3.12 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 149/40 K/BB) and of course his 2007 no-hitter and 2009 perfect game. It's hard to get into the Hall based on consistent solid performance rather than periods of true standout performance, and if you were going to give Buehrle a shot, you probably would have wanted to see him throw more than sixteen seasons.

RHP Francisco Rodriguez (2002-2017)
Regular Season: 2.86 ERA, 3.31 FIP, 1.15 WHIP, 1142/389 K/BB in 976 innings.
Postseason: 2.95 ERA, 3.66 FIP, 1.36 WHIP, 49/18 K/BB in 36.2 innings.
The bar for relievers to get into the Hall of Fame is high, and it should be. The fact that Billy Wagner isn't in proves that, and I'm all in on Wagner's case. Francisco Rodriguez, I believe, is close to having a Hall of Fame case, but it's not quite enough. Among relievers, he's 21st all time in fWAR, tenth in RE24, and ninth in WPA. For a span of fourteen years from 2003-2016, he was more often than not among the best closers in the league, and that's certainly a loud statement. But inconsistent command kept him from truly joining the game's elite closers for the most part, and I don't think he's in the same tier as Trevor Hoffman and Billy Wagner (and of course nobody is in Mariano Rivera's tier). I think he's closer to Joe Nathan, who narrowly missed my ballot when he appeared in 2022. I'm glad K-Rod has been treading above 5% so we can keep giving him looks, but I'll ultimately be okay if Rivera, Hoffman, and hopefully this year Wagner are the only relievers from that era to make the Hall.

SS Omar Vizquel (1989-2012)
Regular Season: 80 HR, .272/.336/.352, 404 SB, 83 wRC+, 42.5 fWAR in 2968 games.
Postseason: 0 HR, .250/.327/.316, 23 SB, 70 wRC+ in 57 games.
I wasn't a big Omar Vizquel fan before the abuse/sexual assault allegations came out against him, and while I tend not to be concerned about a player's off field behavior, the allegations are pretty serious. Still, I don't need those to know that he's not a Hall of Famer. I do think there is a place in the Hall for the game's elite defenders, but Ozzie Smith (90 wRC+) and Andruw Jones (111 wRC+) are not in the same tier as Vizquel (83 wRC+). Jones clubbed 434 home runs and was a well-above league average hitter for most of his career, while Smith was 10% below league average but did pop for seven seasons in which he was above league average. Vizquel, meanwhile, was 17% below league average for his career and only twice in his 24 seasons could be considered above league average by wRC+ (115 in 1999, 102 in 2002). In an era when offense was at an all time high, Vizquel was a black hole in those Mariners, Indians, and Giants offenses that hit for no power and didn't even get on base at a terribly high clip. He finished with a .336 on-base percentage for his career and never reached .400 in any single season. The counting stats are good – nearly 3000 hits, over 450 doubles, and over 400 stolen bases – but they're not enough to make up for the lack of impact at the plate even with the special glove.

OF Curtis Granderson (2004-2019)
Regular Season: 344 HR, .249/.337/.465, 153 SB, 115 wRC+, 47.0 fWAR in 2057 games.
Postseason: 9 HR, .224/.317/.424, 9 SB, 99 wRC+ in 64 games.
Even if Curtis Granderson falls a little short, he deserves some consideration. Few players were more fun to watch in the post-steroid era than the Grandy Man, who impacted the game in just about every way he could. In Detroit, he was a gap to gap hitter driving the ball around Comerica Park and using his wheels to take extra bases where he could. We all remember that 2007 season when he hit .302/.361/.552 and put up 7.9 fWAR, but his most impressive feat was going 20-20-30-20 in the home runs, stolen bases, doubles, and triples departments, respectively, joining Jimmy Rollins in the same season to become the first players since Frank Schulte in 1911 to do so. The 23 triples by themselves were the most by any player in a single season since Dale Mitchell finished with the same number in 1949. Later, when Granderson left Detroit for New York, he became less of a speed and defense guy and turned into more of a true power hitter, blasting more than 40 home runs in back to back seasons in 2011 and 2012 while also bumping up his walk rate. Ultimately, the end result was a very nice career that included well over 300 home runs, over 150 stolen bases, nearly 100 triples, and a lot of fun memories on and off the field. It's good enough for the Hall of Very Good, but save for a few big seasons he was never among the game's elite for a sustained period of time.

2B Ian Kinsler (2006-2019)
Regular Season: 257 HR, .269/.337/.440, 243 SB, 107 wRC+, 47.3 fWAR in 1888 games.
Postseason: 4 HR, .274/.369/.417, 7 SB, 113 wRC+ in 48 games.
Ian Kinsler may have never been among the game's elite, but he was quietly one of the best second basemen of his era. He was above a league average hitter in each of his first eleven seasons from 2006-2016, including topping out with a 133 wRC+ in 2008 when he hit .319/.375/.517 with 18 home runs and 41 doubles, all while standing out for a strong glove that earned him a pair of Gold Gloves later on in 2016 and 2018. His 39.5 fWAR over a nine year stretch from 2008-2016 was quietly the fourteenth best in baseball, and ultimately he provided plenty of value in the box, in the field, and on the bases. Kinsler was also an integral part of the Rangers' 2010 and 2011 World Series runs, hitting a combined .303/.413/.479 with four home runs in 33 games over those two postseasons.

The top twelve unsigned high school pitching prospects from the 2024 draft

There are some really big arms heading to college in 2024, headlined by arguably the top prep pitcher in the class in William Schmidt. While the position player list was spread out with twelve players going to ten different schools, this list of twelve is concentrated in just eight schools as Wake Forest, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Florida all landed two apiece. Surprisingly, perennial recruiting powerhouse Vanderbilt was not only shut out from both lists, they didn't land a single recruit in either top twenty as top recruit Rustan Rigdon would have ranked #22 on the position player list (#164 on the overall draft board). This pitching list isn't quite as heavy on older prospects as the position player list, with only four of twelve set to turn 20 by next July compared to seven for the position players, so most of these kids will be on campus for a long time. Additionally, this list was heavier at the top with Schmidt ranking as the top overall prospect reaching campus and six landing in the top 100 overall prospects, compared to four for the position players, the #20 pitcher nearly falls out of the top 200 whereas the #20 position player stayed inside the top 160.
In parentheses before the position is their rank on my personal 2024 draft board. In parentheses after the school is the year they will be draft eligible again. Note, these rankings are purely based off my 2024 draft rankings and do not incorporate fall practice performance.

1. (#24) RHP William Schmidt, Louisiana State (2027)
Undrafted
William Schmidt took the baseball world by surprise shortly before the 2024 draft when he pulled his name from the draft and announced his intention to honor his commitment to LSU despite massive multi-million dollar signing bonuses getting thrown at him. Schmidt entered the draft cycle on the fringes of the first round conversation, but burst out of the gate strong and held that performance throughout his senior season at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, alma mater of former LSU stars Josh Smith, Aaron and Austin Nola, and even Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He'll join a Tigers pitching staff that lost eight of its top nine arms by innings pitched, including all of its top five, though he won't be alone as LSU brings in a loaded transfer class looking to fill those innings and the return of Chase Shores from Tommy John surgery looms. Schmidt himself has a chance to jump straight into regular innings on the back of his now-stuff, then push his way towards an eventual Friday night role with massive upside. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and touched 99 in the spring, coming in with riding action and strong extension from his long frame. His best pitch has always been a hammer curveball with tremendous depth combined with power to make it a plus-plus pitch, while his changeup has shown some progress as he's gained feel for it. Beyond the stuff, the 6'4" righty brings tons of projection and should be sitting comfortably in the mid 90's in short order and maintaining that velocity deep into starts. While his lanky frame has led to scattered command in the past as he's worked to repeat his release point, he has grown into his body over the past calendar year and has sharpened that somewhat, especially with regards to his big curveball which he commands better than his fastball. If Schmidt, who moves very well on the mound with an athletic delivery and a quick arm, can maintain that progress with his command, he could find himself near the very top of the 2027 draft. He was a clear-cut first round prospect and arguably the best prep pitcher in the class in 2024 as it was.

2. (#49) RHP Dax Whitney, Oregon State (2027)
Undrafted
I mentioned in the hitters article that Oregon State, despite playing as an independent due to the death of the Pac-12, was able to land a superstar transfer in Washington's Aiva Arquette as well as the #8 incoming freshman position player in shortstop Adam Haight. Not only that, here they picked up the second best unsigned prep pitcher in the country, so Mitch Canham deserves all the credit in the world for how he's navigated a tough situation. The Beavers lose their top two starters in Aiden May (CBB round, Marlins) and Jacob Kmatz (5th round, Rays) as well as closer Bridger Holmes (7th round, Angels), but other than that their pitching staff remains almost completely intact. For that reason, it may not be easy for Dax Whitney to jump straight into significant innings, but if any freshman in the country can break through a crowded pitching staff, it's him. Whitney was a little off the beaten path out in Blackfoot, Idaho, and entered the season more of a day two prospect who seemed likely to head to school. He turned in a huge senior season in which he just kept steadily climbing boards throughout the spring, causing scouts to flock out to eastern Idaho as he even earned whisperings of first round interest. Ultimately, all the added helium was not enough to keep him away from Corvallis, where he enters as the program's likely future Friday night starter. Whitney's fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 96 at peak, playing up with riding life from a very vertical slot. He has refined both his curveball and his slider, which both project as above average as they've gotten sharper and sharper. His changeup is a fourth pitch, but it too has come along and looks to be a solid offering as well. The 6'5" righty is ultra projectable with an athletic frame that promises to add significant velocity, with a real chance he sits mid 90's and touches closer to triple digits within his time on campus. Beyond that, he repeats his simple delivery well, with a short arm stroke and some crossfire action to create a little bit of deception too. The command is average for now but figures to creep towards above average with added refinement under a high quality Oregon State pitching development program. Between the size, projectability, feel, and now-stuff, Whitney has all of the ingredients to become a future ace.

3. (#63) RHP Chris Levonas, Wake Forest (2027)
Drafted – CBB round (pick #67), Milwaukee Brewers
Wake Forest will have work to do replacing #2 overall pick Chase Burns (Reds) as well as multiple other pitchers who had large roles in 2024, but new arms always, always step up in Winston-Salem whether they come through the transfer portal, get developed from the existing roster, or come up from the high school ranks. Chris Levonas was not expected to be among that latter group when the Brewers drafted him in the CBB round, but he could not come to an agreement with Milwaukee and he and Tyler Bell (drafted one pick earlier, now at Kentucky) are the two highest drafted preps to reach campus since a trio of preps in 2018. Levonas is an electric righty from New Jersey who elevated his profile with a loud showing at the PBR Super 60 in February followed by an equally loud senior season. The fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 97 with big riding life, exploding past bats with regularity. He rips off a nasty curveball with huge spin rates and above average projection, while his equally high spin slider has really come on recently and gives him a second above average breaking ball. He can cut the fastball when he needs to, while his changeup is behind and will need significant refinement at school. The 6'2" righty an explosive athlete that gets down the mound with a quick arm, the type of cannon fodder that fits perfectly into Corey Muscara's pitching development pipeline at Wake Forest, though he's very skinny and does throw with some effort. That can impact his command a bit, and given Wake's evergreen depth on the mound he may not jump into the rotation straight away. The potential durability concerns compounded with the command may ultimately push him to the bullpen long term in pro ball, but the now-stuff, feel for spin, athleticism, and explosiveness on the mound give him some of the best upside on this list, especially at Wake Forest.

4. (#79) RHP Duncan Marsten, Wake Forest (2026)
Undrafted
As I was saying, Wake Forest recruits well. Duncan Marsten, like Chris Levonas, was a bit of a spring riser who had some extremely loud outings out in California in late January and early February before much of the country had begun its season. That pushed his name into the fringes of the first round conversation for a minute, though the stuff settled a tick below what he showed in those first couple starts and he wound up more as a second to third round prospect. At his peak he sat low to mid 90's and touched 99, then was more low 90's as the season moved on. He shows an above average slider that misses bats, while his curveball and changeup are solid pitches in their own right. The 6'3" righty is a bit less explosive but more physical than Chris Levonas, though Wake Forest will still look to build him up so he can hold that top-end stuff over longer stretches. He generally holds the strike zone pretty well, but he can lose it when he reaches back for a little extra on his stuff. Marsten moves crisply on the mound, and did especially so early in the season, giving him legitimate mid rotation starter upside at the big league level. At the college level, Marsten and Levonas could make great one two punch over the next couple of seasons. Marsten is very old for the class and will be 20 in May, so he'll be draft eligible again in 2026.

5. (#84) RHP Carson Wiggins, Arkansas (2026)
Undrafted
Jaxon Wiggins had one of the most electric fastballs ever seen in Fayetteville in 2021 and 2022, then missed 2023 with Tommy John surgery before getting drafted in the second round by the Cubs that year. Now his younger brother Carson hits campus with more fanfare than his brother had at the time, and he'll look to beat Jaxon's #68 selection in a couple years. He'll join a loaded Razorbacks pitching staff that, despite losing its entire weekend rotation from last season including #5 overall pick Hagen Smith (White Sox), returns a ton of firepower in the bullpen and also made a couple massive additions in the transfer portal. For that reason it will be difficult for Wiggins to grab one of those vacated rotation slots, but his now stuff will fit right into the bullpen at least in year one. The fastball sits in the mid 90's and touched triple digits in fall practice with running life from a lower slot, overpowering prep hitters and looking plenty enough to blow past even seasoned SEC hitters. He has a sharp slider that lacks consistency at this point, but his best ones look plus and can leave hitters looking helpless. Wiggins also shows a solid splitter, though like his slider it lacks consistency. The 6'5" righty has a free and easy delivery to generate that velocity effortlessly, but he lacks the feel to repeat his release point consistently and shows below average command at this point. Right now, the draw with Wiggins is pure, raw arm strength that simply does not come around often and which you cannot teach. The Arkansas coaching staff, meanwhile, has proven to be one of the best pitching development staffs in the country and will be the perfect place for him to learn to wrangle it, both by repeating his delivery better and by getting more consistent with his offspeed stuff. The stuff as is will work perfectly in a relief role during his freshman season, then perhaps as a sophomore he can graduate to the rotation as a more complete pitcher. He's very old for an incoming freshman and will be draft eligible as a sophomore in 2026, so he'll want to get it put together quickly.

6. (#95) RHP Tegan Kuhns, Tennessee (2026)
Undrafted
Surprisingly, Tennessee did not land a player on the top twelve position player prospects coming to campus, with shortstop Manny Marin leading the way among the position player group as the #19 hitting prospect reaching campus (#157 on my overall board). Tegan Kuhns is the top overall prospect in their freshman class, coming in with plenty of fame from his prep days at Gettysburg Area High School in southern Pennsylvania. The Volunteers are losing six of their top seven pitchers by innings pitched, including each of their top three, but like the Razorbacks they are also bringing in a couple of big arms in the transfer portal. There still seems to be more opportunity to earn innings in Knoxville than in Fayetteville, and Kuhns is a bit more well-rounded as a prospect than Carson Wiggins. Long a famous name in his draft class, Kuhns sits in the low 90's and touches 95 with his fastball with riding life up in the zone. He has a big two-plane curveball that is still searching for its identity, but at its best it flashes plus and should be a weapon for him in short order in Knoxville. His changeup too is inconsistent, but shows flashes and should be a third solid pitch for him. The 6'4" righty is extremely projectable and figures to add significant velocity onto what aren't currently overwhelming radar numbers, and he's also very athletic on the mound with an elastic delivery and nice lower half extension. While the command is far from pinpoint, he fills up the zone with a healthy dose of strikes and should fine tune that as he grows into his lanky frame. While Kuhns doesn't have one standout pitch or tool, he's exactly the way you draw up a young pitching prospect in many ways with the frame, athleticism, and upside to show three above average or better pitches in time. Like Wiggins, Kuhns is very old for the class and will be eligible as a sophomore in 2026.

7. (#109) RHP Connor Gatwood, Auburn (2027)
Drafted – 19th round (pick #562), Los Angeles Angels
It was a rough season on the Plains last year as the Tigers went just 8-22 in SEC conference play, but there's reason for hope even with star outfielder Chris Stanfield transferring to LSU. Though all three of Auburn's draftees were pitchers, they return plenty of firepower on the mound and bring in a very nice set of transfers to augment that pitching staff. Their top recruit to reach campus, Connor Gatwood, has a huge arm as well and figures to push hard for innings on that crowded Tiger pitching staff. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and reaches 98 with tough angle from a high slot, while his power slider is creeping closer and closer to 90 and keeps hitters off his fastball well. He has a changeup too, but it's firm at this point. Like Carson Wiggins a few slots up on this list, Gatwood generates his velocity easily with a simple delivery in which he looks like he's just stepping and throwing. The 6'5" righty is extremely physical, more so than most other names on this list, with a big league body that looks to stand up to the rigors of pro ball once he gets there. The arm strength too is extremely impressive, giving the Auburn staff a lot to work with. For now, Gatwood's stuff is all hard, and he's going to have to find a way to change speeds better and soften things up. Both his slider and changeup stand out more for velocity than movement, and he lacks a true change of pace offering. The Mobile native (Baker HS) generally stays around the zone pretty well, but the strikes are scattered and he can miss more often than you'd like at this point for a pitcher jumping into SEC competition – not unexpected for a freshman of course. Auburn will look to develop this extremely physical, powerful freshman arm into a more well-rounded starting pitcher that can change speeds before gassing you up with upper 90's cheddar.

8. (#116) LHP Mason Russell, Arizona (2027)
Drafted – 20th round (pick #599), Cincinnati Reds
Eight pitchers combined to start Arizona's 59 games last year, and going into 2025 they'll return just four of those starts – three from Raul Garayzar and one from Bryce McKnight. While Christian Coppola (Rutgers) was a nice find in the transfer portal, this wide open rotation gives Mason Russell a tremendous opportunity to jump straight in and log significant innings right away. The top lefty pitching prospect to reach campus, Russell is a local kid out of Casteel High School in the southwest corner of the Phoenix metro and one of the more advanced prep arms to reach campus. His fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 95, and he holds that velocity through his starts. He has a sharp curveball and can work it into a solid slider, while his changeup has looked pretty solid too when he's used it. The 6'2" lefty moves very well on the mound with an athletic, repeatable delivery that helps him fill up the strike zone with improving command that now looks average and could get to above average in time. It's not the world's loudest profile overall, lacking a standout pitch or tool like I mentioned with Tegan Kuhns above, but especially now that he's throwing more strikes, there aren't many weaknesses either. There's some projection here as well and if Russell can add a tick or two of velocity while maintaining his progress in the command department, he should become an impact arm in Tucson and beyond.

9. (#127) RHP Jackson Barberi, Florida (2027)
Undrafted
Florida loses five of its top six pitchers by innings pitched, including all of its top three, but never ever mistake the Gators for having a thin pitching staff. In addition to a bevy of young arms returning and ready to take the next step, they added Clemson's Billy Barlow in the transfer portal and as always will pack as much arm talent into that staff as any program in the country. Leading the incoming freshman class will be Atlanta-area product Jackson Barberi, who brings as much upside as any incoming freshman pitcher in the country. The arm talent here is elite, with a fastball that sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 97 with explosive life at its best. He can rip off some above average sliders with nice bite while his changeup has become a usable third pitch. For now, the stuff is extremely inconsistent, as his velocity backs up deeper into starts and he can be hovering around 90 by the middle innings, while he can drop his arm and get around his slider in an attempt to snap it off harder. The 6'4" righty is extremely projectable and figures to hold his velocity much better as he fills out his lanky frame, perhaps pushing his peak velocities into the upper 90's as well. He also has an explosive right arm that does the heavy lifting in what is a pretty raw operation on the mound, another piece of low hanging fruit in his development that could help him hold his peak stuff better. To top it off, Barberi is extremely young for the class and didn't turn 18 until he was already on campus, making him more than fifteen (!) months younger than the trio of Duncan Marsten, Carson Wiggins, and Tegan Kuhns above him on this list. Barberi may not jump into consistent innings right away in Gainesville, especially not in the rotation, but his athleticism, arm strength, and projectability give him tremendous upside and he could be a force for the Gators by years two and three.

10. (#128) LHP Cole Gibler, Arkansas (2027)
Undrafted
I mentioned in Carson Wiggins' writeup that Arkansas returns an extremely deep pitching staff despite losing its entire weekend rotation to the draft. While it will be difficult for any freshmen to break through, Wiggins and Cole Gibler make for one of the best incoming one-two punches on the mound of any school and they complement each other nicely with very different skill sets. While Wiggins is about big arm strength and upside, Gibler is a more well-rounded arm that could work his way into the rotation more quickly. The fastball sits in the low 90's but can reach as high as 97 in shorts stints with riding action. He has the makings of a solid breaking ball that could be an above average pitch with just a little more refinement to create more finish on the pitch, while his changeup is advanced for a high schooler and can get SEC hitters out right away. While Gibler isn't as explosive as some names on this list, he moves well on the mound with a clean, athletic delivery that creates a low launch and helps him pound the strike zone with above average command. This is an athletic, durable lefty with three potential above average pitches and above average command, a profile that lends itself very well to starting both in the short and long term. Expect Gibler to earn a weekend rotation spot quickly after one comes available, which may not be immediately given the Razorbacks' depth on the mound.

11 (#136) RHP Anson Seibert, Tennessee (2026)
Drafted – 16th round (pick #476), Detroit Tigers
With Tegan Kuhns already mentioned above, Anson Seibert makes it two incoming freshman who were very, very well known for years on the showcase circuit. Seibert in fact had first round buzz early on in his high school career, and while he continued to perform well in the calendar year leading up to the draft, he settled into more of the third or fourth round range and a flexor strain that ended his season in April allowed other names to move ahead. While it's not clear exactly what is going on with that injury, it looks like he may have had Tommy John surgery which would knock him out for his freshman season too. If that is indeed the case, he'll have just one season in orange before he's draft eligible as a redshirt freshman in 2026. Still, getting Seibert to campus is a big win for Tony V and co. given his tremendous upside and ability to carry the pitching staff for one season if that's all he gets. When healthy, the fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and has touched 99 in short stints, coming in with riding action from a high slot. Continuing a theme on this list, his slider shows above average potential with nice bite but is inconsistent at this point, while his changeup is relatively advanced for a high school arm and gives him a third solid offering. Anson stands out on the mound at a towering 6'8", and while he's still skinny, he has begun packing weight onto that massive frame and now clocks in at a listed 235 pounds with room for more. He moves well on the mound, especially for his size, with athletic actions and a short, simple arm circle. Still, as is often the case with lanky preps, he's still searching for consistency with his release point and his command remains fringy. He'll spend his rehab season further building up his strength and honing in his mechanics, which combined with the power fastball gives him the chance to return a force to be reckoned with in 2026.

12. #139 RHP Joshua Whritenour, Florida (2027)
Undrafted
I mentioned above that Jackson Barberi would have tough competition breaking through the young arms in Gainesville, and he's not the only star pitching recruit coming to campus. Joshua Whritenour is another live arm with big upside, and similar to Barberi he does have development ahead of him. At his peak, Whritenour can sit in the low to mid 90's and reach as high as 97 at peak, though that number fluctuated in 2024 as he battled illness that now looks to be behind him. He shows a promising slider that looks above average at peak with high spin and nice snap, and the next step will be creating more finish on the pitch to get below advanced SEC bats. His changeup is a third solid option with nice fading action, giving him a nice baseline to develop at Florida. In 2023, the 6'2" righty was really extending down the mound with an explosive delivery that could impact his command at times, but in 2024 he simplified that delivery and did a much better job staying within the zone, now looking to have average command. Whritenour is on the skinnier side and will look to bulk up in Gainesville, where he should be able to hold his peak stuff over longer periods of time and develop into a solid weekend starter. With three average or better pitches and great athleticism with a quick arm, the upside is certainly there for more and he could become an impact starter in pro ball.

Others
13. (#141) RHP Lazaro Collera, Miami (2027)
14. (#162) RHP Christian Chatterton, Auburn (2026)
15. (#177) RHP Jason Flores, Texas (2027)
16. (#179) RHP Drew Rerick, Texas (2027)
17. (#188) RHP Jack DeTienne, Xavier (2027)
18. (#191) RHP Casan Evans, Louisiana State (2027)
19. (#193) LHP Mason Brassfield, Texas Christian (2027)
20. (#196) LHP Tomas Valincius, Virginia (2027)

The top twelve unsigned high school position player prospects from the 2024 draft

NIL and the growth of college baseball are getting more kids to campus nowadays, and this year's deep class of position players continues that trend. There was a very clear theme here, with many of the most advanced bats from around the country deciding to test their chops against the strongest pitching they've seen in power conferences. Unsurprisingly, the SEC leads the way with five names, including #1, while the ACC and Big 12 follow up with three apiece. Following another recent trend, incoming freshman are getting older and older – seven of the twelve players on this list had already turned 19 by the time the 2024 draft rolled around in July, making them sophomore eligible in 2026 as they're more age appropriate for college sophomores than incoming freshman. The trend is unsurprising, as many of these top prospect had multi-million dollar offers thrown their way and going to school could risk that, so two years might be more palatable than three knowing they'll have plenty of leverage in that sophomore season.
In parentheses before the position is their rank on my personal 2024 draft board. In parentheses after the school is the year they will be draft eligible again. Note, these rankings are purely based off my 2024 draft rankings and do not incorporate fall practice performance.

1. (#48) SS Tyler Bell, Kentucky (2026)
Drafted – CBB round (pick #66), Tampa Bay Rays.
Kentucky thought it was losing the crown jewel of its recruiting class when the Rays drafted Tyler Bell in the second competitive balance round, but the two sides could not come to a deal and he'll indeed come to Lexington. That makes Bell the highest drafted player not to sign since Kumar Rocker (Mets, 10th overall) and Jud Fabian (Red Sox, 40th overall) in 2021 and the highest drafted high schooler to go unsigned since Carter Stewart (Braves, 8th overall) back in 2018. With second baseman Emilien Pitre (2nd round, Rays), shortstop Grant Smith (undrafted, signed with White Sox), and third baseman Mitchell Daly (undrafted, signed with Angels) all gone to pro ball, the infield is wide open for Bell to jump in and grab an every day role right away. His glove will go a long way towards winning that job, as his slick actions in the dirt, quick transfer, and accurate arm are all ready to play an above average shortstop at the SEC level right now. While the bat isn't quite as far along, he has massive upside at the plate that could be unlocked in Lexington. A switch hitter, the Chicago-area product has truly elite bat speed that could help him grow into above average power in time, though he hasn't tapped it consistently in games just yet as he's still filling out his 6'1" frame. Bell can also get tied up against higher level stuff and will have a lot to prove against SEC pitching in 2025, so the Kentucky coaching staff may not know exactly what they're going to get from him in year one. The glove will buy a ton of patience for the bat, and his upside at the plate is undeniable. If year one is up and down, he could be a star by year two, where he'll be draft eligible as an older incoming freshman.

2. (#58) SS Charlie Bates, Stanford (2027)
Undrafted
I have Charlie Bates ranked higher than many other outlets, and I think he has a shot to be a real star at Stanford. Unlike Kentucky, Stanford returns a crowded infield picture, but Bates has what it takes to break through in some capacity quickly. He glides around the infield with good body control and an accurate arm that can throw from multiple angles, which helps it play above its average pure strength. While it should be enough to get the job done at shortstop in college, he may slide over to second base in pro ball where he could be an above average defender. Beyond a versatile glove, Bates will bring in sneaky upside with the bat. He has primarily been known as a hit over power type to this point, showing an advanced approach at the plate that helps him make plenty of line drive contact around the field including against stronger competition on the showcase circuit. While he's not huge, there's some projection in his 6'1", 190 pound frame, and Bates has some serious bat speed that could help him grow into average power down the line. That's as well-rounded a profile as you're going to find, especially as a left handed hitter. The power may not come immediately, but his advanced hitting ability will help him catch up to ACC pitching right away and he could be a real star by years two and three. To top it off, he's a local kid straight out of Palo Alto High school. The profile is actually pretty similar to Bell above him on this list, though Bell is a better defender with more projection while Bates is more advanced at the same stage.

3. (#91) OF Garrett Shull, Oklahoma State (2026)
Undrafted
When I think Oklahoma State baseball, I think of offensive firepower. The Cowboys have never been short on big bats and Garrett Shull will ensure that continues into the next era of baseball in Stillwater, where he might have the loudest bat of any incoming freshman in the country. Oklahoma State lost two of their best hitters in Carson Benge (1st round, Mets) and Zach Ehrhard (4th round, Red Sox), so Shull will look to help plug that hole alongside one of the program's best hitters in recent memory in Nolan Schubart. Listed at 6'1", 205 pounds, Shull isn't the biggest man on the field but he's certainly one of the most physical, with a filled out frame that would look at home on a big league field right now. A switch hitter, he generates great leverage from both sides of the plate if with a bit more bat speed from the left side, showing above average power for now that could grow into plus as he learns to turn on the ball in the air more often. For now, the swings are more direct and geared towards line drives, which have served him well against strong pitching on the prep showcase circuit. Beyond the power, he's a mature hitter that works at bats effectively and should have little issue transitioning to Big 12 pitching in short order. Between the present power and innate feel for hitting, I'm confident he'll make an impact from day one. Shull isn't much of a defender, with fringy speed that may slow down further as he ages (though that shouldn't be an issue at school), and profiles best in an outfield corner. His arm strength gives him a shot to play a solid right field, and he could play first base if he needs another route into the lineup. Either way, if you can hit, they find a place for you. Shull will want to find that place quickly because he'll be draft eligible again as a sophomore in 2026, set to turn 21 right around that draft. It's been a few years since Oklahoma State has had a homegrown star from northern Oklahoma, with the Tulsa-area trio of Cade Cabbiness, Bryce Osmond, and Brett Standlee coming to mind if you stretch the definition of star a little bit, so Shull's hailing from Enid adds another fun dimension.

4. (#94) SS Sawyer Farr, Texas A&M (2026)
Undrafted
Sawyer Farr may be a bit slower to develop than names like Charlie Bates or Garrett Shull, but he has just as much if not more upside than anybody on this list. Texas A&M returns a crowded infield picture with only starting shortstop Ali Camarillo (12th round, A's) and utility man Travis Chestnut (graduated) gone from last year's iteration and Penn transfer Wyatt Henseler expected to earn a starting job as well. Farr is a lanky, 6'4" string bean that has begun to fill out his tall frame but still has plenty of projection remaining. The switch hitter gets great extension at the plate and is growing into more power as he gets stronger, sitting at average for now with the chance to get to above average. Similarly, his long arms and the challenges that come with building two swings have caused his contact ability to be a bit inconsistent to this point, which may make it tough to match up against SEC pitching right away. Farr will put his head down and get to work refining the rough edges of his offensive game while continuing to put the work in in the weight room to generate more power, and by year two he could be an impact hitter in the middle of the Aggie lineup. Meanwhile, like other names on this list, his glove is strong enough that it could push him into the lineup quicker even as his bat develops. He's a plus runner with all of the tools you look for in a starting shortstop, including the requisite explosiveness, range, glovework, and arm to be an above average defender at the six. I mentioned the crowded infield, but the one hole does happen to be at shortstop and Farr is one of the only players on the roster who can pick it at a similar level to Camarillo. Like Bell and Shull above him on this list, he'll be eligible again as a sophomore in 2026 though unlike Shull (and like Bell) his ceiling is farther away.

5. (#102) OF/LHP Noah Franco, Texas Christian (2027)
Undrafted
Until very recently, it never even crossed TCU coach Kirk Saarloos' mind that he'd have Noah Franco on campus for the 2025 season. Initially a member of the high school class of 2025 and projected first round pick for that draft, he reclassified last summer to the class of 2024 and immediately jumped into that first round conversation, where the money would have been too much to pass up. Unfortunately an unremarkable spring dropped him out of the day one conversation, and instead he'll head to Fort Worth to rebuilt his stock as a two-way player. Franco already has a very physical 6'3" frame, which he began to fill out in IMG Academy's first class facilities and will continue to do so at TCU. For now, he's a hit over power type with a long track record of hitting against top showcase competition and the ability to control the zone and use the whole field. He won't turn 19 until near the end of his freshman season, but is already one of the more advanced hitters stepping onto a campus anywhere in the country. He hasn't learned to leverage his power consistently in games just yet, but given his size and projection, it's only a matter of time before he grows into at least average if not above average or better pop. If it all comes together, he's a potential above average hitter with plus power at peak, which is why he had first round buzz for a while. The TCU staff will look to get him back moving in that direction after he looked more ordinary at the plate last spring. His defensive profile is much closer to Garrett Shull than Sawyer Farr, with average speed that figures to tick down as he ages (though again like Shull, that probably won't be an issue in college). He has experience at first base or the outfield corners, but his bat will be his ticket to regular playing time. Meanwhile, Franco actually has a shot to earn time on the mound first. The fastball sits in the low 90's at present and touches 93, which isn't overwhelming velocity but provides a nice baseline. He has good feel for a deep slider and shows a solid changeup, giving him a well-rounded arsenal, and he repeats his athletic delivery well for above average command by incoming freshman standards. It's not the world's most exciting pitching profile, but a 6'3" lefty with three quality pitches he can throw for strikes will play at any school. The pitching profile brings a higher floor, while his bat has a higher ceiling. In all, TCU did not lose much talent to the draft, with only three players (all pitchers) signing plus star LF/DH Logan Maxwell transferring to Arkansas, not to mention a strong recruiting class, so it may be difficult to break into playing time on either side of the ball initially.

6. (#106) C Hunter Carns, Florida State (2026)
Drafted – 20th round (pick #614), Arizona Diamondbacks
Florida State is getting an extremely exciting new catcher in Hunter Carns, and he has a shot to jump straight into the lineup. While last year's starting catcher Jaxson West returns, no other catchers do and Carns is a better hitter than West. Dartmouth transfer Nathan Cmeyla and fellow freshman Josh Reiter round out the catching corps, so expect Carns to log plenty of innings behind the plate. Even if he doesn't win the starting job there, he's significantly more athletic than most catchers and his plus speed will allow him to play anywhere in the outfield, so there are many avenues to get his bat in the lineup. He's a streaky hitter who has struggled at times against top competition, but streaky means you get hot too and when Carns is hot, he's red hot. He also packs plenty of power into his 6' frame, with a quick barrel and natural loft in his right handed swing to give him above average pop. The swing can get stiff at times and he gets in trouble when it gets too grooved, but I fully expect the Florida State staff to iron it out. The Jacksonville native is extremely old for an incoming freshman, the oldest player on this list in fact, and will turn 20 in April. That will make him both draft eligible and age appropriate for the 2026 draft, so he may only spend two years in Tallahassee and will want to put things together quickly. If he does, he's a potential fringe average hitter with above average power and excellent athleticism behind the plate, with plenty of upside on both sides of the ball given said athleticism.

7. (#110) OF Sawyer Strosnider, Texas Christian (2026)
Undrafted
Noah Franco may have the more famous name, but Sawyer Strosnider is every bit of the prospect his Californian counterpart is and may have even more upside. It's a very different profile from Franco, and it makes TCU one of two teams to put two players on this list. Much like Hunter Carns one name above him on this list, Strosnider is an athletic specimen that could succeed at virtually any sport he wanted to, and he did indeed star in both basketball and the high jump at Brock High School just west of Weatherford. On the baseball field, that translates into a whippy left handed swing that produces above average power from a very pull-heavy approach that worked against rural North Texas high school pitching. With projection remaining on his 6'2" frame, he has room to easily grow into plus power in time, though he'll have to iron out that approach and learn to use the whole field effectively. Strosnider has had inconsistent performance against higher level pitching and may face a steep learning curve in the Big 12, and with much of TCU's offensive firepower returning from a year ago, he'll have to work hard to get up to speed and earn playing time right away. His plus speed and plus arm (like Franco, he's been up to 93 on the mound) will help pick up some of the slack from his hit tool, with the ability to play anywhere in the outfield at an above average level. Strosnider has massive upside if he can become a more balanced hitter and could become the best player on this list. For now, he'll focus on earning playing time in Fort Worth, where he'll turn 20 just after the close of his freshman season and will be draft eligible as a sophomore.

8. (#118) SS Adam Haight, Oregon State (2027)
Drafted – 20th round (pick #593), New York Mets
After the tragic death of the Pac-12, Oregon State is set to compete as an independent school in 2025 which I personally expected to affect recruitment. Instead, they went out and pillaged the city of Seattle by bringing in superstar Washington transfer Aiva Arquette and expected day two draftee and Cedar Park Christian standout Adam Haight, while also landing a name on the incoming freshman pitcher list that will come out soon. After losing both starting middle infielders from last year, including Guardians first overall pick Travis Bazzana, getting those two shortstops onto campus is a huge win. I'm a big fan of Haight's and he ranks higher on my list than you may see him on others. He was one of the most advanced hitters in the Pacific Northwest last year with a sound approach and a simple, repeatable right handed swing that helped him get to balls all over the zone. That gives him every opportunity to snag that vacant second base role right away. The power is below average right now, but Haight has projection remaining on his skinny 6'2" frame and leverages the ball well, so strength gains in Corvallis could get him closer to average power in due time. He's not much of a runner but has the requisite instincts and glovework to handle any infield position at the college level. In pro ball, he may move to third base especially if he slows down any further. While he's listed as a hitter only on Oregon State's roster, he has been up to 93 with his fastball and gets big riding action on the pitch while adding a decent slider. Unlike most players on this list, the Shoreline, Washington native is actually young for the class, not old, and has plenty of time to fill out and grow into the player he could be. I'm bullish on Haight's upside, especially if he can tack on twenty or so pounds over the next couple of years.

9. (#125) SS Owen Paino, Mississippi (2027)
Undrafted
Owen Paino has long been one of the most famous names in the high school class of 2024, earning significant first round buzz early in his high school career. His star faded a bit over the last calendar year-plus leading up to the draft, and he'll end up in Oxford after failing to receive as much day one interest as he would have liked. Ole Miss returns much of its infield innings from last year and landed Luke Cheng in the transfer portal from Illinois State, though none can out-hit Paino by much if at all and he should be quick to earn playing time for head coach Mike Bianco. As evidenced by an extensive track record against top high school showcase competition going back years, he's an advanced hitter that knows both how to use the whole field and how to turn on the ball for power to the pull side. Listed at 6'3", he has a very physical frame that not only looks like it belongs right away in the SEC, it wouldn't look out of place in the majors. Despite that, he's more strong than explosive and the power is closer to average for now, but he could easily get to above average as he continues to get stronger and learns to leverage the ball out to all fields more consistently. He's heady on the dirt and has a shot to play shortstop at Ole Miss, though his size may push him to third base in the long run if he slows down at all. It's a very well-rounded profile that probably has more floor than upside at this point, but expect him to be a three year performer for the Rebels who can make an impact right away.

10. (#126) C Cade Arrambide, Louisiana State (2027)
Undrafted
LSU is no stranger to recruiting some of the best prep catching talent in the country, and Cade Arrambide gives them an extremely fun profile behind the plate to boot. Additionally, he has a great chance to jump straight into significant playing time as every single catcher from last year's roster is gone, leaving the position wide open. Mississippi JuCo transfer Blaise Priester will give Arrambide a run for his money back there, while Dayton transfer Edward Yamin is the only other catcher listed on the roster and he played mostly first base back in Ohio anyways. Arrambide is as explosive as they come back there. He whips the bat around like a toothpick with a sturdy 6'2" frame and strong forearms that translate to plus raw power at the plate. There is a ton of movement in his operation, most notably a deep hitch in his right handed swing that delays his trigger a bit and could make it tough to catch up to SEC pitching out of the gate. It can affect his ability to get to his gargantuan power against better pitching and will be a point of emphasis during his first fall and offseason in Baton Rouge. That explosiveness translates behind the plate, where he just might have an 80 grade cannon for a right arm. The Houston-area product moves extremely well behind the plate with sneaky athleticism and outstanding body control, giving him the ability to not only throw from all angles, but get power on his throws while doing so. That combination of body control and arm strength allows him to throw runners out on pitches he has no business sending back to second base, such as this one last summer. The glovework itself is a little rougher and will need refinement in Baton Rouge, but I fully expect him to make the necessary adjustments to get close enough to average in that regard. He may spend some time at other positions while he splits time with Priester back there in 2025 but he could be the next star catcher in purple in gold soon enough.

11. (#129) OF Ty Head, North Carolina State (2026)
Undrafted
Turnover has become the norm in Raleigh, and 2025 will be no different with what looks to be a new-look offense almost entirely up and down the offense. With a lack of experienced high impact transfers on the offensive side of the ball as well, Ty Head has a great opportunity to grab everyday playing time right out of the gate. One of the most advanced prep hitters in Florida, he'll be plenty ready for ACC pitching as well. Head has a sublime approach at the plate that puts him on base with great regularity, using an all fields approach to make plenty of contact. Coming in at a lanky 6'3", he lacks the pure strength to produce more than fringy power at this point but could grow into average power in time as he gets on the NC State conditioning program. An above average runner, he has great instincts in the outfield and could slide into the center field role in Raleigh right away, with a shot to continue doing so in pro ball in the long term. The power will be nice to have in the long run if he ever grows into it, especially in pro ball, but for now the hit/defense combination is exactly what pushes freshman into the lineup on day one. He's very old for an incoming freshman like many other players on this list so he'll be draft eligible again as a sophomore, so breaking into that lineup and growing into some impact will be key for his 2026 draft stock.

12. (#132) OF Derek Curiel, Louisiana State (2026)
Undrafted
As arguably the pre-eminent recruiters in all of college baseball at this point, it was perhaps a bit of a surprise to see that LSU did not land a top-nine position player prospect, but they made up for it by landing #10 and #12 and therefore joining TCU as one of two schools with two names on this list (they'll also be well represented on the pitching list, which is coming out next). Derek Curiel has followed a somewhat similar path to Owen Paino in that he has long been one of the most famous names in the prep class of 2024, earning first round consideration early in his high school career alongside Paino. Long one of the most advanced hitters on the West Coast, he has a long track record of performance against top competition stretching years back. Curiel employs a loose, effortless left handed swing that he whips through the zone with great extension, helping him use the whole field effectively and fill the gaps with extra base hits. Standing 6'2", he's very skinny and lacks power at this point, while I'm not sure how much added strength his narrow frame will support. He'll likely always be hit over power, which will mean high on-base percentages both at LSU and beyond. Defensively, his above average speed and strong instincts will help him slot into center field at some point in his LSU career and potentially play the position in pro ball too. His advanced hitting ability will carry him towards the top couple rounds in 2026, when he'll be eligible as a sophomore, and he could push his way back into day one if he shows some power. The profile overall reminds me of Nationals prospect and former first round pick Robert Hassell.

Others
13. (#133) OF Terrence Kiel II, Texas A&M (2027)
14. (#138) C James Nunnallee, Virginia (2027)
15. (#145) OF D'Marion Terrell, Auburn (2027)
16. (#146) C Anderson French, Virginia Tech (2027)
17. (#154) SS Erik Parker, Georgia (2027)
18. (#156) C Burke Mabeus, Oregon (2026)
19. (#157) SS Manny Marin, Tennessee (2026)
20. (#158) OF Jace Souza, Texas Tech (2027)