For the second year in a row, a Texas A&M lefty headlines the list. While Prager's return didn't do much for the Aggies' season in 2025, they'll hope for better results with Shane Sdao in tow. All five names will be returning to or joining SEC teams as college athletics' concentration of talent in the conference grows stronger each year – Sdao and Tre Phelps return to A&M and Georgia, respectively, while Matt Scott, Trent Caraway, and Henry Ford have transferred to Georgia, LSU, and Tennessee from Stanford, Oregon State, and Virginia, respectively. While Sdao returns after surgery wiped out his 2025 season, three of the four other names return after significantly underperforming what had been first round projections entering the season. Only Sdao will be 22 on Opening Day as youth also played a factor on who decided not to go pro just yet.
Note that this list was compiled based on their ranking on my 2025 draft board (in parentheses) and does not account for fall performance.
1. LHP Shane Sdao, Texas A&M (my rank: #101)
Texas A&M fans feared for their season when Shane Sdao went down with Tommy John surgery a year ago, and as it turns out, the fears were completely founded as the team missed the playoffs. As a consolation prize, the Aggies will get him back for a mulligan in 2026 as they load up for another daunting SEC schedule. Sdao has spent two years as a swingman, improving greatly from his freshman 2023 (4.78 ERA, 23.2% K, 7.6% BB) to his sophomore 2024 (2.96 ERA, 28.4% K, 4.6% BB) seasons. The fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 97 in relief, but plays up with flat plane from a low slot. He has an above average slider that dives across the plate and has proven very effective in SEC play, while his changeup is coming along and looks to be average. Working from a three quarters slot, he gets good extension and hitters struggle to pick up his release point. In addition, the Houston-area product has above average command and consistently stays ahead in the count by pounding the strike zone, helping him pitch deeper into games than his slight 6'2" frame would typically allow. The command and three pitch mix gives hope that he could be a starter at least in college ball, though his big league future is likely in the bullpen with his skinny frame and lack of proven durability. Back healthy in 2026, he'll look to provide a veteran presence on a pitching staff that lost five arms to the draft in Justin Lamkin (CBB round, Royals), Myles Patton (7th round, Red Sox), Kaiden Wilson (9th round, Marlins), Ryan Prager (9th round, Guardians), and Luke Jackson (11th round, Rays). That works in detriment to his own draft stock, as he'll turn 23 just two months after the 2026 draft.
Texas A&M fans feared for their season when Shane Sdao went down with Tommy John surgery a year ago, and as it turns out, the fears were completely founded as the team missed the playoffs. As a consolation prize, the Aggies will get him back for a mulligan in 2026 as they load up for another daunting SEC schedule. Sdao has spent two years as a swingman, improving greatly from his freshman 2023 (4.78 ERA, 23.2% K, 7.6% BB) to his sophomore 2024 (2.96 ERA, 28.4% K, 4.6% BB) seasons. The fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 97 in relief, but plays up with flat plane from a low slot. He has an above average slider that dives across the plate and has proven very effective in SEC play, while his changeup is coming along and looks to be average. Working from a three quarters slot, he gets good extension and hitters struggle to pick up his release point. In addition, the Houston-area product has above average command and consistently stays ahead in the count by pounding the strike zone, helping him pitch deeper into games than his slight 6'2" frame would typically allow. The command and three pitch mix gives hope that he could be a starter at least in college ball, though his big league future is likely in the bullpen with his skinny frame and lack of proven durability. Back healthy in 2026, he'll look to provide a veteran presence on a pitching staff that lost five arms to the draft in Justin Lamkin (CBB round, Royals), Myles Patton (7th round, Red Sox), Kaiden Wilson (9th round, Marlins), Ryan Prager (9th round, Guardians), and Luke Jackson (11th round, Rays). That works in detriment to his own draft stock, as he'll turn 23 just two months after the 2026 draft.
2. RHP Matt Scott, Stanford -> Georgia (my rank: #113)
Matt Scott is coming off a very disappointing season at Stanford in which he fell from a projected first round pick to more of a fourth to sixth round projection. Instead of returning to Palo Alto, he and Joey Volchko will make it three high profile righties transferring from Stanford to Georgia in as many years, following Brandt Pancer two years ago. Scott quickly broke into the rotation as a freshman at Stanford and never looked back, making 38 starts over three seasons (in addition to 13 relief appearances) and throwing nearly two hundred innings. His combination of size, stuff, and durability attracted first round projections to start the season, but he struggled to a 6.02 ERA and just a 23% strikeout rate as his stuff proved more hittable in ACC play. The fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 98 at peak with massive riding action from a sky-high release point, though he can come to rely to heavily on it at times. He has a tight slider that can vary in shape, looking above average at its best but flattening out at other times. His splitter has gotten great results in the past, but he has never come to trust it enough to prove it as a potential big league weapon just yet. The stuff lost some of its crispness in 2025 that led to the down year, but upon transferring to Georgia, he had a strong fall and is looking sharper than ever heading into 2026. Listed at 6'7", 245 pounds, he brings massive size that bodes well both for durability and deception. He repeats his delivery fairly well and pounds the strike zone aggressively, though his control has always been ahead of his command so he can get hit over the middle of the plate. If Scott can maintain the strides he's made with his stuff, he should be a reliable SEC starter for a Georgia team that lost ten pitchers to the draft. In fact, 85% of the Bulldogs' innings pitched from last year are gone, including their top nine pitchers by innings. Scott and Volchko, alongside former USC righty Caden Aoki, headline a really nice transfer class on the mound as they all come over from the West Coast. A step forward in command as well for Scott this year could also make him one of the better senior signs available in the 2026 class, one who could fast track to the majors.
Matt Scott is coming off a very disappointing season at Stanford in which he fell from a projected first round pick to more of a fourth to sixth round projection. Instead of returning to Palo Alto, he and Joey Volchko will make it three high profile righties transferring from Stanford to Georgia in as many years, following Brandt Pancer two years ago. Scott quickly broke into the rotation as a freshman at Stanford and never looked back, making 38 starts over three seasons (in addition to 13 relief appearances) and throwing nearly two hundred innings. His combination of size, stuff, and durability attracted first round projections to start the season, but he struggled to a 6.02 ERA and just a 23% strikeout rate as his stuff proved more hittable in ACC play. The fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 98 at peak with massive riding action from a sky-high release point, though he can come to rely to heavily on it at times. He has a tight slider that can vary in shape, looking above average at its best but flattening out at other times. His splitter has gotten great results in the past, but he has never come to trust it enough to prove it as a potential big league weapon just yet. The stuff lost some of its crispness in 2025 that led to the down year, but upon transferring to Georgia, he had a strong fall and is looking sharper than ever heading into 2026. Listed at 6'7", 245 pounds, he brings massive size that bodes well both for durability and deception. He repeats his delivery fairly well and pounds the strike zone aggressively, though his control has always been ahead of his command so he can get hit over the middle of the plate. If Scott can maintain the strides he's made with his stuff, he should be a reliable SEC starter for a Georgia team that lost ten pitchers to the draft. In fact, 85% of the Bulldogs' innings pitched from last year are gone, including their top nine pitchers by innings. Scott and Volchko, alongside former USC righty Caden Aoki, headline a really nice transfer class on the mound as they all come over from the West Coast. A step forward in command as well for Scott this year could also make him one of the better senior signs available in the 2026 class, one who could fast track to the majors.
3. 3B Trent Caraway, Oregon State -> Louisiana State (my rank: #115)
Trent Caraway has been in the public eye for several years now as a premium prospect, and to this point he remains a highly volatile one whose future is hard to pin down. A star at powerhouse JSerra High School in Southern California, he earned interest in the top 100 interest but ultimately matriculated to Oregon State as the #2 position player prospect to reach campus from the 2023 class. He was one of the oldest incoming freshmen in the country and turned 20 midway through his freshman season, where he got off to a red hot start in 2024 before he broke his finger. Returning healthy in his draft-eligible 2025, he underperformed for much of the season before catching fire in the Corvallis Regional, where he went 9-17 with five home runs in as many games against Saint Mary's, TCU, and Southern Cal. While he had some first round projections before the season, the slump had pushed him back several rounds and the strong regional wasn't enough to make up the difference, so teams did not meet his asking price and instead he'll transfer across the country to join Jay Johnson's squad in Baton Rouge. Caraway can hit, without a doubt. Very physical at 6'2", 205 pounds, he shows plus power to the pull side with the strong wrists and core to muscle balls out of the park. He has pretty solid bat to ball as well and a long track record of hitting dating back to his prep days, albeit at times against younger competition, though his approach has wavered. In Corvallis, he has been chase-happy and rarely forced pitchers into his wheelhouse, causing some of his power to play down and his strikeout rate to spike. Interestingly, sandwiched between his two years at Oregon State was a strong run against excellent competition in the Cape Cod League where he hit .276/.362/.449 with a lower strikeout rate than either of his years with the Beavers. Now in the SEC, he'll again face top competition and it remains to be seen whether his approach plays up as it did on the Cape or down as it did in Corvallis. Caraway's physicality gives way to below average athleticism at third base, where his heavy feet limit his range, but he makes up for it with a steady glove and a strong arm that should work in college ball. In pro ball, it may portend a move to first base or an outfield corner.
Trent Caraway has been in the public eye for several years now as a premium prospect, and to this point he remains a highly volatile one whose future is hard to pin down. A star at powerhouse JSerra High School in Southern California, he earned interest in the top 100 interest but ultimately matriculated to Oregon State as the #2 position player prospect to reach campus from the 2023 class. He was one of the oldest incoming freshmen in the country and turned 20 midway through his freshman season, where he got off to a red hot start in 2024 before he broke his finger. Returning healthy in his draft-eligible 2025, he underperformed for much of the season before catching fire in the Corvallis Regional, where he went 9-17 with five home runs in as many games against Saint Mary's, TCU, and Southern Cal. While he had some first round projections before the season, the slump had pushed him back several rounds and the strong regional wasn't enough to make up the difference, so teams did not meet his asking price and instead he'll transfer across the country to join Jay Johnson's squad in Baton Rouge. Caraway can hit, without a doubt. Very physical at 6'2", 205 pounds, he shows plus power to the pull side with the strong wrists and core to muscle balls out of the park. He has pretty solid bat to ball as well and a long track record of hitting dating back to his prep days, albeit at times against younger competition, though his approach has wavered. In Corvallis, he has been chase-happy and rarely forced pitchers into his wheelhouse, causing some of his power to play down and his strikeout rate to spike. Interestingly, sandwiched between his two years at Oregon State was a strong run against excellent competition in the Cape Cod League where he hit .276/.362/.449 with a lower strikeout rate than either of his years with the Beavers. Now in the SEC, he'll again face top competition and it remains to be seen whether his approach plays up as it did on the Cape or down as it did in Corvallis. Caraway's physicality gives way to below average athleticism at third base, where his heavy feet limit his range, but he makes up for it with a steady glove and a strong arm that should work in college ball. In pro ball, it may portend a move to first base or an outfield corner.
4. OF/1B Henry Ford, Virginia -> Tennessee (my rank: #116)
Henry Ford's monstrous two year run at UVA comes to an end as he transfers from Charlottesville to the state of Tennessee for his junior year of school for the second time. A Charlottesville native, he began his high school career locally at St. Anne's Belfield High School but transferred to the powerhouse Baylor School in Chattanooga for his last two years of high school. Returning home for college, picked up Freshman All-American honors in 2024 and continued his success in 2025, ultimately hitting .348/.414/.587 with 28 home runs in 111 games over two seasons. With head coach Brian O'Connor taking the reins at Mississippi State, Ford will head back to Tennessee for his junior year, this time as a collegiate (where he again lost his head coach as Tony Vitello joins the San Francisco Giants). Listed at 6'5", 220 pounds, there's no mistaking what Ford is looking to do in the box. Employing a pull-heavy approach that runs contrary to most Cavalier hitting prospects in the past, he has shown plus power to that side in the past but didn't tap it as much in 2025. The ball jumps off his bat to the opposite field as well, though it will often be on mishits as he looks to go to right. Ford shows above average bat to ball and strikes out much less than the typical 6'5" power hitter, but as a very aggressive hitter, it can almost work against him as he makes too much weak contact on early count pitches that other hitters might take or even swing through to get another shot to hit the ball harder. In Knoxville, he'll look to clean up the approach a little and focus more on doing damage in the zone, where he rarely misses. Going from pitcher-friendly Davenport Field in Charlottesville to hitter-friendly Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville certainly won't help either. Previously a first baseman, he elevated his profile a bit in 2025 by showing well at multiple outfield positions, though his below average speed may limit him to left field in the long run. Ford had been old for a college sophomore but still didn't turn 21 until after the draft, so he'll still be close to age appropriate for the 2026 class.
Henry Ford's monstrous two year run at UVA comes to an end as he transfers from Charlottesville to the state of Tennessee for his junior year of school for the second time. A Charlottesville native, he began his high school career locally at St. Anne's Belfield High School but transferred to the powerhouse Baylor School in Chattanooga for his last two years of high school. Returning home for college, picked up Freshman All-American honors in 2024 and continued his success in 2025, ultimately hitting .348/.414/.587 with 28 home runs in 111 games over two seasons. With head coach Brian O'Connor taking the reins at Mississippi State, Ford will head back to Tennessee for his junior year, this time as a collegiate (where he again lost his head coach as Tony Vitello joins the San Francisco Giants). Listed at 6'5", 220 pounds, there's no mistaking what Ford is looking to do in the box. Employing a pull-heavy approach that runs contrary to most Cavalier hitting prospects in the past, he has shown plus power to that side in the past but didn't tap it as much in 2025. The ball jumps off his bat to the opposite field as well, though it will often be on mishits as he looks to go to right. Ford shows above average bat to ball and strikes out much less than the typical 6'5" power hitter, but as a very aggressive hitter, it can almost work against him as he makes too much weak contact on early count pitches that other hitters might take or even swing through to get another shot to hit the ball harder. In Knoxville, he'll look to clean up the approach a little and focus more on doing damage in the zone, where he rarely misses. Going from pitcher-friendly Davenport Field in Charlottesville to hitter-friendly Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville certainly won't help either. Previously a first baseman, he elevated his profile a bit in 2025 by showing well at multiple outfield positions, though his below average speed may limit him to left field in the long run. Ford had been old for a college sophomore but still didn't turn 21 until after the draft, so he'll still be close to age appropriate for the 2026 class.
5. OF Tre Phelps, Georgia (my rank: #136)
In a year of a lot of turnover for the Georgia Bulldogs roster, Tre Phelps will be an unexpected familiar face to anchor the lineup. He burst onto the scene with a huge freshman season in 2024, where he joined Henry Ford on Freshman All-American lists by hitting .353/.441/.699 with a dozen home runs in 42 games. Like Matt Scott and Trent Caraway above him on this list, he played himself into the first round conversation entering the season, but also like his counterparts above, he couldn't quite match the success in 2025. In 2024, he showed plus bat to ball and ran a minuscule 9.3% strikeout rate while showing off above average power, but that regressed all around in 2025. Always a very aggressive hitter, his approach caught up to him in 2025 as his strikeout rate doubled to 18.9% and pitchers attacked his weaknesses, namely his propensity to chase. Phelps still has the big bat speed that helps him profile for 20+ home runs at the big league level, but he wasn't able to get to it as often in 2025 and made a lot more weak contact. Like the names above him on this list, he'll benefit from a more consistent plan at the plate rather than going up and just whacking at the ball. Returning to Athens should help in that regard and he won't turn 22 until tournament time, making him only a few months older than many of his 2026 draft counterparts. Defensively, Georgia has tried the Atlanta native at quite a few different spots but nothing has stood out to this point, with a likely future at first base or left field unless he improves his fringy athleticism. Phelps is extraordinarily talented and retains high upside if he can put it all together.
In a year of a lot of turnover for the Georgia Bulldogs roster, Tre Phelps will be an unexpected familiar face to anchor the lineup. He burst onto the scene with a huge freshman season in 2024, where he joined Henry Ford on Freshman All-American lists by hitting .353/.441/.699 with a dozen home runs in 42 games. Like Matt Scott and Trent Caraway above him on this list, he played himself into the first round conversation entering the season, but also like his counterparts above, he couldn't quite match the success in 2025. In 2024, he showed plus bat to ball and ran a minuscule 9.3% strikeout rate while showing off above average power, but that regressed all around in 2025. Always a very aggressive hitter, his approach caught up to him in 2025 as his strikeout rate doubled to 18.9% and pitchers attacked his weaknesses, namely his propensity to chase. Phelps still has the big bat speed that helps him profile for 20+ home runs at the big league level, but he wasn't able to get to it as often in 2025 and made a lot more weak contact. Like the names above him on this list, he'll benefit from a more consistent plan at the plate rather than going up and just whacking at the ball. Returning to Athens should help in that regard and he won't turn 22 until tournament time, making him only a few months older than many of his 2026 draft counterparts. Defensively, Georgia has tried the Atlanta native at quite a few different spots but nothing has stood out to this point, with a likely future at first base or left field unless he improves his fringy athleticism. Phelps is extraordinarily talented and retains high upside if he can put it all together.
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