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)
