And just like that, we're back! We're excited to present our first amateur side project of this cycle, our top 50 college prospects list. With a new year of coverage comes new faces and ideas, and it brings us great joy to present new members of the team: Will Dodge, JB Sebastiano, Peyton Franks, Nathan Carreiro, and Josh Catlett. They join returning evaluators Drew Wheeler, Jacob Maxwell, Ethan Kagno, Perry Nadreau, and Harris Yudin in supplying reports within this list.
This list-making process began over a month ago with 100 names and a Google Spreadsheet. The list quickly expanded to more names, and in total, the team wrote roughly ~150 scouting reports before we began our ranking process. For every player, we carefully assigned an OFP grade and then ranked people within their respective tiers. As you can tell from some of our rankings, we highly value players with a high floor. In an initial ranking, we wanted to rank players based on who is most likely to remain in their current spot, rather than trying to project who will come out of nowhere during the 2026 season.
Roch Cholowsky is the only 60 OFP on our board, followed by eight 55's, nineteen 50's, with the rest of the list filled in with high-level 45's. I would expect the 50s to expand slightly as the cycle continues.
The 2026 class on paper will be much stronger than 2025's. There are far more 55s and 50s than last year, with a notably stronger group of college bats that will buoy day one of the draft. You'll be hearing from us again soon with our prep top 50.
Roch Cholowsky is one of the most complete shortstops we have seen come from the college ranks this decade, boasting above-average or better tools in every facet of the game. Cholowsky surprisingly chose to go to college despite being a top-ranked prospect in 2023, which is now looking like a great decision with Cholowsky becoming the unanimous 1.1 in 2026. Roch had a solid freshman season, hitting .308/.399/.500 while playing mostly third base for the Bruins, but he took his game to the next level in 2025. Roch got better in every facet of the game while upping his homerun total from 8 to 23, showing mature physical development while hitting the ball in the air at an above-average rate last season. Roch has a smooth swing that allows him to hit for power to all fields while getting his A-Swing off consistently. He has a standard load and coil with a flat bat path that allows him to prioritize contact over power, letting his physicality supply the extra base hits. Cholowsky has a great eye at the plate, walking 45 times last year while only striking out 30 times. He handles velo and high-level breakers as good as anyone else, never looking uncomfortable in the box. Roch is a future MLB shortstop with smooth actions and a plus arm that gives him gold glove upside. He excels at making the difficult play, whether that be on the run or deep in the hole. Cholowsky has the arm and first step to have a chance at every ground ball on the left side of the infield. This is simply one of the most complete prospects we’ve seen in years, with all signs pointing toward Cholowsky winning a Golden Spikes award this season and hearing his name called first next summer. - Nate Rasmussen
The battle for the number 2 player on our college board was tough, but Drew Burress came out victorious due to his high floor and consistent performance over the past two years. Burress has been one of the best players in college baseball since he stepped foot on campus, having one of the most mature approaches in the box of anyone in this class. While Burress notably took a minor step back in 2025, his ‘step back’ was still being one of the most productive players in the country. Burress’ swing is a bit unorthodox despite his prowess for contact, with plenty of moving parts that are overshadowed by great hand speed and the ability to hit fastballs at an elite rate. Moving from the ACC to pro ball will expose some of his mechanical inefficiencies, but none of them are big red flags as of right now. Burress is smaller in stature, standing at only 5’9, but he has above-average raw power with the ability to make that play even better via a left and pull approach. He commands the zone from the batter's box, rarely chasing pitches and having one of the better 90th percentile exit velocities in this class. Defensively, Drew is a capable centerfielder with good range and movements. His arm aids the case that he could remain in centerfield, but as he approaches the MLB, we could see him move to a corner and be an above-average defender. - Nate Rasmussen
Chris Hacopian is one of the best players in the 2026 draft. At the plate, he showcases an elite hit tool and above-average straightaway and pull-side power. In 2025, he held a 89.4 zCon%, 80 SL&SWCon%, 107.8 90th EV, and 111.9 Max EV. His stance has his knees slightly bent and a high timing leg kick during the delivery. During two strikes, he’ll go into a more contact-oriented and protective stance, hunched over a little more and ready to spoil good pitches. His zSWing% goes from 63% to 98.4% in two-strike counts and is also accompanied by an increase in zCon% up to 91.8% and oCon% of 82.2%. The contact-oriented two-strike approach doesn’t come with a massive decrease in power, though, and he has shown the ability to drive hard line drives into the gap with it. Hacopian also only struck out 7.6% of the time in 2025. His swing is tailored towards pitches middle away for slug, but when pitchers go middle in, he almost always makes contact. Pitches to Hacopian on the outer third resulted in a .430 xwOBAcon but an 80.6% contact rate in comparison to a .341 xwOBAcon and 93.1% contact rate for pitches in the inner half of the zone. Just over 64.2% of his home runs came on the outer half of the plate. Even with those splits from 2025, I think that the adjustability is so good in his bat that it’ll become a pick-your-poison type of game plan for pitchers in 2026. There are advanced traits in his bat that I think it’s completely fair to slap a 70 hit and 55 power in the present. The defense on paper is spotty because of the errors, but after going through the tape, Hacopian definitely has the range to stay at short and has a fringe-average arm. Going to his right, he has a great ability to get to the ball, but struggles were throwing the ball. The throwing motion can definitely be improved, allowing him to get the ball out quicker, but I can also see a potential uptick in his throw power. There are also some loose aspects in terms of his glove and making basic plays, which often get cleaned up by pro coaches. For now, I think he’s an average SS that can move to 3B (and be really good just going to his right) if it doesn’t work, but the traits are there to be good. He’s an above-average runner but doesn’t have top-end burst. Overall, Hacopian should project as a top 3 pick. If he can clean up mistakes at SS this season, I think there can be a conversation about him being a potential 1.1, but even without that, the hitting and power tools are great enough for me to feel safe projecting him to go top 5. - Peyton Franks
AJ Gracia is one of the biggest names changing teams this year, transferring with Chris Pollard from Duke to Virginia. Gracia is simply an offensive powerhouse, making tangible swing changes during the 2025 season that propelled him to another great year. Over the past two seasons, Gracia has maintained an OBP above .440, which ranks among the best marks in baseball since he entered college. In the box, AJ stands tall with a slightly open stance. He doesn’t use his legs as much as others do, but he doesn’t need them, already possessing top-end exit velocities. Gracia is extremely passive at the plate, which inflates his walk rate and will undoubtedly need to be minimized at the next level. Everything else at the plate is near-elite for Gracia, rarely chasing or whiffing while barreling up baseballs at one of the highest rates in college. On the defensive end, Gracia has played some centerfield, but will be a left fielder at the next level, with average at best arm strength and not much range. There is a real argument for Gracia to end up as high as 2 on our draft board come July, but he’ll have to show more capabilities on defense and swing the bat more. - Nate Rasmussen
Cameron Flukey has narrowly separated himself from his fellow top-tier college arms due to a blend of projection and present tools unlike anyone else. At present, Cameron Flukey throws hard. In the future, Cameron Flukey is going to throw really hard. Currently in the mid-90s with the heater, Flukey has an electric fastball that has life at the top of the zone while still obtaining some projection via better locations. Flukey has excellent release traits, as you’d expect of a 6’6 man, showing plus extension through elite forward tilt out of a ¾ slot. Both of Flukey’s breaking balls are current weapons, with a tight slider and big curveball. The slider has great movement quality and is a platoon neutral pitch, allowing Flukey to delay his changeup development a bit. His curveball has big movement and can be used as both a get-me-over or a chase pitch depending on the count. His changeup has shown well in early returns, but he simply hasn’t had to use it due to already possessing 3 plus pitches while facing mostly mid-major hitters. There is room to add more shapes to Flukey moving forward, with an MLB org likely adding another fastball or two to round out his arsenal. With 4 or 5 great college arms in this class, Flukey being able to further separate himself heading into next July will be a tough task as the current top pitcher on our board. - Nate Rasmussen
Curiel has a lean, athletic frame with definite room for added muscle and uses it well in every facet of his game. The outfielder employs a calm, upright stance at the plate before unfurling at the waist through his load; Curiel’s swing is simple and easy, quick through the zone, and could even be called beautiful. Curiel has shown the ability to cover the outer reaches of the zone and succeeded against pro-level velocity in 2025, spraying the ball across the field in any count and looking comfortable against SEC pitching as a freshman, even racking up a 40+ game hit streak to start his collegiate career. From a discipline perspective, Curiel was patient without being passive in 2025; the outfielder walked about 16 percent of the time while only striking out about 17 percent. Curiel has enough bat speed and discipline to attack pitches and drive them out of the yard or for extra bases, but raw power is not part of his game for the moment. There is a reasonable grasp of power at present, but with muscle, he could develop into a comfortable 18-22 HR threat. Curiel is an efficient runner whose leads in the outfield will benefit more from his speed than potential stolen bases; he has a good, quick first step and accelerates well into a nice, balanced stride. Curiel’s arm grades as average, but his speed, motions, and reads all make him an above-average defender who should swim in center field this season. Curiel is very much an unfinished product who improved through 2025 and will feasibly continue to get better through 2026; at present, Curiel is a developmental stud who is a near lock for a first-round selection. – Drew Wheeler
Justin Lebron is one of the most polarizing players in this draft class, with the upside to go in the top 3 picks, but enough question marks to leave some worried about a slide outside of the top 15 next summer. Lebron is a twitched-up player with feel in all aspects of the game, hitting .316 last year with 18 homers and 17 stolen bases. Lebron’s hit tool is the present concern, struggling with both whiff and chase in and out of the zone. He’s an aggressive hitter, which isn’t always a bad thing, but there is refinement needed for Justin in 2026. Recognizing spin and covering the pitches below the zone are two clear areas of improvement. The swing is fundamentally sound, with a quiet body and an ideal swing plane to maximize power. Lebron is still visibly lean, likely being able to add a few more pounds to his frame without sacrificing much on the defensive end. At shortstop, Justin is a wizard, capable of making every play at the 6 with ease. His defensive value at the next level will buoy his draft stock in the first round, and I would expect Lebron to challenge Roch Cholowsky for a Golden Spikes next season if he continues improving. - Nate Rasmussen
Jackson Flora comes in as our second-best college pitcher in the 2026 class, with more projection than maybe anyone else in the class. Last year, Flora played second-fiddle to Tyler Bremner, but finished the year with a 3.6 ERA and strong numbers under the hood. His fastball gets in the mid to upper 90s with carry and a shape that projects to be an above-average or better offering at the next level. Bremner also has two breaking balls, a firm slider and a sweeper, that are both in a similar developmental standing to his fastball. The slider should be used even more this year, as it’s a weapon both in the zone and out of the zone, and has a repeatable shape. Flora also has a changeup that is a work-in-progress with good shape. Arm speed is the name of the game with Flora, with smooth mechanics helping him get down the mound with conviction. There is plenty of room to add to Flora’s frame, with a fastball touching 100 in a few years, feeling like a realistic outcome for the righty. While Flora might not get drafted second overall, we could see him get a similar dollar figure to Tyler Bremner next July if he has a good season. - Nate Rasmussen
Maddox Molony grew up next door to the University of Oregon and has a chance to be one of UO’s earliest draft picks in recent history. The Molony name will continue at Oregon beyond this year, as Maddox’s younger brother is joining Maddox on the baseball field this year. Molony has some of the most present tools in the draft, led by future gold glove caliber play at shortstop and a steady bat. Molony hit .309/.403/.565 in 2025, improving upon his standout freshman season the year prior. At present, Molony doesn’t have any standout offensive tools; instead, his projection is led by an incredibly high floor. Maddox puts up good contact numbers without too much chase, punishing everything that is thrown in the zone with one of the better IZ Contact rates at the top of this class. Molony’s power doesn’t come from pure strength; it comes from a knack for finding barrel with good batted ball characteristics. Molony upped his fly ball rate by 8% in 2025, which led to an uptick in home runs, maximizing his current impact through lifting and pulling the baseball. His swing is clean and quiet with a small load, projecting to easily play in pro ball against better pitching. His defense is where things get really fun, with Molony making every play necessary for a shortstop and then some. His arm is strong enough to make any throw, and Molony has a knack for making the toughest plays look easy on PK Park’s turf infield. Molony is one of the safest players in the 2025 draft, and could find himself being selected very early on day one if his bat takes a tick up in 2026. - Nate Rasmussen
After being drafted 66th overall in 2024, Tyler Bell chose to go to school at Kentucky, which is paying off in a big way for the draft-eligible sophomore. Bell plays with some swag on the field, with great present power despite his youth and stature. At times, Bell struggled against quality pitching, especially those who could spin the ball well. Despite a higher strikeout rate at 22%, Tyler shows average to above-average contact skills as a switch-hitter. The power really comes to play from the left side, where Bell is able to hit balls consistently in the triple digits with one of the best average EVs and 90th percentile EVs in this shortstop class. Bell should be able to add some more size while still remaining at shortstop, giving him a current edge in the power department over his hit tool. The swing is fluid with no obvious flaws from both sides of the plate, with Bell’s pitch recognition lagging slightly behind the rest of his offensive skillset. His defense is strong up the middle, with the capability to make every throw needed at shortstop with an above-average arm. I would expect him to remain at shortstop for a long time. Bell is still young and raw, but all the tools are there for him to be an impact player in pro ball. - Nate Rasmussen
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
