Every year, I try to evaluate prospects with the names removed, just digesting the data. With superstars like Roch Cholowsky, AJ Gracia, Vahn Lackey, and Justin Lebron at the top of the class, it’s easy to blindly slot those names at the top of draft rankings. But when you strip the names away, one prospect stands out with an elite combination of raw power, contact ability, and approach, backed by multiple years of success in college baseball. A prospect performing against SEC competition this season, with a profile that translates directly to professional baseball. From a data standpoint, Chris Hacopian has the best combination of power, feel for the barrel, and approach in this class, and those are the skills that make elite MLB hitters.
Best Overall Hitter in the Class
It is not foolproof, but when evaluating a hitter, I always immediately look at three pieces of data: Contact%, Chase%, and Average Exit Velocity. The reason is that I believe that those are the skills that matter most when competition improves. That same process allowed me to call Carson Benge the steal of the 2024 draft, Nick Kurtz as the most MLB-ready, and Andrew Fischer as the best hitter in 2025. It’s not perfect, but the evidence of the last two drafts shows it is reliable. This year, the process immediately identified Hacopian as the most well-rounded hitter in the class.
Last season at Maryland, he finished the season as one of the best hitters in the country with a .373/.502/.648 triple slash line, with only 19 strikeouts to 40 walks. The data paints an even better story. He averaged a 93.2 mph exit velocity on the season with a 56.8% hard hit rate. That batted ball profile came with an 84.5% contact rate and a 17.5% contact rate. That output is above the 90th percentile in all three of the “Big Three” metrics I look at.
While the output hasn’t been as elite this season at Texas A&M, the data says he has been just as good. His contact rate has improved to 85.6%, and the chase has lowered to a 14.8%. The batted ball profile has slightly regressed, Avg. EV has lowered to 91.5, and his barrel% is down to 12.2, but he has battled injuries through much of the early spring, limiting his overall strength. There is no question the power is in the tank due to above-average bat speed and elite EV90, and combine that raw strength with above-average feel for the barrel and borderline elite approach, and you have a profile that translates immediately to the professional level.
Untapped Raw Power
What makes Hacopian even more intriguing is the belief that there is untapped power in his game. In 2025, he hit 14 home runs, but only 3 of them went less than 400 feet. That shows that when he hits them, they go a long way. On top of that, only 5 were hit to the pull side. That tells me there are some approach adjustments that could lead to a higher home run output. Considering the 31.1% LA 10-30 in 2025, it wasn’t because he didn’t hit the ball in the air enough. He simply did not pull the ball enough.
I am always hesitant to ask a hitter to pull the ball more. The “Real vs. Feel” debate is very real in player development, and just suggesting a hitter pull the ball more usually causes regression. Especially considering he hit .373/.502/.648, I do not blame anyone for not asking him to do anything different. But to tap into Hacopian’s ceiling as a professional player, a more natural feel for pulling the baseball would go a long way to tapping into his potential.
I think that is an adjustment he made following his transfer to Texas A&M. All 4 of his home runs this spring have been pulled, and as I mentioned earlier, sometimes there is a regression when trying to tap into the full potential of a hitter. Asking a hitter to pull the ball more can cause some mechanical inconsistencies, leading to a lack of elite performance. But I believe that regression is going to lead to better performance in the long run. One adjustment entering this spring led to the regression we are seeing this spring, but I firmly believe that it will lead to Hacopian’s professional gain.
What are the Concerns?
The main concern is just the fact that we haven’t seen it yet. Data provides information, but results are the only thing that matters. To sit here and say, “he should perform better,” is useless. But as an MLB org, you are paid to use all the information to make the most informed decision. It is why Carson Benge’s best baseball was played after college. The Mets saw untapped potential and took a chance on him using the “Big Three” metrics. An argument could be made that Nick Kurtz’s rookie season was better than his Junior year of college. That is because the data told a better story than the true on-field output. That is why data matters.
Assuming Hacopian doesn’t go on a heater to finish the season, he will always be tied to being an average performer as a Junior in college. That is something many evaluators will be unable to forgive. But if you look at the intentionality of the adjustments he made entering 2026, it is easy to see where the progression can be made. If he can start to pull the ball with more consistency, the raw power screams 30 home runs. Combine that with the contact rate of a .290 hitter and the approach of a .400 OBP. As I always hear hitting coaches say, “power output comes last.” That is largely because you want to build the foundation on elite feel for the barrel and approach, then mature into more power. Learning how to press the gas pedal in 2-0 to hit a home run to LF, then battling with 2 strikes to pound a ball to the oppo gap is what elite hitters do. Hacopian has all the skills to do just that.
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurt_player02 on Instagram & Threads @kuwasemiller.bksy.social on BlueSky)
