For as talented as the 2026 draft class is, the college pitcher group came into the season with a lot of questions. Many believed Cameron Flukey was a lock to be the top arm, but he has battled injuries this spring, limiting his opportunities to showcase his improved stuff. Jackson Flora has taken the mantle from Flukey as SP1 and run with it, posting a 0.83 ERA and a 24.1 IP scoreless streak entering this weekend, but after that, it is wide open. Ultra-talented arms like Gabe Gaeckle and Liam Peterson have struggled with consistency and carry significant reliever risk, and then there is a massive gap down to a large group of high-upside arms who are dominating hitters this spring. The SP2 slot is anyone’s to claim, and here are some of the names to know.
2026 Draft Pitchers to Know
Cole Carlon, Arizona State
Carlon was a dominant reliever last year for the Sun Devils, logging 54 IP, striking out 86 batters, and leading the nation in whiff% with a 40.8% rate. The stuff was evident every time he stepped on the mound, but the question was, could he maintain the elite repertoire as a starting pitcher, throwing 7 innings and going through the lineup 3 times? So far, he has done that and more.
Through 7 starts and 35.1 IP, Carlon has dominated hitters to a 3.57 ERA, 55 strikeouts, and only 15 walks. As a starting pitcher, he has only seen his K/9 decrease from 14.3 to 14.0, and has actually seen his BB/9 improve from 4.2 to 3.8. While 3.8 BB/9 is not elite by any stretch, it shows improvement and a trend in the right direction.
The craziest part of Carlon’s development entering 2026 is that, after leading the nation in whiff%, he has seen that number rise to a 41.4% rate. Not only is Carlon providing and showcasing endurance and the ability to go deep in games, but he is showing that his elite stuff was not a byproduct of 1-inning, max-effort outings. He can hold his stuff late into outings and dominate hitters throughout.
Carlon is an unconventional starting pitcher, and many will label him a reliever at the next level. His most-used pitch is his slider at 43.9%, then the fastball at 42.8%. So he is basically a 2-pitch arm, with his most-used pitch not being a fastball. That is more acceptable in the MLB today than ever before, but still hard to avoid the reliever risk stereotypes when being selected in the 1st round.
No matter what happens statistically the rest of the season, Carlon has made a name for himself as a potential high-level starter. The slider might be the best pitch in the class with a 56.4% whiff rate and a 36.8% chase rate. Combine that with a fastball that averages 95.7 mph and the ability to command in the strike zone, and a pitcher-friendly organization will fall in love with the profile.
Tegan Kuhns, Tennessee
Kuhns feels like a Seattle Mariner. Anyone who has followed the draft and prospect rankings already knows what I mean, but if not, let me explain.
Kuhns is a tall, skinny righty whose best pitch is a fastball that generates elite whiff at the top of the zone. If there is anything the Seattle Mariners have shown an infatuation with, it is pitching prospects with this skillset. The fastball is his most-used pitch at 55%, and it is one of the best fastballs in the class. Sitting at 94.5 mph, it plays up due to 20.1 IVB, -4.31 VAA, and a 6.19 extension. On the season, the pitch has generated a 36.2% whiff rate and a 45.3% whiff rate at the top of the zone. It is the modern profile of an elite fastball.
The question with Kuhns is what he has outside the fastball. He has 3 offspeed pitches that he uses about the same amount: slider at 17%, curveball at 15%, and changeup at 13%. All of them are average offerings, not generating a ton of whiff with the slider at 26%, the curveball at 22%, and the changeup being the highest at 41.9%. While the changeup looks like it is his most effective offspeed offering, I find it odd that he only uses it 13% of the time.
Checking the box of the fastball is priority number 1, and Kuhns has an elite one. Sometimes, with pitchers who can dominate with 1 pitch, they tend to rely on it too much and not develop other offerings. A good pitching dev org that has shown the ability to improve breaking balls could make Kuhns the best pitcher in the draft in short order.
Wes Mendes, Florida State
Outside of the aforementioned Jackson Flora, Mendes has been the best pitcher in the country. Through 7 starts and 40.2 IP, he has dominated hitters to the tune of 1.33 with 58 strikeouts and only 11 walks. After showing flashes in 2025, he is showing the combination of command and stuff to be one of the top pitchers taken in this draft.
Unlike the other pitchers on this list, Mendes has more of a conventional starting pitcher repertoire. He has a fastball that he uses 42% of the time, a changeup he uses 20%, a cutter he uses 18%, a slider 10%, and a curveball 8%. That is a well-rounded pitch mix that shows the ability to get multiple hitters out in different ways.
His fastball is an above-average offering that averages only 92.4 mph, but has generated a 29.6% whiff rate. Similar to 2025 teammate Jamie Arnold, the pitch plays up due to above-average extension. Mendes averages 6.38 ft of extension, and with a -4.96 VAA, it gets on hitters quickly and hot. The changeup, though, is his bread and butter. The pitch has generated a 60.9% whiff rate on the season. Yes, you read that right: 60.9%. And on top of the whiff, a 33.3% chase rate. So hitters have a very hard time picking up the pitch and laying off it. That gives him a weapon to get right-handed hitters out at the next level right away.
The breaking balls and cutter are more average than plus, but that shouldn’t limit his potential. He is one cutter, slider, or curveball tweak away from having 3 legit MLB offerings. Last year, the walks were a problem, and they have largely improved this spring, making him what feels like a safe bet to stick as a starter at the next level.
Hunter Dietz, Arkansas
The name Hunter Dietz has been well-known in the college baseball community because every time he stepped on the mound, he wowed evaluators with elite stuff. The issue? He entered his Junior and Draft season with 1.2 IP in his career.
Dietz has battled injuries that have limited his opportunities, but the word around Fayetteville, Arkansas, was that he could contend for SP1 if he just stayed healthy. Well, so far in 2026, Dietz has stayed healthy and has showcased why many believe he could be a high-impact big league starter. The ERA is pedestrian at 4.19, but that has come with 58 strikeouts in 34.1 IP. As a starting pitcher in the SEC, that is dominant stuff and showcases what his ceiling can be when right.
There are some walk concerns with Dietz, and his lack of success since the start of SEC play has him trending in the wrong direction. Every start has him further away from his career high in innings pitched, and he has seen a large uptick in walks in his last 3 outings. Out of his 14 walks this spring, 9 of them have come in the last 15.1 IP. That is a worrisome trend, but the fact that he is giving evaluators a sample to evaluate is a massive win for his draft stock.
There is going to be an organization that is going to take a chance on a 95 mph fastball from the left side with a 23.6% whiff rate, and a cutter with a 54.8% whiff rate (not to mention two above-average breaking balls). Dietz is the most likely candidate to be this draft’s “he fell to ____ how?!”
