Major league comps are the best part of draft season. As much as we want to analyze who prospects currently are, all anyone wants to truly know is what they can be at the major league level. That is what makes the process of identifying comps so entertaining. Being able to dream about what a player might be and how he may help your favorite MLB team in the near future is part of what makes the draft entertaining.
For my process with comps, I like to analyze a prospect’s player type, then find top-end MLB players with the same skillsets. As much as it is more realistic that none of these players even reach the MLB level, it is more fun to imagine what they can be, rather than dreaming of a player to be the next fringe big leaguer or super utility player. This exercise is meant to be fun and imagine the best-case scenario for these prospects.
MLB Comps for the 2026 Draft
Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech
Comp: JT Realmuto
A high average, plus defensive catcher, with above-average power, and elite athleticism for the catcher position? JT Realmuto is the only correct answer for that profile type.
Lackey has seen his prospect rise immensely this spring, due to a massive jump in power production. He had always shown elite barrel awareness and bat-to-ball skills, combined with the athleticism that many thought could allow him to steal 20 bases and play any position on the diamond. But the lack of power production had many questioning if he would be more than a usable backup catcher.
This spring, he has raised his average exit velocity from 89.3 to 92.7, his barrel rate from 17.1% to 27%, while maintaining his elite contact rates and improving his chase rates. That improvement has raised his isolated power from a measly .153 to .329, which is 97th percentile in all of college baseball. After stealing 18 bases last spring, he has also thrown in nine this year for good measure. Every part of Lackey’s game that evaluators loved is still there, and every concern has been answered. He has the potential to be one of the best all-around catchers in the sport if his upward trajectory is maintained in professional baseball.
Jackson Flora, RHP, UCSB
Comp: Joe Ryan
I am a huge Jackson Flora fan. Coming into the spring, he was in the conversation to be a top-two pitcher in the class, behind Cam Flukey, but also bunched together with prospects like Liam Peterson, Gabe Gaeckle, Hunter Dietz, and more as the next group vying for that spot. Well, between Flukey’s injuries and Flora’s complete dominance, he has solidified himself in a class of his own, and each week seems to widen the gap.
From a pitch profile standpoint, Ryan and Flora are pretty close. Flora relies on a four-seam fastball that he is able to use at the top of the zone due to an above-average induced vertical break (iVB). He combines that with a sweeper that grades out as a 121 Stuff+, and generates a 36% whiff rate this spring. Coming into the year, he was mainly a two-pitch pitcher, but this year, he added a change-up that has generated a 51.4% whiff rate. That three-pitch mix, combined with the addition of a cutter as well, makes Flora’s pitch mix eerily similar to what Joe Ryan does at the MLB level. They both also possess above-average command and are super athletic on the mound.
Flora’s step forward in pitch repertoire to go with his already above-average fastball has made him one of the better pitching prospects in recent memory. The fastball, sweeper, and changeup combo, along with plus command, has the potential to allow him to be a quick mover through the MiLB, and a solid MLB starter with peaks that make him look like an All-Star.
Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
Comp: Chase Dollander
Peterson was one of the harder prospects to pick. The stuff is absolutely electric. He has a fastball that grades out with a 125 Stuff+, averaging 96 mph with 21″ of iVB. But the pitch doesn’t dominate the way it should due to a -5.4 degree vertical attack angle (VAA), and a 6.7 ft release height. The velocity and movement profile on the heater are similar to Dollander, but Dollander has a lower release and actually attacks the top of the zone.
When discussing attacking the top of the zone with your fastball, it is hard not to look at the player development structure at Florida and wonder if Peterson is being asked to use his fastball properly. That is something a big league organization will hone in on, because 21 inches of IVB at 96 mph should probably have a lower VAA, but what do I know?
Where the Dollander and Peterson comp really shows is in the secondary offerings. Peterson throws a slider that generates a 53.6% whiff rate and has an impressive profile at -0.4″ iVB and -5″ horizontal break (HB). Compare that to Dollander’s slider, which averages -0.6″ iVB with 6″ HB, and they are basically the same pitch. The combination of a high iVB fastball in the upper 90s, with a bullet slider that can really dominate hitters, makes Dollander and Peterson similar prospects.
Dollander had much better command and repeatability in his mechanics coming out of Tennessee, but both also struggled with the long ball at times throughout their college career. Peterson has arguably the best quality of stuff in the draft, and if the right organization gets a hold of him, his best baseball will be ahead of him.
Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi St.
Comp: Max Muncy
Reese is a left-handed power-hitting corner infielder with some contact concerns, but elite raw power and solid OBP skills. Does that not sound like Max Muncy?
Reese has been one of the best players in the country in two seasons at Mississippi St. He has actually seen his production regress this season, to the tune of a .310/.414/.658 slash line, which shows how elite he was in 2025. What is most impressive is that the data says he has largely gotten better this spring. His exit velocity is up from 91 mph to 93.7, barrel rate up from 27.1% to 32%, walk rate up from 9.9% to 14.7%, while also adding a massive improvement in his line-drive rate from 20.6% to 31.2%. I think many evaluators are going to ignore the on-field production regression and just look at the data and realize this is one of the best hitters in the class.
The main questions surrounding Reese in professional baseball are if he will stick at third base and whether or not his flaws will be exposed. The power is legit, and he is starting to be more patient at the plate with maturation. That screams a .230 to .250 hitter with 30 home runs and a little too many strikeouts for comfort.
Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M
Comp: ONeil Cruz
Sorrell probably isn’t half the athlete Cruz is, but their player profiles are eerily similar. Both are bigger-bodied left-handed hitting center fielders with a ton of swing-and-miss and chase in their game. When it clicks for both of them, they can look like future MVP candidates, but on the weeks it doesn’t, you question whether they can be serviceable big leaguers.
Sorrell has been one of the best players in college baseball this season. He is currently hitting .355/.450/.796 with 18 home runs, but that production comes with some caveats. He has struck out 48 times in 40 games, while only walking 23 times. As one of the most feared hitters in college baseball, it is very concerning when walk rates are not higher. Teams don’t want to pitch to Sorrell, but they aren’t walking him. That’s a problem.
Sorrell has the riskiest profile when evaluating players. He is 31st percentile in chase rate, with a 15th percentile contact rate. These types of players can out-athlete their competition in college, but really struggle in professional baseball, see Vance Honeycutt. Even against SEC competition, those data points are going to be exposed at the next level.
Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU
Comp: Michael Harris II
Strosnider is one of the smoothest-looking players in the draft. It is a beautiful left-handed swing for a premium athlete who will stick up the middle, and can make an impact with his legs. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t concerns.
The first concern is just the production. For a prospect who looks so good in a uniform and is such an impressive athlete, you would expect better than .279/.427/.571. While that has come with more walks than strikeouts, you would still just expect more. A large part of the inconsistency is the 37th percentile contact rates and the 27th percentile chase rate. Similar profile to Sorrell above, but not as egregious.
Michael Harris II struggles with similar inconsistencies. Even with Harris’ hot start to the spring, it has come with a seventh percentile chase rate and a 40th percentile contact rate. They are both premium athletes who, when it clicks, look like one of the best players in the sport, but it just needs to be more consistent.
