With a little under a month until draft day, the board is starting to be solidified. Outside of the final 2 in the College World Series, all the college teams have wrapped up their season, and prep prospects have been done for a while longer. There will be some activity and movement leading into draft day, but there is no better time than ever to break down the top 25 pitchers in the class.
MLB Draft’s Top 25 Pitchers
1. Jackson Flora, RHP, UCSB
When you think of elite college programs at developing pitchers, UCSB might not be at the top of the list, but they are in line to make history this July. After Tyler Bremner was drafted 2nd overall in the 2025 MLB draft, it set up nicely for UCSB to be the first program to have 2 starters in back to back seasons selected in the top 3. With a historic 1.06 ERA this spring with 133 strikeouts and 32 walks across 102 IP, Flora has held up his end of the bargain to make that a realistic outcome.
Flora has an impressive 4 pitch mix, with a fastball that flashes up to 100 mph with above average IVB, and a sweeper that he added this offseason that is a legit weapon. Those 2 pitches alone, combined with his strike-throwing ability would bode well in professional baseball, but Flora has worked hard to add a change-up that showed flashes of greatness. It still needs refinement, but finished the season with a 50.4% whiff rate. If that pitch continues to progress, Flora has a stable 4 pitch mix with above average command to be a quick mover through the right farm system.
2. Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina
Coming into this spring, SP1 was Flukey’s to lose. He dominated the 2025 season with a 3.19 ERA leading Coastal Carolina to a College World Series final, while pitching his best ball on the national stage. Many thought it was more a matter of who would end up falling behind him, than anyone actually pushing the top spot.
Well injuries led to only 16.7 IP this spring for Flukey, and allowed Flora to steal the top spot. Had anyone else stepped up, SP2 would be in question, but there are no “sure things” to hang your hat on beyond him. Sometimes it is extremely hard for a college pitcher to stay healthy after 100+ IP and the adrenaline that comes with pitching for a National Championship. And that high volume seemed to have caught up to Flukey this spring.
In the small sample, there is an argument to be made that Flukey’s stuff got better. Last year it was very fastball dominant at 63%, and that combined with his curveball was how he dominated hitters. This spring his curveball improved to a 112 stuff+, while maintaining his 121 stuff+ fastball. He struck out 11.9 hitters this spring compared to 10.4 last year. Had it not been for inconsistent playing time, Flukey probably would have been as dominant as Flora was this spring.
3. Hunter Dietz, LHP, Arkansas
The class falls off pretty hard at SP3. It is mostly a collection of high-ceiling prospects with major question marks that will need the right organization to fall in love with them. I went with Dietz here because he had the best spring performance of the group.
Dietz had largely always been a what could be, rather than a what is. He had such impressive stuff that coming into this year he had only thrown 1.2 IP in his career, but was in the conversation for the best pitcher in the class. In an age where injuries terrify everyone, that shows how insane his stuff is, and it showed this spring.
Ending the season with 78.2 IP, which was 49x his career high entering 2026, he was dominant. Finishing the year with a 3.32 ERA, and 13.4 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 showed exactly what many believed made him such an intriguing prospect. There is some reliever risk as he threw his slider 50% of the time but the pitch generated a 51.3% whiff rate. The fastball, while only used 31.7% of the time, still grades out with a 123 stuff+, and for good measure he rounds out the repertoire with a 119 stuff+ curveball that he rarely needed. There will continue to be injury questions, but the stuff might be the best in the class when on the mound.
4. Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS (FL)
Another high-ceiling name, that shows SP3 is just a matter of preference. I spend a lot of time terrified of prep pitching prospects because their future is so risky and unpredictable, and that causes me to miss the best arms in the class a lot of times. Rojas fits that bill.
As a tall, long, and projectable left handed arm, he is a scouts dream. The fastball already sits in the mid 90s, and it is easy to imagine more velocity being added. That has been evidenced by the fact that he was consistently higher this spring compared to last. From a low slot, the pitch has more potential to eat at the top of the zone, when he learns how to create IVB and command it at the top.
The pitch that excites evaluators the most is his change-up. There is nothing more enticing than a prep arm with feel for both command and a change-up that adds velocity last. That is what Rojas is rounding into. He may be old for his class as a 19 year old on draft day, but the ceiling combined with the recent progression will have his name called extremely early on draft day.
5. Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee
When I am splitting hairs, I always go with the most MLB ready fastball. Kuhns has the traditional modern day, low release, high IVB fastball that is able to attack hitters at the top of the zone. That pitch generated a 28.9% whiff rate on the season, while grading out as a 116 stuff+ pitch.
The rest of the pitch mix is going to need to continue to progress. He flashed a Gyro slider that he used 25% of the time with a 113 stuff+, even though it didn’t generate as much whiff as you would hope for a pitch of that grade. Similar to Chase Burns, the high IVB FB with a tight hard bullet slider, is a recipe for success, especially when you combine that with repeatable mechanics and a feel for the strike zone with 1.8 BB/9. I think the right org fast tracks Kuhns with his 2 pitch mix, and worries about rounding out the arsenal when that stops succeeding, and he has the best fastball potentially in the class, which will set him up for success.
6. Jared Grindlinger, LHP, Huntington Beach HS (CA)
7. Carson Boleman, LHP, Southside Christian HS (SC)
8. Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
9. Mason Edwards, LHP, Southern California
10. Cade Townsend, RHP, Ole Miss
A two-way player with the potential to be drafted as a hitter as well, Grindlinger is one of the best athletes in the class. That athleticism leads to impressive strike throwing ability that pairs well with his elite present stuff. Combine that with being 17 on draft day, and it wouldn’t surprise me if some orgs have him as the top arm in the class. The ability to get a 17 year old who can just focus on one side of the ball, in an enticing evaluation. Boleman is a little bit less dreamy at this time in the process. Standing at 6 foot 4, 225 lbs, and 19 years old on draft day, there is a lot less to dream on. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have 1st round stuff. The fastball is more low 90s with sink, combined with a power curveball and strike throwing ability.
Peterson is an interesting evaluation due in large part to 21 inches of IVB, but extreme inconsistency over 3 seasons. With the high IVB fastball, Peterson was burned by the long ball, and one of my favorite evaluations is to buy stock into pitchers who give up a lot of home runs in college baseball (the Chase Dollander protocol). That fastball combined with a 54% whiff slider is enough for an MLB org to fall in love. Florida hasn’t been the banner of pitching development, so there is more to dream on just refining pitch usage and grips. Edwards is the most underrated pitcher in this class, even as a top 10 arm. He pitched to a 1.49 ERA on the spring with an insane 16.4 K/9. The walk rate was a little high at 4.0 per 9, but he limited damage by combining swing and miss with a 48.6% groundball rate. That combination leads to a lot of success in professional baseball.
Townsend is a lot of fun as a draft eligible sophomore. He possesses 5 pitches that all grade out above 105 stuff+, and 4 offspeed pitches that generated above a 40% whiff. For good measure that mix combines with a fastball that has a 120 stuff+, and only walking 2.6 per 9 this spring. A 5 pitch mix with great swing and miss and strike throwing ability? Sounds like a steal for someone this draft.
11. Cole Carlon, LHP, Arizona St.
12. Logan Reddemann, RHP, UCLA
13. Bobby Bumila, LHP, Bishop Feehan HS (MA)
14. Logan Schmidt, LHP, Ganesha HS (CA)
15. Jack Radel, RHP, Notre Dame
Carlon is a fascinating evaluation. In back to back seasons, he possessed above a 40% whiff rate, and transitioned into the Arizona St. rotation, without losing a beat. But that success came off 50.6% slider usage combined with a 37.8% fastball usage. The slider generated a 57.1% whiff on the year which is truly elite, but is going to be hard to translate into pro ball. There is reliever risk, but the stuff is MLB ready. Reddemann is a little bit of the inverse of Carlon. It’s a 4 pitch mix with elite command. On the season, he struck out 12.7 per 9 and only walked 1.7. The fastball grades out at a 113 stuff+, and the change-up had a 42.3% whiff rate on the spring. That combination alone, makes him a safe bet to stick in the rotation.
Bumila has been a high helium prospect this spring. MLB orgs love themselves a northeast pitcher who doesn’t have as much tread on their tires, seemingly with room to still develop. Standing in at 6 foot 9, Bumila is a basketball star, which shows the athleticism necessary to repeat his mechanics. With elite extension from his massive frame, he actually features a low slot release with 18 inches of vertical break and reaches up to 100. The rest of the arsenal and the command will need to improve, but who doesn’t love a two-sport athlete. Schmidt is a 2027 reclassification, making him young for the class, and features impressive combination of stuff and feel for the strikezone. With a fastball up to 97, and a feel for multiple offspeed pitches, he is one of the most exciting picks in the draft.
Radel came into the spring as a solid college starter and is leaving as a dominant potential Day 1 selection. After a 6.6 k/9 in 2024, and a 7.7 k/9 in 2025, that number ballooned to 11.9 in 2026 in large part to his improved stuff. He saw his whiff rise from 23.5% in 2025 to a 30.2% in 2026. Combine that with a 111 stuff+ on the back of a 120 stuff+ 4-seam fastball and a 42.1% whiff gyro slider, he is progressing at a fast rate.
16. Coleman Borthwick, RHP, South Walton HS (FL)
17. Gabe Gaeckle, RHP, Arkansas
18. Ben Blair, RHP, Liberty
19. Wes Mendes, LHP, Florida St.
20. Joey Volchko, RHP, Georgia
Standing in at 6 foot 6, 257 lbs, Borthwick is one of the most imposing figures in the class, at just 18 years old. As you can imagine that imposing stature leads to a high octane fastball that dominates prep competition. Even at that size, the slot tends to end up low release due to elite extension. It is easy to dream on a velocity jump in pro ball that puts him in the upper 90s to pair with a slider he has great feel to spin. Gaeckle is another intriguing prospect due to his elite fastball that grades out as a 116 stuff+, but inconsistencies were the bane of his college experience. A lot of those inconsistencies came from a HR problem, which will fade in pro ball, but there are still major questions around Gaeckle as a prospect.
This might be the best mid major crop of pitching prospects in recent drafts. Blair spent 3 seasons at Liberty, with plenty of chances to leave, and has solidified himself as one of the top pitchers in the draft. He has an impressive combination of stuff, 113 overall stuff+, while only walking 1.3 per 9 this spring. He will need to add a serviceable breaking ball, but most college prospects don’t need the most well rounded arsenal. Coming out of LHP U, Mendes filled the shoes of Jamie Arnold admirably. He finished the season with a 2.68 ERA while generating a 31.1% whiff on the season. He combined that whiff with a 6.7% walk rate, showing the elite stuff and command. Mendes might be one of the most well rounded pitchers in the class. His best off speed offering is a 121 stuff+ grade change up that generated a 53.4% whiff rate. He combined that with a 115 fastball, a 110 gyro slider, and a cutter that graded out at a 106. If you are looking for the pitcher with the most well rounded arsenal, Mendes is that guy who didn’t rely on just 2 dominant pitches to get outs.
In one season under the watch of former MLB Pitching Coach Wes Johnson, Joey Volchko rounded into his best form. After flashing elite stuff for 2 years at Stanford, he went to Georgia and transformed himself. He lowered his arm slot, ditched his 4 seam for his natural cutter, and added a sweeper. Those improvements led to his best season in college baseball. MLB orgs fascinated with natural cut, i.e. Red Sox and Cubs, will view Volchko as a great add with room for improvement after showcasing major improvements in 10 months at Georgia.
21. Jacob Dudan, RHP, NC State
22. Brett Renfrow, RHP, Virginia Tech
23. Evan Dempsey, RHP, Florida Gulf Coast
24. Carson Wiggins, RHP, Arkansas
25. Ruger Riojas, RHP, Texas
I always like to go college heavy as I round out the class because there is much more reliable data to evaluate. Dudan is one of my favorite pitchers in the class. He was a reliever with some command concerns over his first 2 seasons at NC State, but was a resounding success. Pre injury, he was dominant pitching to a 3.60 ERA with 11.2 k/9 and a career best 2.2 BB/9. The combination of improved command with already elite stuff will bode well for his professional development. Renfrow is another ACC arm that finally rounded into his best form. Down the stretch of the season, he had put it together and was his most dominant self. He had his best season in both K/9 and BB/9, finally making due on the impressive stuff profile he always possessed.
Dempsey is a fascinating prospect because there is nothing I love more than a player athletic enough to be a two way player. That shows that the athleticism should translate to plus command, and there is still room to grow as a pitcher when it becomes his sole focus. The Fastball is his best pitch, as it generated a 31.1% whiff on the season with a 108 stuff+ grade. Combine that with a slider that generated a 42.5% whiff, and you can see the makings of a pitcher who’s best ball is ahead of him. Wiggins did not throw a pitch this year, but as a freshman consistently sat in the 99-101 range. The talent is too enticing for an org not to take a flyer on him in the top 100.
The complete opposite of Wiggins, is 5th year senior Riojas. Coming into this spring, he was a solid college starting pitcher. Threw a lot of strikes with a 5 pitch mix that kept offenses off balance. This year he was a different beast. He punched out 13.8 per 9, while improving his walk rate to 1.9. That was largely on the back of an improved 4 seam fastball that generated a 32% whiff and a 117 stuff+ grade. He then had 4 other pitches that he used > 10% of the time to keep hitters off balance. Riojas is a great developmental story, and he has turned his stuff into big league quality.
