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| 2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,401 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,401 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
College  | Rankings | 1/8/2026

2026 Preseason Top 25

With an interesting and action-packed fall behind us, a new college season is just around the corner. The college game continues to prove it is alive and well as the Division 1 team count has now ballooned to 308 teams for the 2026 season. With new legislation allowing teams 5-weeks to prepare for opening day, many student athletes have returned to campus and will begin skill related workouts soon. Opening Day, as usual, will fall on Valentine’s Day weekend and it is just six weeks away. After a fall of evaluation and months of research and discussion, we are ready to release our annual Perfect Game pre-season Top 25 poll.

After winning 53-games, hosting the NCAA Regional and Super Region, and sweeping their way through the College World, the LSU Tigers will debut the 2026 season as our No.1 ranked team. Head coach, Jay Johnson, has now led the Tigers to two national titles in the last three season and it was the program’s 8th overall. They wasted no time reloading for the 2026 season as they landed 13 of Perfect Game’s top 100 high school prospects on campus this fall and crushed the transfer portal as well. All of that will supplement an incredible returning roster of 13 heavy contributors from ’25, headlined by reigning SEC Freshman of the Year and potential first round pick, Derek Curiel. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets make a splash for first year head coach, James Ramsey, as they will open the season at No. 2 in the poll. The Rambling Wreck may very well have the nations deepest and most dangerous offense to go with a much-upgraded pitching staff. Another first-time head coach, Josh Elander, will have the spotlight directly on him as he leads the No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers into the new season. The Vols will have a new look with longtime head coach Tony Vitello taking his personality to San Francisco as the new skipper of the Giants, but the cupboard is packed with talent in Knoxville. Coming off another heartbreaking run in Omaha, Dave Van Horn and the Arkansas Razorbacks will start the year at No. 4 in the rankings. They will field one of the most talented and balanced rosters in the nation and look like a national title contender. Rounding out the Top 5 will be the resurgent UCLA Bruins, as John Savage returns the best junior class in the nation and have another run to Omaha in their sights. Junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky enters the ’26 season as the favorite to go 1:1 in this year’s MLB Amateur Draft and will set the pace for the Bruins high-octane offense.



The SEC once again leads the poll with a total of 9 members on the pre-season list, with 3 of the top 5 and 6 of the top 10 coming from the league. The ACC is right behind them with 8 teams while the Big 10, and Sun Belt both have 2 teams represented. After that the Big West and the American Athletic Conference have a team and Oregon State is in with another year as an Independent.

Rank
Team
Conference
Head Coach
25 Finish
25 Record
1
LSU
SEC
Jay Johnson
CWS Champions
(53-15)
2
Georgia Tech
ACC
James Ramsey
Oxford Regional
(41-19)
3
Tennessee
SEC
Josh Elander
Fayetteville Super Regional
(46-19)
4
Arkansas
SEC
Dave Van Horn
College World Series
(50-15)
5
UCLA
Big 10
John Savage
College World Series
(48-18)
6
Mississippi State
SEC
Brian O'Connor
Tallahassee Regional
(36-23)
7
Oregon State
Independent
Mitch Canham
College World Series
(48-16-1)
8
Texas
SEC
Jim Schlossnagle
Austin Regional
(44-14)
9
Florida State
ACC
Link Jarrett
Corvallis Super Regional
(42-16)
10
Auburn
SEC
Butch Thompson
Auburn Super Regional
(41-20)
11
TCU
Big 12
Kirk Saarloos
Corvallis Regional
(39-20)
12
Florida
SEC
Kevin O'Sullivan
Conway Regional
(39-22)
13
Oregon
Big 10
Mark Wasikowski
Eugene Regional
(42-16)
14
Virginia
ACC
Chris Pollard
No Postseason
(32-18)
15
Georgia
SEC
Wes Johnson
Athens Regional
(43-17)
16
Louisville
ACC
Dan McDonnell
College World Series
(42-24)
17
Coastal Carolina
Sun Belt
Kevin Schnall
CWS Runner-Up
(56-13)
18
North Carolina
ACC
Scott Forbes
Chapel Hill Super Regional
(46-15)
19
Vanderbilt
SEC
Tim Corbin
Nashville Regional
(43-18)
20
Clemson
ACC
Erik Bakich
Clemson Regional
(45-18)
21
UC Santa Barbara
Big West
Andrew Checketts
No Postseason
(36-18)
22
NC State
ACC
Elliot Avent
Auburn Regional
(35-21)
23
Southern Miss
Sun Belt
Christian Ostrander
Hattiesburg Regional
(47-16)
24
Miami
ACC
JD Arteaga
Louisville Super Regional
(35-27)
25
East Carolina
American
Cliff Godwin
Conway Regional
(35-27)
 

College | Recruiting | 9/18/2026

Top DII/DIII/NAIA Incoming Freshmen

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Top Incoming DII Freshmen Rank Name Pos School HS City ST 1 Isaiah Fernandez C Barry Chaminade Madonna College Prep Fort Lauderdale FL 2 Jaiden Palmer SS Newberry University High School Deland FL 3 Mills Carrillo RHP Saint Leo Wesley Chapel Wesley Chapel FL 4 Reuben Vasquez OF Barry Strawberry Crest Dover FL 5 Andrew Petrock SS West Alabama Pelham Pelham AL 6 Jonathan Duffy OF Bentley Walt Whitman Huntington Station NY 7 Tyson McFarlin SS Texas A&M-Kingsville Elgin Elgin TX 8 Chip Glogorski C Georgia College & State Kings Ridge Christian Cumming GA 9 Tanner Pope 1B Francis Marion Garner Magnet Garner NC 10 Brice Gillis 1B University of North Georgia Wesleyan Johns Creek GA 11 Dillon O'Connor RHP Ferrum College The Miller School of Albemarle Charlottesville VA 12 Cooper Obst C Lander Pine Crest Fort Lauderdale FL 13 Brent Sollars OF Colorado Mesa Sandra Day O'Connor Phoenix AZ 14...
Tournaments | Story | 10/6/2026

PG Draft: Jupiter Preview

Ryan Miller
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Jupiter has long been one of the best opportunities for draft eligible players to make an impression and this year’s field should be no different. With an elite collection of prospects all competing on the same fields, the event provides a valuable opportunity for players to establish themselves against some of the best competition in the class. This week’s WWBA World Championship could be a pivotal week for several prospects looking to make an impression and elevate their draft stock. Ahead of the event, the draft team each highlighted a sleeper prospect (someone who is currently not ranked in our board) to watch, as well as a current member of our Top-100 who could make a significant move up the rankings. Keep an eye on these names throughout the week as they look to make an impact and force their way up the board on our next update.  Top-100 Risers Jake Ivey...
Tournaments | Story | 10/5/2026

WWBA Underclass Scout Notes: Day 4

Perfect Game Staff
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WWBA Underclass Scout Notes: Days 1-2 | Day 3 Hudson Covington (2028 Aliso Viejo, CA) has had himself a weekend at the dish, hitting an even .500 going into Championship Monday including a perfect 3-3 performance in the 2nd round of playoffs for TB SoCal. In just his 5th PG event, the uncommitted prospect is certainly making a name for himself with plenty of offensive tools to like. From the left side, Covington keeps the path direct and repeatable with a pull side & middle of the field approach displayed. He flashes high contact tool and does a great job of putting something in play with two strikes, limiting the swing/miss in the stroke with evident control of the barrel. Levi Anthony x2‼️ this one longgg gone for a 3-run shot💣 showing off big time power today #WWBAWorlds @PGMidwestBB https://t.co/0Jr8QY0KFC — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) October 3, 2026 Creighton...
Tournaments | Story | 10/5/2026

PG WWBA Coastal Fall World Series

Perfect Game Staff
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Evan Chwaszczewski (2030, York, SC) stands at 6-foot-5, 185 pounds with a tall, athletic frame and long limbs. Shows good physicality with room for continued strength and development. Bats and throws right-handed and is a catcher. Creates good leverage and drives the ball with authority. Shows good bat speed and stays inside the baseball well. Chwaszczewski went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored, having a great day at the plate. Elias Jackovich (2030, Crouse, NC) stands at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds with a tall, well-proportioned frame and developing strength. Bats left-handed and throws right-handed and plays third base. Has a confident approach with good contact ability. Drives the ball into the gaps with developing power. Shows good bat speed and stays inside the baseball well. Jackovich went 2-for-3 with one double. Porter Ingle (2030, Ellenboro, NC) stands at 5-foot-10, 155 pounds...
Draft | Story | 10/5/2026

Beyond the Board: Dylan Seward

Tyler Henninger
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As the 2027 draft cycle moves through the fall and into the offseason, we kick off a new series called Beyond The Board. With each installment, we will provide an in-depth scouting report for some of the top players in the class, breaking down their tools, strengths, question marks, and overall projection. To kick things off, we let’s take a look at the current No. 1 player on our board, Norco HS SS Dylan Seward. Player: Dylan Seward Position: SS  B/T: S/R Height: 6-foot-0 Weight: 177-pounds School: Norco HS Hometown: Corona, Calif. Physical Description: 6-0/177. Shorter build. Lean, athletic body. Frame has wiry strength throughout. A little bit of room for some continued strength development.  Hit: Switch-hitter. Uses an even base with a slightly closed stance from the left side and ever-slightly open stance from the right side. Hands are set at chin level. Displays a...
Tournaments | Story | 10/4/2026

WWBA Underclass Scout Notes: Day 3

Perfect Game Staff
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WWBA Underclass Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Richard Cruz Iii (2028, Chandler, Ariz.) has had a good weekend offensively, driving balls to the gaps with consistency. The barrel accuracy and fast hands stand out as the swing is super direct to contact and he can whip it with consistency. It’s a solid package of offensive tools that give upside at the middle infield position.    ‘28 OF Thomas Shank (CO) comes thru again with an RBI knock to secure the run rule. Really moves the barrel around w/ excellent B2B. #WWBAWorlds @PG_FourCorners https://t.co/22TfZij9ZV pic.twitter.com/lEFBce5Zii — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) October 3, 2026 Thomas Shank (2028, Castle Pines, Colo.) had two more hits during the 8am slot and continues to shine in terms of the hit tool. He’s an athletic outfielder with a really pretty stroke that projects nicely. It’s an extremely...
Tournaments | Story | 10/3/2026

WWBA Underclass Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
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Gage McRae (‘27 NC) obliterates this ball well over the LF wall and into the top of the trees for a solo shot💣 evident power tool being put on display from the @PG_Uncommitted prospect #WWBAWorlds@PG_Coastal https://t.co/AFKGSrGz8n pic.twitter.com/RbwgsUK2yi — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) October 2, 2026 Gage McRae (2027 Mount Gilead, NC) certainly put his name in the conversation for longest HR during Underclass Opening Day, as the uncommitted catching prospect finished his night by simply demolishing a moonshot into the trees well above the LF wall at Fort Myers High School. Strength is clear for the coastal kid standing at 6-foot, 195 pounds with power generated from the lower half. Starting from a slightly crouched, quiet base, McRae displays dangerous barrel whip and to say he impacts it with authority would be an understatement. It’s safe to say he can put...
Tournaments | Story | 10/3/2026

14u/17u Fall National Champ. Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Kipton Vose (‘29, AZ) shows a solid 3 inning outing while striking out 4. FB up to 83mph from the left side paired w/ a confident CB. Over the top and attacks early #FallNatChamp https://t.co/y2Zy7JKanE — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) September 25, 2026 Kipton Vose (2029, Queen Creek, Ariz.) earned Most Valuable Pitcher honors after a strong weekend that included a three-inning outing with four strikeouts and a start in the championship. The left-handed pitcher worked with a fastball up to 83 mph. Vose paired it with a curveball that he landed for strikes. The pitch mix was consistently thrown for strikes, allowing Vose to attack hitters early in counts. He showed the ability to generate swings and misses while maintaining a steady rhythm and working efficiently in the zone. The 5-foot-10, 145-pound frame and consistent delivery gave him an effective presence...
Draft | Story | 10/3/2026

2027 Draft: College Demographic Breakdown

Ryan Miller
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The 2027 MLB Draft cycle is still in its early stages, but the overall makeup of the class is beginning to come into focus. With the first version of our Top-100 board out, we took a closer look at positional demographics from both college and prep players within the class.  Last week we took a look at the preps, so this week lets dive into the college class.  College Right-Handed Pitchers  Top Ranked Players: Dax Whitney, Oregon State | Chris Levonas, Wake Forest | Ryan McPherson, Mississippi State | Casan Evans, LSU | Sam Cozart, Texas Potential Sleepers: Tanner Bradley, Oregon | Austin Nye, Vanderbilt | Smith Bailey, Arizona   Dax Whitney (‘27 elig.) showing LOUD stuff in collegiate debut. FB sitting 94-97 mph (T98 mph). Upwards of 22” IVB. Can create over 21” of HB on SL at 82-84 mph (~2900 rpm). CB at 77-79 mph with sharp, 12-6 action pairs...
Tournaments | Story | 10/1/2026

MW Champions Cup Scout Notes: Part 2

Perfect Game Staff
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Midwest Champions Cup Scout Notes: Part 1 Alexander Kakach (‘27, MN) high level stuff with athleticism on the mound. 89-94 with the FB today. Two distinct breaking balls with a SL at 80-83 & over 3000 RPM at times. Another vertical depth breaking ball in the upper 70’s. Real developing arm talent. #Creighton commit.… pic.twitter.com/EUS21vI7o0 — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) September 27, 2026 Alexander Kakach (2027, Plymouth, Minn.) for pitchers from cold weather states in the fall, scouts look for who can potentially make the jump next spring and who has big stuff. And I think this one proved that he is in that category while in Chicago last weekend. He’s athletic, he moves well on the mound and rolled out throwing 90-94 for 3+ innings. Spun sharp breaking balls with distinct shapes including a couple sliders north of 3000 RPM. There’s a...
Press Release | Press Release | 10/1/2026

PG Introduces New Event Classification System

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  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME INTRODUCES NEW EVENT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM   Sanford, Florida (Thursday, October 1, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a reorganization of its events into five distinct classes in order to provide more clarity to families and teams across the country. PG’s event offerings – from onsite experience to DiamondKast to social media coverage – will evolve based on each event class. The five event classes are: Flagship, Premier, Signature, Classic and All-Star. All include both team and individual events except for All-Star, which are invitation-only individual events that operate at a Flagship level. The...
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