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Draft  | Story | 10/3/2026

2027 Draft: College Demographic Breakdown

Tyler Henninger
Michael Albee
Joey Cohen
Ryan Miller
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  


The college pitching demographic is the strength of this year’s class, with the right-handed group standing out in particular. Nearly 20% of our current Top-100 is made up of college right-handers, led by arguably the best pitching prospect we have seen since Paul Skenes in Oregon State’s Dax Whitney. The Beavers’ ace put together two dominant seasons while posting some absurd numbers. Unfortunately, an elbow injury will prevent him from throwing in most, if not all, of 2027, but his talent alone should still warrant consideration in the Top 10. Chris Levonas and Ryan McPherson follow Whitney, with both currently ranking inside our Top 15. Both are power pitchers with big fastballs and a mix of dynamic secondaries, while also bringing starting experience after each made double-digit starts in 2026. LSU’s Casan Evans is another arm with the stuff to continue climbing. While his ERA was not ideal last spring, he started 12 games and struck out more than 13 hitters per nine innings. He is expected to take over as the Tigers’ Friday night starter and will have an opportunity to further establish himself near the top of the class. As you move down the board, the depth of the group becomes increasingly apparent. There are numerous arms with extensive starting experience and quality stuff, including Vanderbilt’s Austin Nye, who has the arsenal to pitch his way into early Day 1 consideration. Nye missed most of 2026 with an injury after a dominant start to the season, but should return at some point this spring with an opportunity to make a significant move up boards. Among the relievers, Oregon’s Tanner Bradley is arguably the best in the class. He posted a 1.66 ERA across 31 appearances in 2026 while recording an 84:18 K:BB ratio. In totality, the combination of star power at the top and depth throughout the board makes the college right-handed group one of the defining strengths of the 2027 class.

College Left-Handed Pitchers

Top Ranked Players: Tomas Valincius, Mississippi State | Dylan Volantis, Texas | Ethan Lund, Oklahoma State | Mason Brassfield, TCU | Casey Euper, Pepperdine 

Potential Sleepers: Noah Franco, TCU | Cooper Williams, LSU | Grayden Harris, Southern Miss | Jake Marciano, Auburn
 

In a year perceived to have a lesser high school pitching crop, the college class is carrying much of the weight on the mound. The group of college southpaws starts with dominant ace Tomas Valincius, who broke out in his sophomore campaign, posting a 3.50 ERA over 17 starts. Valincius owns a strong mix headlined by a heavy fastball and a sharp slider, also possessing an advanced change-up. Another SEC arm in a similar conversation is Texas’ Dylan Volantis, who has made an impact in various roles while deploying a four-pitch mix throughout the zone. There’s a large number of power conference arms lacking consistency in a starting role, either due to injury or strike-throwing shortcomings. Oklahoma State’s Ethan Lund and TCU’s Mason Brassfield fit the profile, both employing power mixes while struggling to limit runs last spring. The same can be said for two-way Noah Franco, utilizing loud tools on both sides of the ball but failing to log consistent innings. A pair of mid-major arms open the year in a good spot: Pepperdine’s Casey Euper and Grayden Harris of Southern Miss. Harris has the look of a heavy groundball lefty with a heavy fastball and fading change-up, along with a two-plane sweeping slider. Euper has an established track record of success, especially after a strong summer in the Cape Cod League. Overall, this collegiate left-handed pitching group contains a healthy amount of upside, but searching for consistent innings and keeping it around the zone will be vital. 

College Middle Infielders

Top Ranked Players: Brendan Lawson, Florida | Charlie Bates, Stanford | Adrian Rodriguez, Texas | Matt Ineich, West Virginia 

Potential Sleepers: Chris Ramirez, Tennessee | Ryker Waite, Vanderbilt | Jamie Lakofski, North Carolina 


The 2027 college middle-infield class looks like a fairly strong and well-rounded group, even if it lacks the overwhelming top-end presence of some recent classes. There are several legit early-round candidates, and the class offers a healthy mix of offensive ability, defensive value and athleticism that should give it plenty of room to rise as the picture becomes clearer. Brendan Lawson gives the group its clearest first-round talent. His combination of power, on-base ability and pure run production is among the best in college baseball, although his eventual defensive home will be an important part of the full evaluation. Charlie Bates and Matt Ineich offer a different style, with both bringing high-end contact skills, strike-zone awareness and strong middle-infield defensive ability. Bates has more physical projection and potential power, while Ineich's hit tool and approach give him one of the safer offensive foundations in the group. Adrian Rodriguez is another intriguing profile, as his switch-hitting ability, defensive versatility and underlying power traits suggest considerably more offensive impact than his surface-level power numbers might indicate. Chris Ramirez may bring the best combination of shortstop defense and offensive reliability, with an elite approach and steadily developing power making his profile particularly well-rounded. Ryker Waite fits into a similar category as a switch-hitting shortstop with speed, defensive reliability and some gap-to-gap offensive ability. Jamie Lakofski may have the most helium potential in the group. His jump in power, excellent BB:K and 36 stolen bases at William & Mary point to a compelling five-tool foundation, while the move into the ACC should provide an important test of just how much of that production carries over against a higher level of competition. Compared with recent college infield classes, this group feels more deep than top-heavy, but there are plenty of players with legitimate Day 1 paths. Lawson gives this demographic a clear start at the top, while the depth behind him is good enough that a few players taking another step offensively could really change the complexion of the class. If Lawson continues to produce and several of the middle-infielders show another level of offensive impact, this could ultimately prove to be one of the more dependable demographics in the 2027 class.

College Corner Infielders 

Top Ranked Players: Brodie Johnston, Vanderbilt | Tague Davis, Louisville | Jake Hanley, Georgia | Quinton Coats, Cincinnati | Noah Franco, TCU 

Potential Sleepers: Evan Hankins, Tennessee | Hudson Brown, Kentucky | Nauvlivou Lauaki Jr., Georgia 


The 2027 college corner-infield group looks like a strong collection of power bats, although the overall strength of the demographic is more apparent in its depth of offensive upside than in a large number of truly complete profiles. Tague Davis gives the class an obvious headliner after leading college baseball with 34 home runs in 2026, and 52 homers over the last two seasons which is a strong starting point for a position group that traditionally needs proven loud offensive production.  Behind Davis, there is a healthy collection of physical bats with legit game-changing power. Jake Hanley brings an imposing frame, plus raw power and strong swing decisions, while Quinton Coats put up some of the best EVs in the country last spring. Brodie Johnston offers perhaps the most well-rounded defensive profile of the group at third base, while Hudson Brown has a particularly interesting combination of plus bat speed, improved approach and proven damage against SEC pitching. There’s a possibility Teddy Tokheim enters this group this spring and he brings a stronger contact component than most of the group, while Nauvlivou Lauaki Jr. represents the opposite end of the spectrum with enormous raw power but some swing-and-miss risk. Noah Franco and Evan Hankins add still more left-handed power, although both come with questions that need to be answered this spring across more consistent ABs. Compared with recent college classes, the 2027 group does not necessarily have the same number of clear polished hit tools. The 2027 group instead feels more dependent on some hit tool developments, approach improvements and defensive value to determine how many players ultimately rise into the early rounds. Still, that makes this a demographic worth watching. There is  30-homer potential littered throughout the group, with several hitters already having demonstrated that their power plays against quality competition. If a few of the swing-and-miss concerns improve while the better athletes continue to provide defensive value, this could ultimately produce a healthy number of Day 1 + 2 selections. The ceiling is driven by power, but the depth gives the group plenty of ways to emerge.

College Catchers 

Top Ranked Players: Gavin Kelly, West Virginia | Chase Fralick, Auburn | Jimmy Janicki, Troy | Trent Grindlinger, Tennessee 

Potential Sleepers: Jon Embury, Florida | Brady Dallimore, Ole Miss 
 

Last year we were treated with an exceptional crop of college catchers with five going within the first 100 picks. This year’s group is just as intriguing and has the chance to have that kind of success as well. There are currently four college backstops ranked in our Top-20 and six within the Top-50. Gavin Kelly out of West Virginia leads the way and is a Top-5 prospect in the class. He is an extremely talented hitter with both hit and power ability. His athleticism stands out behind the plate. Chase Fralick is a power-hitting backtop out of Auburn that has real juice and an advanced understanding of the zone. Jimmy Janicki was a big piece of Troy’s run to Omaha last year and will return to the middle of the Trojan lineup again. Moving down the board, transfers Nate Savoie and Ian Armstrong both provide intriguing profiles and will be able to showcase them against the SEC this spring. In totality, the group is extremely interesting. With most catching prospects, it is yet to be determined how many of them stick behind the plate long term, but there is a lot to like with this class of catchers. 

College Outfielders 

Top Ranked Players: Landon Hairston, Arizona State | Bino Watters, LSU | Teddy Tokheim, Stanford | Derrick Pitts, Cincinnati 

Potential Sleepers: Jackson Hotchkiss, Arizona State | Jay Abernathy, Oklahoma | Bub Terrell, Auburn | Rowan Kelly, UCSB 
 
The college outfielder group is a bit lighter than it has been in years past. Only two players in this demographic currently have a first round ranking on them. Landon Hairston leads the way as the No. 7 prospect on our Top-100. Hairston is coming off a record breaking sophomore season where he showed massive power and an outstanding feel to hit. If he can prove he can play center field this spring, he could very well be one of the first names of the board. LSU transfer Bino Watters is another left-handed hitting outfielder with a quality power/hit combination. Teddy Tokheim from Stanford is a really advanced hitter with contact skills and some pullside power. Derrick Pitts out of Cincinnati arguably had the loudest summer of any college prospect and could be a guy that shoots up boards this spring. Diving into some sleepers, Hairston’s new teammate at Arizona State, Jackson Hotchkiss, has a lot of interesting under the hood traits. Auburn’s Bub Terrell, Jay Abernathy, a transfer to Oklahoma, and Rowan Kelly out of UCSB, are all excellent athletes with upside. While the group may lack a lot of high-end prospects right now, it would be no surprise loud spring performances continue to push guys up the board. 
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Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 10/15/2026

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