Ranking The Top 100 Transfers In College Baseball Entering 2022

Thanks to NCAA legislation allowing for athletes in all sports to transfer between four-year schools without sitting out a year as previously required in baseball, the transfer market this summer has been especially active. 

Without having to decide whether missing an entire season is worth transferring to a more desirable program, hundreds of talented, productive players across the country threw their names in the transfer portal to test the waters and see what other opportunities existed. 

The continued Covid-19 roster crunch is also playing a role in a more active transfer market. In the face of all players on 2020 rosters being granted an extra year, some schools have chosen not to bring back players for fifth seasons at all. In other cases, would-be fifth-year players have been recruited over on the roster and can see the writing on the wall that they might not have a role on their current team in 2022. 

Add it all up and you have a situation where a number of prominent teams are going to have fortunes altered one way or the other based on transfer movement, but at the same time, it’s important to manage expectations for incoming transfers. 

We will find that many of them will realize untapped potential in their new homes, but just as many will fizzle in the way that they did in their initial program. Which ones are which will go a long way toward shaping college baseball in 2022. 

Below are the top 100 committed transfers for the 2022 season. 

 

 

1. Jacob Berry, 3B/DH, Arizona to Louisiana State

2021: .352/.439/.676, 247 AB, 17 HR, 70 RBI, 2 SB

By leaving Arizona and following coach Jay Johnson to LSU, Berry is the best player to transfer in college baseball this offseason. The first team All-American DH was everything that the Wildcats could have asked for and then some as a hitter last season in his first year on campus. He led the team in home runs and RBI, as well as triples (5), and came in second in a great lineup in doubles with 19. A hitter of his caliber would be a great fit anywhere, but he will be a particularly good fit with the Tigers, which were going to have a formidable lineup as it was in 2022, led by outfielder Dylan Crews and first baseman Tre’ Morgan. If you want to nitpick Berry’s game, you can look at defense, as he’s still more of a DH than a third baseman at this point, but that’s a small price to pay to have his bat in the lineup. 

2. Adam Maier, RHP, British Columbia to Oregon

2021: DNP

Due to the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, British Columbia didn’t play in 2021, which means that Maier hasn’t pitched in a competitive game during the spring season since early in the 2020 campaign. But his breakout performance over the summer on the Cape was enough to pique the interest of major league scouts and coaching staffs all over America, including Oregon, which ended up reeling the righthander in. Maier leads with a fastball that sits in the low 90s and reaches 94-95 mph to go along with a high-spin slider and a changeup that he’s comfortable throwing to hitters on both sides of the plate. He should be an instant impact arm for the Ducks in 2022. 

3. Jack Moss, 1B/OF, Arizona State to Texas A&M

2021: .305/.359/.494, 154 AB, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 1 SB

The top recruit in the class that arrived in Tempe before last season, Moss had an excellent first season in college baseball, hitting .305/.359/.494 with six home runs as part of a deep Arizona State lineup. Like most good hitters, Moss hammered fastballs, putting up a .358/.391/.494 slash line against the pitch. Texas A&M is losing a lot of production from the lineup it ran out there for much of the 2021 season, including its best hitter in first baseman Will Frizzell. Those are big shoes to fill for anyone, but Moss has the talent to fill them ably. 

4. Micah Dallas, RHP, Texas Tech to Texas A&M

2021: 4-3, 3.51 ERA, 66.2 IP, 20 BB, 79 K, .244 AVG

Dallas has done it all in a Texas Tech uniform. He’s been the staff ace, a long reliever and a closer, sometimes within the same season. But no matter his role, he’s been effective from the beginning for the Red Raiders. In 158.1 career innings, he has a 3.47 ERA, 186 strikeouts and a .241 opponent batting average. Dallas has a firm fastball that averaged just under 90 mph last season and touched as high as 93, but it’s his slider that was his most devastating weapon in 2021. That pitch generated an impressive 60% whiff rate, with batters hitting just .137/.207/.206 against the offering. Dallas will be an easy plug and play option for Texas A&M in any role in 2022.

5. Jace Bohrofen, OF, Oklahoma to Arkansas

2021: .252/.347/.408, 103 AB, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 1 SB

A top-150 prospect going into the 2020 draft, Bohrofen headed to Norman last fall, where he and teammate Cade Horton gave the Sooners one of the best incoming freshman tandems in the country on paper. Bohrofen had an inconsistent first season in college baseball, however, hitting .252 with two home runs in part-time duty. Still, he has impressive all-around tools, and he swung the bat extremely well on the Cape over the summer. With some departures on the roster after last season, Arkansas will have some at-bats to go around if Bohrofen can earn his place in the Razorbacks’ lineup and have his true talent shine through. 

6. Victor Mederos, RHP, Miami to Oklahoma State

2021: 2-3, 5.11 ERA, 44 IP, 18 BB, 35 K, .229 AVG

The No. 59 prospect in the 2020 draft, Mederos spurned interest from MLB organizations to join Miami, helping give the Hurricanes their first top-ranked recruiting class in program history. His freshman season in Coral Gables was inconsistent, and halfway through the season he was moved from the rotation to the bullpen, but he has the stuff to be a dominant pitcher if he can put it all together. His fastball averaged nearly 93 mph last season and touched 99. He has also greater than 40% whiff rates on both his curveball and changeup. In Stillwater, he’ll work with one of the best pitching coaches in the country in Rob Walton, who will look to help unlock Mederos’ massive potential. 

7. Tyler McManus, C, Samford to Louisiana State

2021: .346/.432/.612, 188 AB, 11 HR, 53 RBI, 0 SB

McManus, a native of Slidell, La., will return to his home state to continue his career with LSU. After hitting .440 with four homers in the shortened 2020 season, McManus proved that production was no fluke by leading Samford last season in batting and on-base percentage, tying for first in doubles with 13 and tying for second in home runs with 11. Although he was more of a 1B/DH type in 2021, McManus is a catcher by trade. If he can handle that role for LSU, it would provide huge value for the Tigers, as that was a positional weakness for the team in 2021. If McManus hits for LSU like he did in 2021, Johnson and his staff will find a way to get him in the lineup somehow, but having him also fill a position of need along the way would be ideal. 

8. Griffin Doersching, 1B, Northern Kentucky to Oklahoma State

2021: .316/.488/.772, 158 AB, 20 HR, 48 RBI, 2 SB

There’s little secret about what Doersching brings to the table. The winner of the 2019 college home run derby held at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Doersching will provide an instant infusion of light-tower power to the Oklahoma State lineup. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound slugger set career highs across the board in 2021, but he was productive all four years at NKU, pounding 48 home runs in four seasons. Doersching feels like a great fit at Oklahoma State, a program that really lets hitters cut loose and try to drive the ball. 

9. Jack Washburn, RHP, Oregon State to Mississippi

2021: 4-2, 3.12 ERA, 34.2 IP, 21 BB, 43 K, .186 AVG

Washburn was an important piece of a deep Oregon State bullpen in 2021, with his breakout season earning him a spot on USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team over the summer. The righthander’s fastball was up to 96 mph last spring, with his changeup proving to be his most effective swing-and-miss pitch, as the offering had a 50% whiff rate. Washburn should be a great fit at Mississippi, a team heavy on offensive firepower but light on proven pitchers after losing quite a few of its best arms after last season. 

10. Alex Toral, 1B, Miami to Florida State

2021: .264/.398/.436, 163 AB, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 0 SB

At his best with Miami, Toral was one of the best power bats in the entire country. In 2019, for example, he had 24 home runs. But in his four seasons in Coral Gables, he also proved to be inconsistent, as he didn’t have more than seven home runs in any season other than 2019. Toral does seem like a particularly good fit at Florida State for a couple of reasons, however. For one, the Seminoles last season struggled at times to get production out of anyone other than catcher Mat Nelson, and second, not unlike lefthanded sluggers at Yankee Stadium, the right field fence at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee is imminently reachable for a slugger like Toral. 

11. Chris Lanzilli, OF, Wake Forest to Arkansas

2021: .259/.325/.481, 189 AB, 11 HR, 35 RBI, 1 SB

As a starter basically from day one as a freshman in 2018, Lanzilli was incredibly productive in his four seasons at Wake Forest. He finished off his time in Winston-Salem hitting right around .300 with 46 doubles and 42 home runs. In that way, he’ll fit right in at Arkansas, which annually has a lineup that can hit the ball out of the ballpark from one through nine in the order. It will also make Lanzilli a virtual lock to appear in the postseason, which is one thing he didn’t do in four seasons at Wake. 

12. Eric Reyzelman, RHP, San Francisco to Louisiana State

2021: 3-3, 6.17 ERA, 35 IP, 30 BB, 39 K, .234 AVG

When assessing what Reyzelman can be for LSU beginning in 2022, it’s best to look at his stuff and what he did this past summer on the Cape rather than what he did in two seasons at San Francisco, the last of which came about a year after Tommy John surgery. With a fastball that was up to 97 mph over the summer, the righthander was excellent for Harwich, putting up a 2.93 ERA and 38 strikeouts compared to eight walks in 27.2 innings. LSU needs some new faces to step up on the pitching staff in 2022, so Reyzelman will have plenty of opportunity to have a prominent role. 

13. Dylan Rock, OF, Texas-San Antonio to Texas A&M

2021: .326/.432/.516, 190 AB, 8 HR, 32 RBI, 11 SB

Rock was a four-year contributor at UTSA, hitting .319/.417/.480 with 45 doubles, 18 home runs and 113 RBI in more than 700 plate appearances with the Roadrunners. He hit with power from the start, with six home runs as a freshman and 20 doubles as a sophomore, but as time went on, he added a baserunning element to his game, swiping double-digit bases in each of his last two seasons in San Antonio, including 10 in just 17 games in 2020. Rock could be a catalyst in a Texas A&M order that will be looking for them going into next season. 

14. Sonny DiChiara, 1B, Samford to Auburn

2021: .273/.428/.598, 194 AB, 18 HR, 46 RBI, 0 SB

DiChiara will bring thump to the middle of an Auburn lineup that will look to replace a number of established hitters like Ryan Bliss, Steven Williams, Tyler Miller and Rankin Woley in 2022. The first baseman cranked 41 home runs in a Samford uniform, including 21 in 2019 on the way to freshman All-American honors. There is some swing and miss in his game, but he offsets that not only with his power but with his ability to draw walks. He had 48 free passes in 2021 for the Bulldogs. The step up to facing SEC pitching will be the challenge for DiChiara, but there’s no doubting the power he brings to the table. 

15. Josh Hood, SS, Pennsylvania to North Carolina State

2021: DNP

Hood burst onto the scene in 2019, hitting .331/.411/.580 with eight home runs and 42 RBI on the way to first team freshman All-American honors. It’s on the promise he showed then that NC State is banking, because we haven’t seen much from Hood since then. His 2020 season was limited to eight games and a .263/.256/.342 slash line due to the pandemic, and with the Ivy League’s decision to severely limit team schedules in 2021, Hood announced his intention to transfer before Penn played a truncated 14-game slate. That promise is also why Hood was still taken in the 20th round by the Red Sox this year despite not playing this spring. With Jose Torres leaving via the draft, the door is open for Hood to take over as NC State’s next starting shortstop. 

16. Brett Walker, RHP, Oregon to Texas Christian

2021: 6-3, 3.66 ERA, 83.2 IP, 26 BB, 60 K, .252 AVG

Walker didn’t put up quite the numbers of teammates Robert Ahlstrom and Cullen Kafka in the Oregon rotation, but he was a solid third starter during the Ducks’ breakthrough 2021 season. For his career in Eugene, he has a 3.98 ERA in 153.2 innings, with his best work coming in 2020, when he gave up just two runs in 21.1 innings before the season was canceled. Walker has firm but not overpowering stuff, including a fastball that averaged just a touch over 90 mph and touched 94 last season. More of a pitch-to-contact righthander rather than a strikeout artist, Walker didn’t have a whiff rate greater than 27% on any of his four pitches in 2021. Having an experienced, proven pitcher like Walker on the staff will be a luxury for TCU in 2022. 

17. Carter Rustad, RHP, San Diego to Missouri

2021: 5-1, 4.70 ERA, 53.2 IP, 20 BB, 46 K, .289 AVG

A native of Kansas City, Rustad will move back to his home state to continue his career after two seasons at San Diego. A top-200 draft prospect coming out of high school in 2019, the 6-foot-5 righthander had his fastball up to 97 mph during his prep days. The offering wasn’t quite that firm with the Toreros, but his stuff was still plenty good. The fastball was typically a low-90s offering that at one point touched 95 and his slider had a 40% whiff rate. The best outing of the righthander’s career was his last one in a San Diego uniform, a one-hit shutout against WCC champion Gonzaga. Rustad has all of the physical capability to get outs in the SEC. It will just be a matter of him putting it all together. 

18. Hunter Jump, OF, Arizona State to Kentucky

2021: .289/.372/.412, 204 AB, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 0 SB

After three seasons at Arizona State, plus a one-year stopover at the junior college level between his first and second seasons in Tempe, Jump will finish his collegiate career at Kentucky, where he will step into a Wildcats outfield that has some holes to fill. Jump hit .316/.386/.450 in his three seasons with ASU, but the 2021 campaign was his first as a regular. He responded by becoming a key piece of a very good Sun Devils lineup and finishing second on the team in doubles with 17. 

19. Michael Turner, C, Kent State to Arkansas

2021: .337/.439/.640, 89 AB, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 5 SB

In a move reminiscent of last offseason when Arkansas signed catchers A.J. Lewis from Eastern Kentucky and Robert Emery from San Francisco (before both ended up signing free agent deals), the Razorbacks secured the services of Kent State’s Michael Turner, a backstop who can really swing the bat. He played in just 25 games in 2021, but still set a career high in home runs with six. For his Golden Flashes career, he hit .322/.413/.481 with more walks (64) than strikeouts (59). 

20. Matt McCormick, C/DH, West Virginia to Tennessee

2021: .280/.351/.484, 186 AB, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 2 SB

McCormick mashed in two seasons at West Virginia, hitting .299/.380/.510 with 19 doubles and 10 home runs in 67 games. In 2021, he emerged as arguably the biggest threat in the Mountaineers’ lineup, leading the team in doubles and RBIs and coming in second in home runs. Whether he ends up catching or simply manning the DH spot, McCormick’s bat will put him in position for serious playing time in Knoxville right away and should help the Volunteers reload for 2022 rather than having to rebuild after a number of players departed via the draft and graduation after the season. 

21. Brooks Carlson, 2B, Samford to Auburn

2021: .301/.409/.478, 186 AB, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 2 SB

Carlson can really hit, and that’s probably an understatement given his production for Samford, including a career batting average near .360, over four years. He burst onto the scene in 2018, hitting .343 with 10 home runs as a freshman and then he never stopped putting up numbers. He backed his debut campaign up by hitting .345 in 2019 and then an absurd .500 (25-for-50) during the shortened 2020 season. He got off to a slow start in 2021, with a batting average still under .200 as late as the morning of April 23, but he got scalding hot late in the season and managed to finish over .300 for the fourth year in a row. He projects to be a catalyst in the Auburn lineup, even as he steps up in competition level to the SEC. 

22. R.J. Yeager, SS, Mercer to Mississippi State

2021: .308/.363/.564, 234 AB, 13 HR, 50 RBI, 10 SB

Mississippi State doesn’t necessarily take on a large number of four-year transfers, but it seems to have a good feel for finding the ones that will fit best, like Jacksonville transfer Scotty Dubrule last season. In Yeager, it has another mid-major infielder who rakes. His best season was 2021, when he set career-high marks in just about every counting stat category, but he was productive all four years at Mercer on the way to hitting .291/.373/.471 with 46 doubles, 28 home runs and 26 stolen bases. Whether or not he plays shortstop for MSU next season remains to be seen, but he played defense there at a .969 clip last season, so he has shown to be sure handed at the position. 

23. LuJames Groover III, 1B, Charlotte to North Carolina State

2021: .351/.380/.489, 188 AB, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 0 SB

Groover, who also goes by Gino, wasted no time in making an impact as a freshman at Charlotte last season, leading the 49ers in hitting thanks to excellent bat-to-ball skills that also shined through in his low strikeout rate (22 in 188 at-bats). He ended up playing a lot of first base last season, especially once slugger David McCabe began to miss time with injury, but he’s not limited to that position, as he also saw time at second base in 2021. Groover should fit right in at NC State, which will be looking for replacements in the lineup for a number of its best hitters. 

24. Tyler Corbitt, 2B, The Citadel to Clemson

2021: .376/.433/.591, 93 AB, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 7 SB

Corbitt’s decision to enter the transfer portal partway through 2021 prematurely ended his season, but up to that point, he was on fire. The performance was just a continuation of what Corbitt did throughout his entire career at The Citadel after he hit .333 as a freshman in 2019 and .349 during the shortened 2020 season. If he keeps that up in the ACC at Clemson, he will be an effective complement to slugger Caden Grice in the Tigers’ lineup. 

25. Maurice Hampton, Jr., OF, Louisiana State to Samford 

2021: .500/.600/.750, 4 AB, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB

The No. 35 prospect on the BA 500 coming out of high school in 2019 and a two-sport athlete during his time at LSU, Hampton didn’t have much of an opportunity to make an impact on the diamond in his two seasons with the Tigers. In those two seasons, he went just 8-for-30 with two extra-base hits, both doubles. The outfielder was eligible for the 2021 draft and was still ranked No. 380 on the BA 500 based on his immense potential, but he went undrafted. Now, he moves on to Samford, where he will likely go into the 2022 season as a key piece of the Bulldogs’ lineup, looking to make a fresh start count. 

26. Maxwell Romero Jr., C, Vanderbilt to Miami

2021: .300/.426/.620, 50 AB, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 1 SB

After two seasons as the backup catcher behind C.J. Rodriguez at Vanderbilt, Romero, a south Florida native, is returning home to play next season at Miami. He may not have gotten much of a chance to showcase his skills the last two years, but he’s shown enough in small windows to suggest that he can be an impact player for the Hurricanes. He has good raw power, which he used to hit four homers in 50 at-bats last spring (including a monster blast in the CWS) and five more over the summer on the Cape. He also showed defensive improvement over the summer, which should help put him in position to capture the full-time job in Coral Gables. 

27. Dom Johnson, OF, Oklahoma State to Kansas State

2021: .154/.389/.154, 13 AB, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 SB

Johnson didn’t get much of a chance to prove himself in his one season in Stillwater, but there is plenty of reason to believe that he can be an impact player at Kansas State in 2022 and beyond. One of the fastest players in the entire 2020 high school class, Johnson was ranked No. 312 heading into last summer’s draft. If he can hit enough to hold down a full-time role, Johnson has the skills to be a catalyst in the Wildcats’ lineup. 

28. Jordan Carrion, RHP/2B/SS, Florida to Florida State

2021: .244/.309/.279, 86 AB, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 4 SB; 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.2 IP, 3 BB, 8 K, .174 AVG

Carrion, a decorated recruit in Florida’s last recruiting class, is a versatile talent who could do a lot of things for Florida State in 2022. Defensively, he provides the ability to handle either middle infield position, and there should be some starting opportunities there for the Seminoles next season, although he will probably need to show more with the bat this time around. Carrion may also see some time on the mound after having success in a small sample with the Gators. Primarily a fastball-curveball pitcher, Carrion’s heater sat in the high 80s and touched the low 90s last season with his curveball inducing a 38% whiff rate. 

29. Seth Halvorsen, RHP, Missouri to Tennessee

2021: 4-3, 6.00 ERA, 72 IP, 57 BB, 70 K, .258 AVG

Halvorsen really struggled with control in 2021, walking 57 in 72 innings for a Missouri staff that led the country in walks issued, but his stuff is excellent, inspiring confidence that he could blossom in a new setting. His fastball averaged nearly 95 mph last season and he touched 100 with the offering. His curveball and changeup also both had whiff rates of 44%. The stuff is there for Halvorsen to dominate if he can improve his command. The bet Tennessee is making is that working with Frank Anderson, one of the best pitching minds in college baseball, will bring out the best in the hard-throwing righthander.

30. Kevin Madden, 3B, Virginia Tech to South Carolina

2021: .313/.361/.418, 201 AB, 4 HR, 37 RBI, 6 SB

Madden was Virginia Tech’s everyday third baseman and a steady contributor with the bat for his three seasons in Blacksburg. He burst onto the scene by hitting .316 as a freshman in 2019 and capped his time with the Hokies by setting career highs in a number of offensive categories in 2021. Madden fills a need for South Carolina, as the third base platoon of Brennan Milone and Jeff Heinrich was ineffective offensively last season. Madden simply being as productive as he has been to this point of his career would be an upgrade for the Gamecocks in that regard. 

31. Troy Claunch, C, Oregon State to Texas A&M

2021: .305/.379/.399, 203 AB, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 1 SB

After serving in a part-time role while dutifully backing up Adley Rutschman for two seasons, Claunch emerged as the starting catcher at Oregon State before the 2020 season and really flourished in 2021 on the way to being named first team All-Pac-12. For his career, Claunch is a .290/.375/.414 hitter in 124 games. He projects to be a solid hitter in the Texas A&M lineup in 2022 and a steady hand in helping manage a rebuilt Aggies pitching staff. 

32. Brett Roberts, 2B/SS, Tennessee Tech to Florida State

2021: .343/.375/.490, 204 AB, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 17 SB

Roberts was a dynamic offensive force for Tennessee Tech in 2021, leading the team in hitting at .343 and doubles with 13 while also showcasing some home run power with five round trippers. His 17 stolen bases also serve to showcase his speed, but he’s not yet an efficient base stealer, as he was caught nine times. The floor for Roberts seems like that of an athletic middle infielder who provides the flexibility and variety of skills needed to come off the bench late in the game as a pinch-hitter, pinch-runner or defensive replacement. But if he can smooth out some of the rough edges in his game, like the inefficiency in his base stealing and the fact that he doesn’t draw many walks, his ceiling is significantly higher than that, and his hitting over .300 on the Cape over the summer hinted that his ceiling is within reach. 

33. John Gaddis, LHP, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to Mississippi

2021: 5-3, 2.25 ERA, 64 IP, 18 BB, 72 K, .186 AVG

A competitive lefthander, Gaddis had a career year as the Islanders’ ace in 2021 after putting up a 3.08 ERA in 49.2 innings as a swingman in 2019 and a 3.86 ERA in four starts during the shortened 2020 season. Gaddis doesn’t have stuff that lights up the radar gun. His fastball averaged about 88 mph in 2021, but his curveball and changeup are both swing and miss offerings, as each had nearly 40% whiff rates last season. As a bare minimum, Gaddis is a veteran, versatile pitcher who should be a dependable option in a number of roles for the Rebels next season. 

34. Tatem Levins, C, La Salle to Pittsburgh

2021: .315/.416/.503, 197 AB, 7 HR, 50 RBI, 2 SB

Needing a landing spot after La Salle cut its baseball program at the end of the 2021 season, Levins found one at Pittsburgh. One of the most talented players in the Atlantic 10 over the last several seasons, he’s done nothing but mash in his career. In 119 career games, he has a .318/.402/.524 slash line with 37 doubles, 17 home runs, 113 RBI and 55 walks compared to 52 strikeouts. The Panthers didn’t get a ton of offensive production from the catcher position last season. Levins could change that very quickly. 

35. Nate Rombach, C, Texas Tech to Dallas Baptist

2021: .222/.359/.521, 117 AB, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 0 SB

Rombach brings big power to the table. He slugged 15 home runs in 59 career games at Texas Tech, and early in the 2020 season, he slugged five homers and drove in 15 in the span of three games at one point. In that way, he’ll fit right in at Dallas Baptist, a team that had 101 home runs in 2021 and has a long history of offenses that love to score via the long ball. Whether or not he ends up catching is a question that will have to be answered down the road, as he didn’t do that all that much for Texas Tech, but DBU will be thrilled to have his bat in the lineup no matter what position he plays. 

36. Adam Tulloch, LHP, West Virginia to Arizona State

2021: 0-4, 6.27 ERA, 37.1 IP, 31 BB, 52 K, .255 AVG

Arizona State will be Tulloch’s fourth stop in four years of college baseball. After starting at Division II Wingate in 2019, he moved to College of Central Florida for a season before landing at West Virginia, where he had a 6.27 ERA as a swingman last season. The numbers might not have been stellar with the Mountaineers, but his raw stuff was good, with a fastball that touched 96 mph and a changeup that had a 45% whiff rate. ASU certainly hopes it’s getting the pitcher we saw over the summer in the Cape Cod League, where the lefthander struck out 43 and walked just eight in 29 innings. The summer looks were enough to get him drafted in the 17th round by the Dodgers, but he did not sign and will instead head to Tempe, where he will join a Sun Devils team looking for impact pitchers. 

37. Trey Dillard, RHP, Missouri to Texas A&M

2021: DNP

Dillard didn’t pitch for Missouri in 2021, but last we saw him, he was getting it done as the closer for a Missouri team that was off to a good start in 2020. In 8.1 innings, he gave up seven hits and one run with three walks and 11 strikeouts. He’s also got big-time stuff that can be dominant if he commands it. In 2020, his fastball averaged 94.5 mph and reached as high as 97. He also had a nearly 60% whiff rate on his curveball two seasons ago, but that’s in a very small sample size. The righthander will be working with Nate Yeskie, one of the best pitching coaches in the game, in College Station, and that can only help. 

38. John Thrasher, OF, Hartford to Kentucky

2021: .369/.470/.680, 122 AB, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 37 SB

You never know how well a player from a small conference will adjust to playing in a major conference, much less the best conference of all in the SEC, but Thrasher has the numbers and the varied skill set to suggest that he’ll be able to carve out a regular role at Kentucky next season. The America East player of the year last season, Thrasher set career highs across the board, including a .369 batting average when he hadn’t hit better than .274 in any of his other three seasons at Hartford. With 37 stolen bases in 36 games last season, Thrasher’s best asset is likely his base stealing ability, but he does a lot of things well and that should give him a shot at earning regular playing time at Kentucky. 

39. Chase Dollander, RHP, Georgia Southern to Tennessee

2021: 4-3, 4.04 ERA, 49 IP, 28 BB, 64 K, .262 AVG

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Dollander was a true fastball pitcher as a freshman in 2021, throwing that pitch nearly 75% of the time, but looking under the hood at the data, it’s easy to see why. The offering averaged nearly 94 mph last season and topped out at 97. It’s a relatively small sample, but his changeup also emerged as a weapon, as it had a 58% whiff rate in 2021. It’s also easy to see why Tennessee would have interest in him, even beyond his excellent stuff. Against the Volunteers last February while pitching for Georgia Southern, Dollander gave up three hits and one run with eight strikeouts in 5.2 innings. With some holes to fill on the pitching staff, expect Tennessee to find a role for Dollander very quickly next season. 

40. Adam Mazur, RHP, South Dakota State to Iowa

2021: 2-7, 5.43 ERA, 68 IP, 31 BB, 88 K, .269 AVG

With a 5.50 ERA over two seasons at South Dakota State, Mazur isn’t yet a complete pitcher, but his stuff is plenty good, he showed well on the Cape this past summer and Iowa now hopes it can mold the righthander into a frontline starter in the Big Ten. Last season with the Jackrabbits, his fastball averaged nearly 91 mph and touched as high as 97 with a slider that generated a 45% whiff rate. With Wareham on the Cape, Mazur continued to show a fastball that sat in the low 90s and his slider whiff rate was even better at 49% as he put up a 1.55 ERA with 34 strikeouts and six walks in 29 innings. 

41. Elliot Carney, RHP, Wofford to Coastal Carolina 

2021: 6-3, 3.07 ERA, 88 IP, 22 BB, 107 K, .192 AVG

After throwing just two-thirds of an inning in his first season at Wofford in 2020, Carney broke out in 2021 to become the Terriers’ staff ace. On April 17, Carney threw a no-hitter against UNC Greensboro, then three weeks later threw a complete game one-hitter against The Citadel. The righthander’s fastball velocity won’t impress you in this age of pitchers lighting up radar guns, as it averaged about 87 mph and touched 90 last season, but the combination of that pitch and his curveball, which he used liberally and got a 41% whiff rate on, proved to be extremely effective. 

42. Trey Braithwaite, RHP, Navy to West Virginia

2021: 4-2, 4.44 ERA, 24.1 IP, 20 BB, 38 K, 3 SV

A rare late-career transfer out of a service academy, Braithwaite heads to Morgantown after three seasons as a closer for Navy. In 67.1 career innings for the Midshipmen, he had a 3.07 ERA, 86 strikeouts, 35 walks, a .230 opponent batting average and 17 saves. He’ll bring with him big stuff that includes a fastball that averaged 92.3 mph and touched 98 last season and a slider with which he induced a 47% whiff rate. 

43. Jacob Palisch, LHP, Stanford to Texas A&M

2021: 2-0, 3.86 ERA, 35 IP, 11 BB, 29 K, .275 AVG

A Richardson, Texas, native, Palisch will return to his home state to finish his college baseball career at Texas A&M. In the lefthander, the Aggies are getting a pitcher who has done a little bit of everything for the Cardinal but has best proven himself as a back-end reliever, a role he held last season after returning from missing time early on and a role in which he had a 1.72 ERA as a freshman in 2018. Palisch is primarily a fastball-slider pitcher, but he will also flip in a changeup here and there. His fastball is a high-80s offering that touched 92 mph last season and his slider had a 34% whiff rate. 

44. Ben Dragani, LHP, Michigan to Pittsburgh

2021: 3-3, 4.55 ERA, 29.2 IP, 19 BB, 18 K, .229 AVG

In transferring to Pittsburgh, Dragani will look to recapture the form he showed as a freshman in 2018, when he had a 2.76 ERA in 75 innings before missing all of 2019 in recovery from Tommy John surgery. By the time he took the mound in 2021, the lefthander had made all of one appearance since the 2018 season, and throughout last season, he looked the part of a pitcher still working his way back. He began the season with 8.1 combined scoreless innings against Iowa and Purdue, but struggled to miss bats and battled command much of the rest of the way. At worst, Dragani is an experienced lefty option, and a team can never have too many of those, but if he returns to the pitcher he was not so long ago, Pitt could have an ace on its hands. 

45. Jess Davis, OF, Alabama-Birmingham to Mississippi State

2021: .258/.367/.355, 186 AB, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 23 SB

It wouldn’t be fair to discount the idea that Davis could become a regular at Mississippi State next season. After all, he’s a .280 career hitter at UAB who also hit 14 doubles and five homers as a freshman in 2019. But it’s just that he would seem to fit so perfectly into a role as a late-game disruptor for the opposition on the base paths, because stealing bases is his deal. He had 77 of them over three seasons with the Blazers, including a whopping 48 in 2019. He’s the type of runner who can really affect a game. 

46. Dominic Pilolli, OF, Charlotte to North Carolina State

2021: .274/.395/.495, 95 AB, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 9 SB

Pilolli was putting together a very good second season at Charlotte in 2021 when a knee injury suffered during the Old Dominion series on the road ended his campaign prematurely. In two seasons with the 49ers, both of which ended early when you factor in the Covid-19 cancellation in 2020, Pilolli hit .327/.429/.525 in 46 games. In small samples, the outfielder has proven his ability to help carry a quality offense, and he should get a chance to prove that again on a bigger stage at NC State next season. 

47. BT Riopelle, C, Coastal Carolina to Florida

2021: .270/.354/.459, 185 AB, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 8 SB

It never hurts to have extra catchers on the roster and it never hurts to have extra hitters who have home-run power, and in Riopelle, Florida gets both. A solidly-built six-feet-tall and 205 pounds, Riopelle had a breakout season with Coastal in 2021, his first full season as a full-time starter, hitting 11 doubles and eight home runs. Swing and miss is a part of his game, as he also had 77 strikeouts compared to just 17 walks. As it is, he’s a dangerous hitter to have around, but if he can shore up the strikeouts, he suddenly becomes an instant jolt of thunder in the UF lineup. 

48. Jake Gitter, OF, Northern Colorado to Coastal Carolina

2021: .319/.429/.649, 94 AB, 8 HR, 14 RBI, 6 SB

Gitter’s season ended after just 27 games last season, but he did a lot of damage in those games, clubbing eight homers, just one shy of the team lead despite playing just half the season at Northern Colorado. After getting just five at-bats as a freshman in 2018, the New Orleans native was extremely productive for the Bears over the next three seasons, hitting 26 doubles and 17 homers. Gitter will look to bring some punch to a CCU lineup that lost outfielder Parker Chavers to the draft and catcher B.T. Riopelle to transfer. 

49. Caleb Bolden, RHP, Arkansas to Texas Christian 

2021: 2-0, 4.50 ERA, 44 IP, 24 BB, 44 K, .238 AVG

Bolden was a solid swingman during his time at Arkansas, putting up a 3.86 ERA in 88.2 innings. He didn’t have dominant stuff and he was never so successful as to force his way into a bigger role for any extended stretch, but he threw some important innings for the Razorbacks along the way. Bolden works with a fastball that averaged just over 90 mph and touched 94 last season, and his slider, which had a 46% whiff rate in 2021, is his best secondary offering. He’ll give TCU another experienced option to work with, not unlike Oregon transfer Brett Walker, who will also arrive in Fort Worth for the 2022 season. 

50. Dylan Carmouche, LHP, Mississippi State to Tulane 

2021: 1-0, 1.23 ERA, 7.1 IP, 3 BB, 11 K, .222 AVG

Carmouche was effective in a very small sample for national champion Mississippi State last season, but he had a much better chance to showcase what he’s made of over the summer with Chatham on the Cape. There, he struck out 22 in 16.2 innings with a fastball in the low 90s and a changeup that had a nearly 60% whiff rate. He should be a prime candidate for important innings next season for Tulane, which is replacing some of its best pitchers from last season. 

 

 

51. Skyler Messinger, 3B, Kansas to Texas

2021: .324/.398/.460, 213 AB, 2 HR, 39 RBI, 4 SB

Messinger was a four-year contributor on the Kansas infield, hitting .280/.365/.406 in 186 games and nearly 700 plate appearances. The 2021 season was his best, as he set a career high in all three slash line categories, in doubles with 19 and in RBI with 39, all while lowering his strikeout rate. Texas has to hope that Messinger’s transfer works out as well as another Kansas infield transfer from last year, Benjamin Sems, worked out for Michigan. But even if Messinger doesn’t quite live up to that, he will be a steady hand for the Longhorns who is familiar with the rigors of the Big 12. 

52. Chandler Simpson, 2B, Alabama-Birmingham to Georgia Tech

2021: .288/.339/.345, 177 AB, 0 HR, 20 RBI, 24 SB

Along with Jess Davis, who is transferring to Mississippi State, Simpson was part of a UAB duo that proved to be an absolute menace on the bases last season. For his part, the second baseman swiped 24 bases in 27 tries, one up on Davis for the team lead. Just as impressively, Simpson went to the Northwoods League over the summer and hit .377 with 55 stolen bases. At a bare minimum, Simpson will bring value as a base stealer and a solid defensive player who fielded at a .968 clip last season, but if the strides he made in hitting over the summer translate to next season at Georgia Tech, he could be one of the best top-of-the-order hitters in the ACC. 

53. Zach Arnold, SS, Louisiana State to Houston

2021: .277/.325/.439, 155 AB, 7 HR, 26 RBI, 2 SB

After playing sparingly as a freshman in 2020 due to injury, Arnold earned a more regular role with the Tigers in 2021 and provided some punch in the order with seven home runs. He still has strides to make in terms of plate discipline, as he struck out 40 times and walked just nine last season, but he played well down the stretch with hits in LSU’s final six postseason games, and he should be a big piece of the puzzle for Houston next season as the Cougars look to improve an offense that was often punchless in 2021. 

54. Jeff Wehler, UTL, Youngstown State to Pittsburgh

2021: .332/.390/.552, 223 AB, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 25 SB

Wehler was a solid contributor for four seasons at Youngstown State, as shown by a career .285/.353/.433 slash line, but he took it to a new level in 2021, setting a number of career highs along the way. Wehler will flash some power, including being able to run the ball out of the ballpark from time to time, but offensively, his stolen base acumen is what stands out. He stole 88 bases at YSU, including at least 25 in three different seasons. A true utility guy on defense, he will also give Pittsburgh some versatility. He has experience at first base, second base, shortstop and all three outfield positions. 

55. Cooper Chandler, RHP, Pepperdine to Rice

2021: 0-1, 2.30 ERA, 15.2 IP, 5 BB, 10 K, .250 AVG

Chandler was a solid starter in his four seasons at Pepperdine. In 32 appearances (24 starts), he had a 3.17 ERA in 147.2 innings. His best full season was as a freshman in 2018, when he went 6-3 with a 3.99 ERA in 70 innings over 16 appearances (12 starts). Since then, he has been a bit snakebitten, as injuries and the coronavirus pandemic limited him to just 16 appearances over the following three seasons. Chandler won’t miss a ton of bats. He has just 98 career strikeouts and none of his individual pitches has a greater than 29% whiff rate, but he’s more of a proven pitcher than exists on much of Rice’s pitching staff that’s held over from last season. 

56. Holden Christian, LHP, Loyola Marymount to Arizona

2021: 3-1, 0.97 ERA, 37 IP, 15 BB, 56 K, .124 AVG

Christian enjoyed modest success here and there throughout his first three seasons at LMU, but he really broke out as the Lions’ closer in 2021 and became one of the most unhittable relievers on the West Coast. The lefthander didn’t give up an earned run last season until May 2 and ended up giving up an earned run in just three of 21 total appearances. Christian doesn’t light up the radar gun, with his fastball sitting in the high 80s and touching the low 90s, but he throws it nearly 80% of the time and he manages to get swings and misses on the pitch thanks in part to some funk in his delivery. He looks the part of a ready-made option for the Arizona bullpen next season. 

57. Ben Fitzgerald, 1B, Louisiana-Lafayette to UC Irvine

2021: .293/.392/.571, 191 AB, 12 HR, 31 RBI, 6 SB

An Iowa native who began his college career in his home state at North Iowa Area JC, Fitzgerald made the move away from home to play for the Ragin’ Cajuns ahead of the 2020 season. After that season was canceled early on, he blossomed last season to become the Cajuns’ best power bat. For his final season of college baseball he’ll go even further from home and play at UC Irvine. His presence in the middle of the order will help the Anteaters continue what they started in 2021, when they complemented a typically good UCI pitching staff with a physical lineup. 

58. Tyler Doanes, 2B, West Virginia to Indiana

2021: .225/.327/.271, 129 AB, 0 HR, 22 RBI, 5 SB

The 2021 season was a bit of a struggle for Doanes, although he did still have more walks (20) than strikeouts (18), but on the whole, he was an extremely productive player at West Virginia over the last four years. He has a .289/.378/.420 career slash line, with 2019 serving as his best season in Morgantown. That year, he hit .316 with 21 doubles, five home runs and 20 stolen bases. It’s a big ask when you consider that his last two seasons haven’t been as good, but if Doanes replicates his 2019 season next year with Indiana, he will be one of the best catalysts in the Big Ten. 

59. Andy Archer, RHP, Georgia Tech to Hawaii

2021: 5-5, 4.80 ERA, 75 IP, 36 BB, 77 K, .246 AVG

After five up-and-down seasons at Georgia Tech, Archer will be the envy of many across college baseball as he goes to play his sixth and final season at Hawaii. Injuries have unfortunately been a big part of Archer’s career to this point, as he missed time as a freshman in 2017 and missed all of 2019, but when he’s been healthy he’s been effective. The 2021 season was his first as a starter and he developed into a quality Saturday option for the Yellow Jackets. The righthander uses a fastball that sits in the high 80 or low 90s, but his changeup is the real star of the show in his repertoire. The offering, which he throws 36% of the time, had a 44% whiff rate last season. With his experience both starting and closing and his fastball-changeup one-two punch, Archer should have a prominent role for the Rainbow Warriors right away. 

60. Josh Hatcher, 1B, Mississippi State to Kennesaw State

2021: .189/.245/.284, 148 AB, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 6 SB

Hatcher will always be remembered fondly by the Mississippi State faithful for being a contributor on the team that delivered the program’s first national title, but he will finish his college career in his home state of Georgia at Kennesaw State, where he will almost certainly find more regular playing time. The 2021 season didn’t feature Hatcher’s best work at the plate, but he’s been a quality hitter in small samples. In 2019, he hit .321 in a part-time role, and he hit .311 as a full-time starter in the shortened 2020 season. It’s easy to see him putting up big numbers in the middle of the KSU order in 2022. 

61. Tyler Bosma, LHP, Miami (OH) to Kentucky

2021: 2-4, 3.95 ERA, 57 IP, 37 BB, 72 K, .259 AVG

After putting up 5.54 and 6.59 ERAs at Miami in his first two seasons, Bosma really turned a corner in 2021 with a 3.95 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 57 innings across 15 appearances, 14 of which were starts. A lefthander with good stuff, Bosma’s fastball averaged just a tick under 90 mph last season and touched as high as 96. His most effective secondary pitch in 2021 was a changeup that induced a 42% whiff rate. This summer in the MLB Draft League, Bosma also recorded curveballs with a nearly 3,000 rpm spin rate. Although he’s shown the ability to start, with that kind of stuff, at minimum, Bosma is an interesting option in a relief role. 

62. Bradley Brehmer, RHP, Wright State to Indiana

2021: 8-4, 4.11 ERA, 76.2 IP, 25 BB, 85 K, .226 AVG

Brehmer took a big step forward in 2021 with his best season in a Wright State uniform, setting career-best marks across the board, including strikeouts, which were more than double what he had as a starter in a similar number of innings in 2019. Given that, it’s not surprising that his stuff has made a jump. His fastball averaged just under 87 mph and touched 91 in 2019. In 2021, his average fastball was 90.5 mph and it touched 95. His secondary pitches all had 32% whiff rates or better last season, with the 42% whiff rate on his changeup the best of the bunch. It will be a step up in competition to move to the Big Ten next season, but Brehmer has the stuff to be effective there as well. 

63. Ryan McLinskey, RHP, Seton Hall to Notre Dame

2021: 4-1, 2.81 ERA, 57.2 IP, 28 BB, 66 K, .239 AVG

After two seasons as a reliever at Seton Hall, McLinskey transitioned to the rotation ahead of the 2020 season, and after putting up a 3.38 ERA during his four starts before the season was canceled, he took another step in 2021 over a full season, enjoying his best campaign for the Pirates. The righthander has a four-pitch mix highlighted by a fastball that averaged 90.6 mph and touched 95 last season and a changeup that had a 45% whiff rate. Notre Dame had a lot of success last season with pitchers plucked from the transfer portal, so it’s no surprise to see the Irish go to that well again. 

64. Connor Bovair, RHP, Siena to North Carolina

2021: 4-5, 5.34 ERA, 55.2 IP, 20 BB, 75 K, .222 AVG

Bovair used a low-90s fastball that got up to 95 mph to help him put together a successful freshman season at Siena. His 5.34 ERA might strike you as being a bit high, but a rough outing against Iona to start the season made it tough for Bovair to get that number down throughout the campaign and his peripheral numbers are strong enough to suggest you shouldn’t get too caught up on the ERA. The caveat is that Siena played a conference-only schedule in 2021, so it’s hard to know how the righthander would have done against top-flight competition. What’s more certain is that his stuff, which also includes a slider that induced a 48% whiff rate last season, is plenty good. Bovair’s best work arguably came against the best teams that he saw. Against Rider and Fairfield, the two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference teams that made the NCAA Tournament, he allowed three runs (two earned) in 13 innings with 15 strikeouts. Bovair’s stuff will already make him a candidate for a role at UNC right away, but if there’s more in the tank as he matures, the Tar Heels could have a real gem. 

65. Chase Isbell, RHP, Samford to Auburn

2021: 4-2, 2.32 ERA, 31 IP, 13 BB, 44 K, 7 SV

Isbell likely won’t be ready for the start of the 2022 season as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery, but there is hope that can step in at some point and add something to the Auburn bullpen next year. He can certainly give that unit a lift if he pitches like he did in 2021, when he was almost inarguably Samford’s best arm in any role. Isbell leads with his fastball, throwing it 74% of the time in his career, and that pitch averaged over 92 mph in 2021, but his slider is his big putaway weapon, with a 49% whiff rate on the offering over two seasons. 

66. Landon Jordan, 3B, Mississippi State to South Alabama

2021: .281/.410/.344, 32 AB, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 2 SB

Jordan never quite locked down a regular role at Mississippi State for any extended stretch, but he was an effective hitter in small samples. He hit .328 as a freshman in 61 at-bats and hit .281 last season before making the decision to leave the team in mid March. As confident as those numbers should make South Alabama in Jordan’s offensive ability, his defensive value may be greater. In three seasons at MSU, over which he played both second and third base, he didn’t make a single error. Look for Jordan to capture a spot as a regular on the Jaguars’ infield in 2022. 

67. Casey Dana, 3B, Seton Hall to Connecticut

2021: .306/.374/.513, 160 AB, 7 HR, 36 RBI, 3 SB

By hitting .367 in the shortened 2020 season, Dana was providing a preview of a breakout season to come in 2021 after hitting .225 in 2018 and .234 in 2019, his first two seasons at Seton Hall. The breakout season did indeed come to fruition last season, with Dana cutting way down on his strikeout rate while maintaining the power he’s always shown—seven home runs in 2021 and 24 for his Seton Hall career—and pushing his batting average over .300 for a full season for the first time. Dana should help provide some pop to replace the likes of departed sluggers Kyler Fedko and brothers Pat and Chris Winkel in the UConn lineup. 

68. Cory Acton, INF, Florida to Georgia

2021: .250/.438/.283, 60 AB, 0 HR, 10 RBI, 3 SB

Acton had a solid debut season as a regular in Gainesville in 2019, hitting .251/.353/.387 with six homers, but he wasn’t able to replicate that success in the ensuing two seasons, hitting .192 as a full-time starter in the shortened 2020 season and .250/.438/.283 as a part-time player in 2021, although he did walk (18) more than he struck out (14). He’ll look for a change of scenery in Athens to be the catalyst for improvement moving forward. 

69. Tommy Vail, LHP, Notre Dame to Texas Christian

2021: DNP

Vail didn’t pitch for Notre Dame last season, but prior to that, he built up a long track record as a very effective reliever for the Irish. In 89 career innings in South Bend, he had a 3.24 ERA and 115 strikeouts. The lefthander’s fastball averages just below 90 mph but can get up into the low 90s, and he’s thrown that pitch more than 80% of the time in his career. By the time Vail throws a pitch for TCU, it will have been a long time since he’s pitched in a competitive game, but assuming he knocks that rust off quickly, he should plug in neatly on the Horned Frogs’ staff. 

70. Dillon Marsh, LHP, Kentucky to Oklahoma State

2021: 0-1, 4.34 ERA, 29 IP, 5 BB, 30 K, .220 AVG

Marsh began his Kentucky career as a starter, taking the ball to start the game 14 times as a freshman in 2019, but he became more effective as he transitioned to pitching out of the bullpen, with the 2021 season serving as his best in Lexington. The lefthander was an important relief arm for the Wildcats last season, with a 4.34 ERA not truly capturing how effective he was, as one bad outing against Georgia in mid April really ballooned his ERA. With a .220 opponent average, he was tough to hit, and with just five walks compared to 30 strikeouts in 29 innings, he clearly wasn’t giving up free passes, either. Experienced lefties who simultaneously throw lots of strikes and are tough to hit come at a premium, so Marsh is undoubtedly a welcome addition for Oklahoma State. 

71. Darren Williams, RHP, Eastern Kentucky to Kentucky

2021: 3-8, 4.10 ERA, 83.1 IP, 30 BB, 92 K, .238 AVG

A big body at 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, Williams has been a versatile pitcher for EKU the last four years. He had his best season as a reliever in 2019, when he put up a 3.40 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 39.2 innings. His transition to the rotation went well in 2021, as he proved to be the Colonels’ most effective starter. His fastball averaged 89 mph last season, but it sits in the low 90s early in starts, and that was a step up from where his velocity was in 2019, when his fastball would just touch 90. At a bare minimum, Williams will make for an experienced option who can hold a number of roles for Kentucky in 2022. 

72. Tommy Sheehan, LHP, Notre Dame to Auburn

2021: 0-1, 6.75 ERA, 8 IP, 8 BB, 10 K, .303 AVG

Sheehan was limited to just two games in 2021 due to injury, but he was mostly an effective starter for the Irish in each of the three previous seasons. His best work came in the shortened 2020 campaign, when he went 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 22-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in four starts, but in terms of full seasons, his best was 2019, when he had a 4.58 ERA in 92.1 innings across 15 starts. A pitch-to-contact lefthander whose fastball is a high-80s offering that will touch the low 90s, Sheehan will lean on the experience of nearly 200 innings thrown at Notre Dame to help him compete for innings with Auburn next season. 

73. Daniel Harris IV, 2B, Eastern Kentucky to Kentucky

2021: .290/.361/.459, 207 AB, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 15 SB

Harris made the college baseball world sit up and take notice in 2020, when he finished the shortened season hitting .460 in 14 games. He didn’t keep up that impossible pace in 2021, but it did turn out to be the best full season of his career in many respects, including setting full-season career highs in all three slash line categories, walk rate, strikeout rate and stolen bases. Moving from the OVC to the SEC will be quite the jump for Harris, but he has the varied skill and experience to be a contributor for Kentucky in one way or another. 

74. Jacob Burke, INF, Southeastern Louisiana to Miami

2021: .254/.384/.476, 189 AB, 9 HR, 43 RBI, 23 SB

Burke was a real catalyst for Southeastern Louisiana in his two seasons there. After hitting .313/.441/.521 in the shortened 2020 season, Burke was arguably the Lions’ best all-around threat offensively in 2021, despite his average dipping a bit over a full season. He led the team in home runs with nine and in stolen bases with 23, tied for second on the squad in doubles with 11 and was alone in second in RBI with 43. He will also provide some defensive versatility, as he saw significant time at third base, first base and left field last season. With some veteran players in the lineup moving on via the draft and transfer, Miami should have some at-bats available for a player of Burke’s quality. 

75. Jacob Meador, RHP, Texas Christian to Dallas Baptist

2021: 1-1, 5.68 ERA, 19 IP, 11 BB, 24 K, .240 AVG

With a 7.17 ERA in two seasons at TCU, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for Meador so far, but if his performance on the Cape this year is any indication, Dallas Baptist’s pitching staff is getting a gem in the righthander. In 27.1 innings with Yarmouth-Dennis, he put up a 3.62 ERA and 34 strikeouts compared to eight walks, with his changeup inducing a 56% whiff rate. His stuff has always been good. Last season, for instance, his fastball averaged over 92 mph and touched 99 and both his changeup and breaking ball had better than 40% whiff rates, but the stuff hasn’t led to results during the spring season. DBU hopes that changes in 2022. 

76. Brennan Milone, 3B, South Carolina to Oregon

2021: .216/.377/.345, 116 AB, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB

A highly-regarded recruit in the class that arrived at South Carolina two seasons ago, Milone had his fair share of struggles with the Gamecocks. After missing all but five games in 2020 due to injury, there was hope that a fully-healthy 2021 season would be his breakout. With a .216 average and just two home runs, that didn’t come to pass, although his 28 walks were good for third on the team despite starting in just 35 of the team’s 57 total games. In a short time at Oregon, Mark Wasikowski has already established a track record of getting the most out of his players, and he’ll hope to do the same with Milone, a talented player who hasn’t put it all together yet. 

77. Nander De Sedas, SS, Florida State to Missouri

2021: .196/.303/.363, 179 AB, 7 HR, 18 RBI, 0 SB

A top-30 prospect on the BA 500 coming out of high school in 2018, De Sedas struggled with the bat in three seasons at Florida State, as the concerns about his hit tool that cropped up during his high school days lingered into his college career. The shortstop leaves Tallahassee with a .206 career average and having never hit better than .231 in any single season, although he did flash some pop, with 18 homers over three years. Defensively, he still shows the hands and arm strength that he always has, which should make him an instant contributor at his position with Missouri. The Tigers have often struggled to put together an SEC-quality offense, so De Sedas simply featuring some of the power he did at FSU and showing modest improvement otherwise offensively would make him a welcome addition. 

78. Elijah Pleasants, RHP, Tennessee to Dallas Baptist

2021: 2-1, 4.37 ERA, 22.2 IP, 6 BB, 13 K, .279 AVG

Pleasants might never have carved out a major role on the Tennessee pitching staff in three seasons, but it’s tough to argue with the numbers he put up in the opportunities he did get. In 46.1 career innings in Knoxville, he had a 3.11 ERA and a .234 opponent batting average. Pleasants can bring the velocity, as his fastball was clocked as high as 97 mph last season, but he doesn’t miss many bats, with just 27 strikeouts in his career. Despite that, however, he has always found a way to be effective, and he should give DBU another quality option on the mound in 2022. 

79. Miles Simington, OF, Purdue to South Alabama

2021: .322/.431/.493, 152 AB, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 4 SB

A third team All-Big Ten honoree, Simington had a breakout season for Purdue in 2021, hitting .322/.431/.493 with 14 doubles, four homers and 27 RBI with more walks (21) than strikeouts (20). That was a big leap from his 2020 numbers, when he hit .231/.375/.410, albeit in an abbreviated season that didn’t allow for him to come on strong late. His presence could be a shot in the arm for a South Alabama lineup that lacked punch last season. 

80. Daylan Nanny, OF, Western Carolina to Indiana State

2021: .306/.421/.440, 193 AB, 4 HR, 44 RBI, 8 SB

Nanny has been one of the best offensive players in the Southern Conference over the last few seasons. In his three years at WCU, he hit .301/.402/.456 with 37 doubles and 11 home runs. At Indiana State, which will be a return home for the Plainfield native, his presence will be a welcome addition in the lineup alongside returning Missouri Valley Conference player of the year Jordan Schaffer. 

81. Trey Leonard, OF, Louisville to Troy

2021: .313/.367/.458, 144 AB, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 7 SB

After two seasons as a part-time player, Leonard grabbed hold of more regular playing time last season and took full advantage by developing into one of Louisville’s most consistent hitters. Leonard’s speed, which helped him steal 14 bases in 2019 despite starting just eight games that season, will make him a threat on the bases at Troy, but with 12 extra-base hits including four home runs in 2021, he also showed more power than you might expect from a player known more for his wheels. He could be a dangerous all-around threat for the Trojans next season. 

82. Austin Marozas, RHP, Charlotte to Missouri

2021: 5-3, 5.44 ERA, 51.1 IP, 22 BB, 42 K, .260 AVG

After transferring in from San Jacinto (Texas) JC, Marozas had an up-and-down 2021 season at Charlotte. There were plenty of good results like six shutout innings against Tennessee, but there were also struggles, like the 11 runs surrendered in five innings across two starts against Old Dominion. Marozas’ stuff is good enough that Missouri is betting on more results like the former and fewer like the latter in 2022. The righthander’s fastball averaged just under 92 mph last season and touched 97, and both his slider and changeup had whiff rates around 40%. If he can harness that stuff better next season, he’s likely to have a prominent role for the Tigers. 

83. Matt Hogan, OF, Vanderbilt to South Carolina

2021: .154/.154/.231, 13 AB, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB

With just 19 at-bats over three seasons, Hogan is another talented Vanderbilt player who will transfer to another power program in an effort to earn more playing time. A burner in the outfield and on the bases, Hogan has a chance to make an impact at South Carolina with his speed, and with four home runs over the summer on the Cape, he showed power that he hadn’t previously shown in his small sample with the Commodores. It’s hard to know what to expect for Hogan in Columbia given how little he’s played, but he has the talent to have a regular role. 

84. Michael Ludowig, OF, Wake Forest to Virginia Tech

2021: .278/.383/.426, 108 AB, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 3 SB

Although Ludowig’s 2021 statistics were solid in 31 games, his best work perhaps came in 2019, when he hit .300/.405/.405. The No. 337 prospect ahead of the 2020 draft, Ludowig might have been in professional baseball had the draft not been just five rounds last year thanks to his natural bat-to-ball skills, his strong frame and his ability to stick in the outfield from a defensive standpoint. Given his experience and natural ability, Ludowig should be a plug-and-play option in the outfield for the Hokies right away. 

85. Ryan Miller, RHP, North Carolina Central to Pittsburgh

2021: 10-0, 2.21 ERA, 73.1 IP, 22 BB, 74 K, .204 AVG

Miller put up some gaudy numbers last season, including a perfect 10-0 record and a 2.21 ERA, but that success is the result of more than just playing in a small conference like the MEAC. Miller’s stuff is also plenty good. His fastball sits in the high 80s but will touch the low 90s. His best secondary offering is a slider that induced a 50% whiff rate last season, but all of his pitches, including his fastball, had whiff rates of 38% or better. Miller won’t dominate with Pitt in the same way he did with NC Central at times, but he’s more than good enough to get outs in the ACC. 

86. Joe Lomuscio, OF, Brown to Stanford

2021: DNP

Lomuscio didn’t take the field in 2021 due to the Ivy League’s decision to severely limit its member schools’ ability to play spring sports, but there is no arguing what he’s done on the field to this point. A 2019 first team All-Ivy League performer, Lomuscio is a career .303/.363/.436 hitter with 15 doubles, seven home runs, 51 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 88 games. His patience at the plate could be improved, as he has just 16 walks to go with 97 strikeouts, but as a .300 career hitter with the ability to play center field, Lomuscio could find his way into playing time for the Cardinal, even as part of a very talented roster. 

87. Jake Jackson, RHP, Nevada to Baylor

2021: 5-4, 5.45 ERA, 74.1 IP, 15 BB, 44 K, .353 AVG

Jackson has been a workhorse for the Wolf Pack each of the last four seasons. He finished his time in Reno with 216 innings pitched across 46 appearances and 42 starts. He was solid for Nevada’s regional team last season, but his best season came as a freshman, when he went 8-4 with a 5.42 ERA and 77 strikeouts compared to 22 walks in 84.2 innings. It’s also important to view his overall numbers through the context of pitching in many offensive environments in the Mountain West Conference, where high ERAs are often the norm. Jackson leads with a fastball that can touch the low 90s. He doesn’t induce many swings and misses, but he commands his stuff well and only walked 55 batters in his time with the Wolf Pack. 

88. Trevin Michael, RHP, Lamar to Oklahoma

2021: 6-3, 3.29 ERA, 68.1 IP, 29 BB, 77 K, .223 AVG

Michael showed the ability to dominate in his two seasons at Lamar. After putting up a 2.42 ERA and a 32-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 26 innings in 2020, he backed that up by compiling similar numbers over a full season in 2021. Michael’s fastball was up to 95 mph last season for Lamar and he uses two different breaking balls, a slider that had a 49% whiff rate and a curveball with a 55% whiff rate over a somewhat smaller sample. Oklahoma had a 5.84 team ERA in 2021 and the exact right combination of pitchers never seemed to materialize as the season went on, so Michael should get a good shot at significant innings in 2022. 

89. Garrett Crowley, LHP, Fordham to Texas Tech

2021: 3-4, 5.98 ERA, 43.2 IP, 32 BB, 53 K, .235 AVG

In part thanks to command struggles that led to 40 walks issued in 56.1 career innings at Fordham, Crowley had a 6.39 ERA in three seasons with the Rams, but his raw stuff, including a fastball that sits in the low 90s, suggests he could be a real weapon for Texas Tech if he can iron things out. This summer on the Cape, he still had an ERA above 5.00, but there were clear positive strides otherwise, including striking out 39 and walking just 10 in 26.1 innings. The Red Raiders have some holes to fill on the pitching staff and their coaching staff does a good job every year of finding the right roles for the right arms, so in that way, Crowley and Texas Tech feel like a good match. 

90. Eric Foggo, 1B, Stetson to Alabama

2021: .247/.344/.434, 166 AB, 8 HR, 40 RBI, 0 SB

An imposing figure at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, Foggo will bring serious power to the Alabama lineup in 2022. He looked like he was in for a career year in 2020 with a .316 average and four home runs in 15 games at the time the season was canceled, and he wasn’t quite able to keep up that pace in 2021, although he did set a career high in home runs with eight. Foggo has made significant strides in plate discipline since he struck out 36 times and walked just five times as a freshman in 2018. Last season, for example, he had 23 walks (a career high) compared to 34 strikeouts (a career low for a full season), but barring another big jump in his bat-to-ball skills, it’s likely that his value continues to be tied to his power next season for the Crimson Tide.

91. Kole Kaler, SS, Hawaii to Texas A&M

2021: .314/.376/.435, 207 AB, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 15 SB

After spending the last two seasons at Hawaii, Kaler, an Arizona native, will return to the mainland to play out his college career at Texas A&M, which is doing heavy lifting in the transfer portal this offseason. Kaler can do a little bit of everything. Defensively, he handles a premium position. Offensively, he shows some gap power with 22 doubles and six triples in 67 career games on the islands and with 15 stolen bases last season, he’s a threat on the bases as well. With Texas A&M losing a lot of pieces in the lineup, it will be looking for new faces to make the lineup dynamic in 2022, and Kaler could be part of the solution. 

92. Conor Hartigan, OF, James Madison to Virginia Tech

2021: .364/.414/.576, 118 AB, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 8 SB

Hartigan was limited to just 28 games this season through no fault of his own, as an already reduced schedule for James Madison got reduced further due to Covid-19, but he made the most of those 28 games, setting career highs all over the place. Given the relatively small number of at-bats, his counting numbers look somewhat modest, but extrapolated out to a normal 50-plus game season, he was on the way to a monster campaign. Hartigan will fit in nicely in the Virginia Tech lineup with fellow outfielder Gavin Cross. 

93. Tyler Guilfoil, RHP, Lipscomb to Kentucky

2021: 3-1, 3.25 ERA, 36 IP, 24 BB, 53 K, 5 SV

There’s not a lot of mystery with how Guilfoil is going to attack hitters. He’s a fastball pitcher. In 2021, he threw that pitch 76% of the time, but you can’t really argue with that usage given the results and the quality of the offering. He can run his heater up to 95 mph and last season, he got a 33% whiff rate on it, a fairly high number for a fastball, which is typically not the pitch you get swings and misses on. A Lexington native, Guilfoil will head home to finish his career at Kentucky, where his experience and stuff should give him a chance at earning innings right away. 

94. Tyler Drabick, RHP, Lipscomb to Auburn

2021: 1-0, 2.81 ERA, 32 IP, 13 BB, 46 K, .180 AVG

Drabick is well-traveled, having begun his career at Kent State before transferring to Lipscomb for the 2021 season, and now he’ll finish on The Plains at Auburn. The righthander is a slider specialist who threw that pitch more than 60% of the time last season, and of those sliders, 67% of them ended up as strikes. With a whiff rate (36%) that’s not astronomical, it shows that he’s capable of landing that pitch for a strike as well as getting swings and misses. His fastball won’t blow by hitters, but it averaged 88.9 mph last season and touched 92, so it’s firm enough that hitters have to respect it. If nothing else, Drabick is a fantastic situational piece for Auburn to have in the bullpen. 

95. Eduardo Malinowski, 2B, Pennsylvania to Virginia Tech

2021: .300/.344/.483, 60 AB, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 SB

The canceled 2020 season and a limited schedule for Penn in 2021 means that Malinowski has played just 22 games over the last two seasons, but he’s still managed to keep his productivity at the plate despite that, including hitting .471 in the eight games that made up the entirety of 2020. Notably, he also finished his Quakers career hitting .300 or better in each of his four seasons and he leaves with a .353/.405/.513 slash line. To use a coaching cliche, Malinowski can really hit and that should help him earn at-bats at Virginia Tech next season. 

96. Benjamin Blackwell, SS, Dayton to Clemson

2021: .349/.449/.508, 189 AB, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 10 SB

After two seasons spent as a modest offensive threat whose game was oriented around hitting singles and making some things happen on the bases, Blackwell became an all-around threat at the plate for Dayton last season. After hitting no home runs in his first two seasons, he had six round trippers last season, and he had more doubles (12) in 2021 than he had total extra-base hits prior to last season (11), all while hitting a career-high .349. With 10 steals, he was also still a threat on the bases for the Flyers. Paired with second baseman Tyler Corbitt, who is transferring to Clemson from The Citadel, the Tigers could have a pair of new middle infield catalysts in the lineup next season. 

97. Kenny Oyama, OF, Loyola Marymount to UCLA

2021: .320/.405/.406, 175 AB, 0 HR, 18 RBI, 16 SB

UCLA knows what it’s going to get in Oyama. At 5-foot-2, 140 pounds and without a single home run in four seasons at LMU, power is not going to be a part of his game. But after hitting .212, .226 and .222, respectively, in his first three seasons with the Lions, he took a big step forward last season and hit .320 while keeping his strikeout rate as low as it has always been with just 24 strikeouts in 175 at-bats. With 16 stolen bases, he also was more of a threat than ever once he reached base. Oyama is an experienced hand with 156 games under his belt who puts the ball in play and makes things happen on the bases. 

98. Colin Scanlon, LHP, La Salle to Houston

2021: 7-2, 3.02 ERA, 80.1 IP, 22 BB, 75 K, .232 AVG

With La Salle cutting its program at the end of the 2021 season, Scanlon will have the chance to continue his career at Houston. He emerged as a reliable starter for the Explorers in 2020 and then backed that up with his best season in 2021. The 6-foot-6 lefthander works with a fastball that sits in the mid 80s and touches 90 and two quality offspeed pitches, a slow curveball in the low 70s and a firm changeup that averaged nearly 80 mph last season, both of which had greater than 40% whiff rates in 2021. 

99. Magdiel Cotto, LHP, South Carolina to Kentucky

2021: 1-0, 8.31 ERA, 8.2 IP, 4 BB, 9 K, .278 AVG

It wasn’t smooth sailing for Cotto in his first season of college baseball, but if you’re Kentucky, there is plenty of reason for optimism that the lefthander can be a key piece of the puzzle on the pitching staff in 2022 and beyond. Chiefly, Cotto produces really good stuff from a 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame. His fastball last season averaged 92.5 mph and touched 97 and his slider showed potential as an excellent swing-and-miss offering. It’s a very small sample size, so take it with a grain of salt at this point, but in 2021, his slider had a 56% whiff rate. He has SEC stuff, but now it’s incumbent upon Cotto to prove that the stuff can translate into him becoming a quality SEC pitcher. 

100. Jack Perkins, RHP, Louisville to Indiana

2021: 1-1, 7.31 ERA, 16 IP, 22 BB, 15 K, .217 AVG

Perkins had a solid debut season at Louisville in 2019, putting up a 4.18 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 32.1 innings, but various things have kept him from replicating that success since then. First, he missed all of the 2020 season (such as it was) due to injury. And in 2021, he wasn’t the same pitcher, with his walk total eclipsing his strikeout total, leading to him making just four appearances in April or later during a season when he was thought to be competing for a weekend starter spot coming into the campaign. Still, his stuff is plenty good, with a fastball that averaged over 95 mph and touched 99 last season, and Indiana is betting on him getting things straightened out.