There are still visual and underlying statistical indications that Naylor is going to end up with a below-average hit tool (his swing is so uphill that hell almost certainly be vulnerable to whiffs in the strike zone), but he has very impressive bat speed and power (especially for a catcher) that is weaponized by his selective approach, which targets the up-and-in quadrant of the zone. The USAToday/ESPN Coaches Poll is voted on by a panel of 31 Division I baseball coaches. He debuted with Boston late in the season and flashed the titanic power that promises to make him a valuable big league regular, while also running the high walk and strikeout rates that readers should expect from him going forward. Browns stuff was already good at Wayne, and it leveled up pretty quickly after he signed, but it was the strike throwing that took a step forward in 2022 and led to his September call-up. Inside Lacrosse/Women's Coaches Association Top 25 Poll; Women's Field Hockey. In 2021, he hit .288/.400/.502 with 11 home runs. 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Every MCWS Most Outstanding Player from 1995-2022, article was published first on d1baseball.com, Louisiana Tech upsets No. That Chourio has shown the aptitude to make mechanical adjustments, and that he tends to compete hard at all times, indicates that he is hungry and coachable in addition to very talented. He did show some swing-and-miss vulnerability at the top of the strike zone throughout 2022, but seemed to be remedying that toward the end of the season. Priesters four-seamer is divisive. The SEC also occupies each of the top four spots in the rankings for the second time in a row, although the order of that top four has shuffled a bit since our 2019 update. For example, the gap between Padres shortstop Jackson Merrill (No. In 12 games, he slashed .300/.317/.550 with two home runs, four triples, and just five strikeouts. 23 Last Week: 3-0-1 Overall: 5-1-1, 0-0 in SEC (0-0 vs. Top 25) Weekend Record: 2-0 Results Feb. 21: vs. North Alabama (Huntsville, Ala.): W 13-1 Feb. 24-26: Southern California: W 5-3, W 12-6, T 12-12 Upcoming March 1: Florida A&M March 3-5: Lipscomb Bad weather in Los Angeles forced Auburns series against USC to be relocated to The Plains and the Tigers picked up a solid series win. Big league sliders might force Davis to make an adjustment, but so far his contact performance has been solidly average. Its tough to call Senga a prospect but he is an MLB rookie and presents a useful litmus test for other major league-ready minor leaguers. He has retained foundational feel for the barrel while coming into all that power, and is one of the higher-ceilinged all-around players in the minors. Hilariously, Mayos swing is perhaps well-suited for the current metagame because so many contemporary fastballs ride to the top of the strike zone, which is where Mayos barrel hunts. In 2022, he established himself as one of the premiere pitching prospects in the Cardinals system, issuing 81 strikeouts and just 15 walks over his 52.1 innings at Low-A, where he spent the entire season. Amador is a well-rounded middle infield prospect with a smaller, almost maxed-out frame that compares to Jimmy Rollins or Domingo Leyba. He spent the bulk of the 2022 season at High-A, where he slugged .513 with 20 home runs and 19 doubles, earning him an early-August bump up to Double-A, where his slugging remained roughly the same while he brought his strikeout rate down a couple ticks. He was a coveted prospect as a prep player, but his strong commitment to Cal Poly, where his dad coaches, and some general concerns about his physical longevity due to a back issue pushed the industrys assessment of him down, so he went to school. Hes set up to throw about 135 innings in 2023 (assuming a typical 20-inning increase) and, if his annual pattern of promotion is any indication, hell be given his first big league opportunity late this year (and push for a playoff roster spot), then compete for an Opening Day rotation job in 2024. THROWBACKS: Shane Bieber, UCSB | Adley Rutschman, OSU|Russell Wilson,NC State, Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners. Keith may not have a position, but he has a pretty stable hit/power combination that will profile at third if he can actually stay there. UConn; 40. Add to that his plus-plus defense at an up-the-middle position, and hes on track for star-level everyday center field role. Drafted out of Wayne State, a Division-II school in Michigan, Browns arm strength and velocity have been sculpted to replicate the power-pitching formula in Houston. His pitch efficiency has been ludicrous and actually got better in 2022, when he walked just 6% of opposing batters. Flores will also show you an upper-80s cutter, which has more inconsistent shape but gives him a third viable weapon. Hes a little more tightly wound than is typical for a big league shortstop, but Hendersons straight-line speed is plus and so is his defensive range, and his arm strength enables him to make some plays that many other infielders cant. 33DukeACC8NC463982NR Parada is not a lock to catch. He ran a 6.95 ERA in Triple-A throughout 2022 but the hitting environment in Reno isnt fair to pitchers, and Jamesons stuff, control, and athleticism are all on par with a good teams fourth starter. In mid-August, the Orioles moved Hall to the bullpen, and after just four relief appearances over a span of 12 days, he was promoted to Baltimore for a 13-inning cup of coffee. This guy hasnt had a clear defensive home for much of his life as a prospect. Instead of a short stride toward the mound, his step is toward the plate, maintaining the width as he closes his stance, with quick lower-body rotation as he muscles the barrel through the zone. The junior third baseman slashed .529/.526/1.235 with three bombs, driving in 13. His ball-blocking is still pretty rough, though. Originally a high-profile Yankees amateur signee, the pandemic and a hamstring injury limited Alcantara to just nine stateside minor league games before he was traded to the Cubs for Anthony Rizzo in 2021. Latest AP and USA Today college sports polls on ESPN.com. Williams has a prototypical baseball frame at a strapping 6-foot-2, and has the range, actions, and internal clock to remain at shortstop long-term, as well as a great infield arm. 3B Yohandy Morales Morales is attracting first-round buzz, and for good reason after two dominant years for the Hurricanes. 1, Florida State surges into D1Baseball's top 25 after Week 2, 2023 Round Rock Baseball Classic: Schedule, how to watch LSU, Iowa, K-State, Sam Houston, First No. 5 after sweeping a road series at then-No. He returned in the spring of 2021, but tore his ACL and missed all of that season as well. 7 Last Week: 1-3 Overall: 4-3, 0-0 in SEC (0-0 vs. Top 25) Weekend Record: 1-1 Results Feb. 21: Lamar: L 7-4 Feb. 24-26: Portland: L 10-3, L 4-1, W 5-4 Upcoming Feb. 28: Houston Christian Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic (Houston) March 3: vs. (4) Louisville March 4: vs. Rice March 5: vs. (18) Texas Tech It was a tough week for Texas A&M, as it lost Tuesday against Lamar and then lost its first two games against Portland. And even though he has some approach-driven bust risk, he does enough other stuff to project in a prominent big league role if his chase proves too much for him to be an everyday player. 74CharlotteC-USA4NC8N/ANRNRNR While he was closer to the 50/55 FV line last offseason, the snapshot of the defensive piece of the puzzle pulls him more comfortably into the 50s for this list cycle, one of many Guardians upper-level middle infielders with the talent to be an everyday player. 31ClemsonACC7SC2-8232424 5 to No. Thats a plus metric for a big leaguer and is ridiculous for a 19-year-old who hasnt totally grown into his body. A core scouting rule of thumb is to take the long view with catchers who have impact offensive potential. His patient approach and bat-to-ball skills are enough to make him a high-probability primary backstop. However the defensive end of things shakes out for Mead (here he projects in left field for the third straight season), he has enough bat to be an above-average everyday player, combining potent contact, power, and perhaps a newfound sense of the strike zone. Its part of why hes projected with a below-average hit tool here even though hes performed at an above-average clip in the minors. 100SEMO StateOVC1MO2N/ANRNRNR, FILED UNDER Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Army, Auburn, Baylor, Cal State Fullerton, California, Campbell, Central Michigan, Charlotte, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, Columbia, Connecticut, Creighton, Dallas Baptist, Duke, East Carolina, Florida, Florida Atlantic, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech, Gonzaga, Grand Canyon, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Indiana State, Iowa, Kent State, Kentucky, Liberty, Long Beach State, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, McNeese, Mercer, Miami, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, Missouri State, NC State, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Northeastern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Old Dominion, Ole Miss, Oral Roberts, Oregon, Oregon State, Rice, Sacramento State, Sam Houston State, Samford, San Diego, San Diego State, South Alabama, South Carolina, South Florida, Southeast Missouri State, Southeastern Louisiana, Southern California, Southern Miss, St. John's, Stanford, Stetson, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, UCF, UCLA, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, Vanderbilt, VCU, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Washington, West Virginia, Wright State, This category can only be viewed by members. Of course, he has game-changing arm strength. Frelick has a hit-over-power offensive skill set that fits in center field, where were projecting hell improve defensively over time. Of the teams that were already in the Top 100 in 2019, Tennessee made the biggest jump, catapulting 52 spots from No. After the Reds gave him some time at first base in 2022, Steer now has experience at all four infield positions. In this case, Montgomerys bat seems to have already blossomed, while you can throw out the age-related concerns given that he has now proven himself at High-A. JohnsBig East3NY3-46484442 Traded from Cleveland along with Phil Maton for Myles Straw, Diaz slugged his way from Corpus Christi to Sugar Land in 2022, and is now the best hitting catcher on Houstons 40-man roster. 16 this week following the impressive series win over the Horned Frogs. Across the season as a whole, his fastball only sat 95 mph, and in his final start of the year it was mostly in the 93-96 mph range, which is a two-tick regression from 2021, when Rodriguez sat 96-98 all year. Finally, Southern Miss, which dropped two of three to Illinois at home in ugly fashion, rounds out the Top 25. OF Eddie King Jr. King Jr. went 7-11 to kick off his 2023 campaign, slugging one homer. With the college baseball season set to begin on Feb. 19, Athlon Sports is taking a look at the top 25 teams in the NCAA. It can be found here. Wood was a divisive amateur prospect, with some scouts seeing him as a center fielder with 70 raw power projection and others seeing him as an eventual first baseman with hit tool risk. Veteran stalwarts Omar Narvez and Toms Nido are both at least a year removed from a good offensive season, and so while lvarez will reportedly start his year at Triple-A Syracuse, he may mash his way into the primary catcher role during the season. National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, "Collegiate Baseball Div. Casas has plus-plus power and enough bat-to-ball skill to weaponize it. 1, Florida State surges into D1Baseball's top 25 after Week 2, 2023 Round Rock Baseball Classic: Schedule, how to watch LSU, Iowa, K-State, Sam Houston, First No. His left-handed swing has natural pull-side loft and hes adept at impacting the baseball way out in front of the plate from the right side, accomplishing the same goal with a slightly different look. Powerful and explosive, the exciting Caminero was among the DSLs home run leaders in 2021 before coming over from Cleveland in a 40-man roster deadline trade for pitcher Tobias Myers that offseason. Tiedemann has shifted toward the first base side of the rubber and has closed off his stride direction slightly, which creates additional deception in his already-funky low-slot lefty delivery. Hes going to be a middle-of-the-order anchor in Oakland fairly soon. A rookie more than he is a prospect, Sengas splitter and fastball velocity fit in the middle of a contenders rotation. Out of the gate, Vaughns was almost unstoppable, slugging three homers with a 2.270 OPS. When you consider that Miller lost a lot of developmental time to COVID and being buried on A&Ms depth chart, you can start to get excited about how much potential growth remains for him. There is some analytical fire to back up the smoke the scouts are smelling. Previous ranking: No. Carroll has evolved in some surprising ways as a hitter. What a start for the true freshman OConnor, who will need to be a big part of this mediocre pitching staff. We also take into account player productivity, projection about what players will be as opposed to what they currently are and how we think each player will fit into what his specific program is trying to accomplish in 2022. Virginia has one more week of non-conference play before its schedule stiffens with ACC competition. He does not take casual BP hacks he maxes out and swings with all-out effort, which extends to his in-game approach, a feature that gives some scouts pause and worry that big league pitchers will pull the rug out from under him. 4 Last Week: 3-1 Overall: 6-1, 0-0 in ACC (0-0 vs. Top 25) Weekend Record: 2-0 Results Feb. 22: Xavier: W 12-8 Feb. 24-26: Bowling Green State: W 2-1, L 9-6, W 14-1 Upcoming Feb. 28: Eastern Kentucky Shriners Hospitals For Children College Classic (Houston) March: 3: vs. (12) Texas A&M March 4: vs. (11) Texas Christian March 5: vs. Michigan Louisville was tested this week, needing to score late in their first two wins against Xavier and Bowling Green. RHP Jackson Pace The 6-5 freshman righty made his presence known on Sunday, striking out four batters in a one-hit performance, lasting six innings. It has been tough to truly find out even though Jung is now 25 and has set foot in the big leagues. The tools Merrill has in place already make him feel like a high-probability impact player, and if he develops feel for lift without compromising contact as he enters his 20s, then hes going to be one of the top couple of prospects in the minors before he debuts. South Carolina; 45. Its long been seen as a potential, maybe even an obvious move, due to both Soderstroms below-average defense as a backstop, and as a way of protecting his offensive performance from the dings and scratches that are part and parcel with everyday catching. There might be more game power here than there is raw power, or at least more game power than youd expect from someone who has some approach-related red flags. These polls, along with the Perfect Game USA poll, rank the top 25 teams nationally. 1; Virginia, Texas State Enter D1Baseball", "D1Baseball Top 25: Virginia, Arizona Make Big Moves", "D1Baseball Top 25: Tennessee Reaches The Rocky Top", "D1Baseball Top 25: Miami Surges Into Top 10, Three Teams Enter Rankings", "D1Baseball Top 25: Vols Remain No. Both can be in the lineup every night because of Rodriguezs defensive versatility and the universal DH, and a more liberal timeshare behind the plate might help keep them both healthier and more consistently productive on offense. Among the high school prospects, he not only had perhaps the best chance to remain at shortstop, but he also had one of the better bat-to-ball track records in the class, accumulating a 3-to-1 ball in play-to-whiff ratio on the showcase circuit. He is otherwise incredibly gifted, a 70 runner with at least 70 raw power that plays to all fields. Against Penn State, however, he was dominant, going 6.2 innings of one-hit ball. 55), Old Dominion (No. 99NevadaMWC2NV1N/ANRNRNR It was exciting that the lanky and projectable Ramirez hit that well as a teenager in full-season ball, though his minuscule walk rate (6.9%), especially during a year when automated balls and strikes seemed to inflate FSL walk rates, was at least a yellow flag. 87Texas StateSun Belt7TX10N/ANRNRNR 73IowaBig Ten5IA1-6676187 Even with a 40 or 45-grade hit tool, which feels like a low-end outcome, thats a star player at shortstop and an above-average regular at third base. Injuries and the pandemic have limited him to just 284 career minor league games since he was drafted in 2018, and his bat-to-ball skill has projection deep into his mid-20s as he continues to gain actual pro experience. Bibees velocity ticked way up in pro ball, and he has command of a mid-rotation starters four-pitch mix. Hes now a bounce back prospect. 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