9 More Underrated College MLB Draft Prospects To Watch In 2026

After discussing 10 underrated 2026 draft prospects last week, we’re running it back with another deep dive on an additional nine college players who might be considered under the radar for the 2026 draft cycle.

None of the players listed below currently rank in our Top 100 draft prospects for 2026. However, a handful of them are more than capable of playing their way inside that range, making them names to keep tabs on heading into the spring.

AJ Evasco, OF/1B, Kansas State

Following a loud showing in the Futures League as a high school senior, Evasco announced his presence with authority last spring and hit .311/.380/.554 with 12 doubles, 11 home runs and 52 RBIs. His summer consisted of a 16-game stint in the New England Collegiate League, during which he posted a .278/.328/.444 slash line with six extra-base hits.

Evasco stands at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, and he has impressive length throughout his frame. He has a rather unique setup in the box and sits deep in his stance with an open front side and high handset. He features a barrel tip in his load and has comfortably plus bat speed. For someone of his stature, Evasco moves well in the box.

Evasco is susceptible to miss and chase against secondaries down and/or away, and his swing decisions could use an additional coat or two of polish. Last season, he posted an overall chase rate of 35 percent. His bat-to-ball skills are average, if not a tick above, and he has a present feel for the barrel. He undoubtedly has plus power upside, and last season he posted a 90th percentile exit velocity just under 105 mph while flashing the ability to drive the baseball with authority to all parts of the field. As Evasco continues to fill out and get stronger, expect his power to continue to tick up.

As referenced above, Evasco moves reasonably well for his size and has a chance to stick in a corner outfield spot long term. However, if he moves off the grass, he’s also shown he can handle first base.

Elijah Foster, RHP, South Carolina

After spending two seasons at Sacred Heart, Foster this offseason entered the portal and committed to South Carolina. A quality get for the Gamecocks, Foster this fall will compete for a spot in the weekend rotation.

Foster is an undersized righthander whose delivery is accompanied by a degree of effort. He has a loose, whippy arm stroke and attacks out of a three-quarters slot with real arm speed. His fastball averaged 92 mph and was up to 96, but nearly seven feet of extension—paired with a flat approach angle and the pitchâ€s riding life—allow it to play well in the top half of the zone where it routinely gets over the barrel of opposing hitters.

Foster pairs his fastball with an upper-70s/low-80s slider that flashes two-plane tilt with some sharpness. This spring it garnered a 33 percent whiff rate while holding opposing hitters to a .179 average. Fosterâ€s mid-80s changeup generated a modest miss rate of just 22 percent, but it flashed above-average with fade and, at times, some late tumble.

Foster can sometimes be a bit of a spray gun, and thereâ€s some reliever risk, but heâ€ll be a fun arm to watch develop both this year and beyond.

Congratulations to Elijah Foster on recording his 100th collegiate strikeout!#WeAreSHU pic.twitter.com/LBgTRzOr66

— Sacred Heart University Baseball (@sacredheartbsb) March 15, 2025

Tatum Marsh, OF, Stanford

Marsh last spring rather quietly put together one of the best seasons of any true freshman in the country, slashing .377/.459/.526 with 18 extra-base hits. Heading into 2026, Marsh figures to once again be the table-setter atop a Stanford lineup that desperately needs a spark.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 194 pounds, Marsh has an athletic, wiry build. He stands fairly upright in the box with a medium-high handset, and he works with a simple operation featuring minimal moving parts. Marsh is a small strider who has present hand speed and consistently gets off quick, tight turns with his hips.

While he has room to fill out and add strength, Marsh is currently a hit-over-power profile who stands out for his bat-to-ball skills and sound approach. Last spring, he posted a 92 percent overall in-zone contact rate, though that mark jumped to 94 percent when focusing solely on fastballs. Against all heaters, Marsh hit .386/.445/.515 with nine extra-base hits. He also had minimal issues handling velocity, as against all fastballs 92 mph and above he slashed .400/.450/.543 in a 35 at-bat sample.

Marsh showed the ability to use the entire field, and while his highest quality of contact came to the pull side, he also laced a number of line drives to the opposite field. Marshâ€s lack of present impact leaves a bit to be desired, but his game power output figures to improve as he adds physicality and learns to pull the ball in the air more regularly

On the grass, Marsh last season handled both corner outfield spots, and his defensive skillset—particularly his arm—profile best in left field professionally.

Marsh has top-five round upside in this yearâ€s draft. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he has plenty of leverage and could elect to return to school for his junior year.

M1 » 🌲 0, 🦅 0

After having a 37-game reached base streak snapped on Friday, freshman @tatum_marsh has started a new streak with a double in the first!

📺 » ACC Network Extra | #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/nMl4LzviKo

— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) May 3, 2025

Chris McHugh, 1B, NC State

McHugh began his college career at Virginia Commonwealth, where he hit .273/.390/.385 as a freshman. He proceeded to transfer to NC State and enjoyed a breakout sophomore season to the tune of a .365/.462/.533 slash line with 12 doubles and seven home runs. McHugh carried the momentum he built during the spring into his summer on the Cape, where he collected 12 extra-base hits—including five long balls—across 29 games.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, McHughâ€s natural strength stands out. He stands tall in the box with an ear-high handset and has a noticeable front leg lift which leads into a normal stride. His hands hardly drift in his load. He moves well in the box, has above-average bat speed and does a nice job of keeping everything tight and connected throughout his swing. There is some swing-and-miss against secondaries, but McHugh’s swing decisions as a whole are solid, and it hasnâ€t hindered his production to this point. He pulverizes fastballs, and last spring he slashed .388/.504/.602 with a 92 percent in-zone contact rate against them.

As a whole, McHughâ€s bat-to-ball skills are a tick above average. His carrying tool, though, is his power. He has all-fields impact, but his highest quality of contact has come to the pull side. In 2025, McHughâ€s 90th percentile exit velocity was an impressive 109.2 mph to go along with a hard-hit rate of 55 percent. He gets to his power consistently in games and figures to continue to do so with wood.

McHugh is wedded to first base defensively, but his bat alone will likely be enough to warrant a third-to-fifth round pick next July.

We have submitted a trademark for “A McHugh Mash”

Chris McHugh extends the lead with the second home run of the inning!

B5 | NCSU 4, VT 1 pic.twitter.com/abQWCKawp4

— #Pack9 âš¾ï¸ (@NCStateBaseball) March 14, 2025

Tyler Minnick, 3B/1B, Connecticut

In the wake of a productive freshman season and all-star summer in the New England Collegiate League, Minnick was a popular breakout pick heading into 2025. To say he “broke out†would be a drastic understatement, as last spring he hit .350/.433/.729 with 11 doubles, 22 home runs, 74 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.

Standing in at 6-foot and 205 pounds, Minnick has a strong, athletic frame with present physicality. Minnick stands fairly tall in the box with a slightly-open front side and high handset. His leg lift leads into a small stride. Minnick’s bat-to-ball skills are just average, but Minnick possesses big-time bat speed. He hammers the baseball all over the yard, and his batted-ball data jumps off the page.

Minnick has plus power to all fields, and he doesnâ€t need to sell out to get to it in games. Heâ€s consistently on the barrel and regularly generates high-quality contact. Last season, Minnickâ€s 90th percentile exit velocity and hard-hit rate were 106.7 mph and 55 percent. He was all over pitches in his “go zone,†showing a knack for pulling the ball in the air and boasting optimal launch angle data.

On the dirt, Minnick is a solid athlete and capable of handling either corner infield spot. He has enough arm strength for third, though a slide over to first—where his actions might be better suited—isnâ€t out of the question as he progresses through pro ball. As a cherry on top, Minnick picks his spots on the base paths and is an effective basestealer.

Cody New, LHP, California Baptist

New had some draft buzz as a prepster in 2023, but he wound up making it to campus. He showed flashes as a freshman in 2024 before breaking out in the Alaska League where he compiled a 1.87 ERA with 43 strikeouts to 22 walks across 33.2 innings. That success has carried over to this past spring, as he pitched to a 3.49 ERA with 98 strikeouts across 80 innings.

Newâ€s heater sits in the low 90s and has been up to 95 mph. Itâ€s at its best when located on the armside of the plate and/or in the top third of the zone due to its run and ride. His best pitch, however, is a high-spin, upper-70s-to-low-80s breaking ball that consistently flashes sharp, two-plane bite with impressive finish.

New rounds out his arsenal with a low-80s changeup that has shown both fade to the arm side as well as late tumble at times. He does a nice job of killing spin on it, and itâ€s an effective change of pace off his heater. It garnered a 44 percent whiff rate last spring and looks the part of an average third pitch.

New has present strength and physicality in his lower half to go with a short, quick arm stroke in which he coils his wrist. His control has taken a considerable step forward since last spring, and he is now far more competitive in and around the strike zone.

Deven Sheerin, RHP, LSU

Sheerin missed the entire 2025 season recovering from a knee injury, but in 2024 at Mount St. Maryâ€s he compiled a 4.76 ERA with an eye-popping 109 strikeouts to 32 walks across 70 innings. This year wasnâ€t a complete wash for Sheerin, though, as across 12.1 innings on the Cape this summer he worked a 4.38 ERA with 12 strikeouts.

At 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, Sheerin is plenty physical and possesses a thunderous fastball-slider combination. He has a drop-and-drive delivery with a crossfire finish, and he features a short, compact arm stroke. He attacks from an ultra-low, three-quarters slot that borders on being sidearm.

Sheerinâ€s fastball has been up to 97 mph. It generates the most swing-and-miss when located in the top half of the zone thanks to its riding life and Sheerinâ€s approach angle. In 2024, it garnered a 35 percent miss rate overall and 28 percent in-zone miss rate.

Sheerin pairs his fastball with a mid-80s power slider that routinely flashes sharp, two-plane tilt. It looks the part of a true put-away pitch, and in 2024 it generated a 40 percent whiff rate while holding opposing hitters to a meager .211 average.

While Sheerinâ€s command can escape him and thereâ€s plenty of reliever risk, heâ€s an exciting arm talent.

Nathan Taylor, RHP, Cincinnati

Taylor showed flashes in his freshman season and struck out 70 across 72.2 innings. Last spring, he assumed the Friday starter role and pitched to a 3.93 ERA with 91 strikeouts to 36 walks in 87 innings.

Taylor, a 6-foot-5 righthander, has a physical, high-waisted build with strength throughout. He employs a simple delivery that starts with his body positioned slightly towards the third base side. He quickly brings his hands down to belt-level, gathers himself and attacks out of a high three-quarters slot.

Taylorâ€s heater sits in the 91-94 mph range and has been up to 96, but it doesnâ€t miss many bats. While it has some carry in the top third of the zone, and Taylorâ€s nearly seven feet of extension is an intriguing building block, his vertical approach angle is on the steep side. Last season, it generated a sub-15 percent whiff rate.

Taylorâ€s moneymaker is undoubtedly his mid-80s gyro slider. Itâ€s a pitch he throws with conviction and is comfortable using it in any count. It generated impressive miss and chase rates of 44 percent and 36 percent, respectively, last spring and routinely flashed above-average.

Taylor rounds out his arsenal with a seldom-used mid-to-upper-80s changeup. Itâ€s more of a show pitch than anything else right now, but he turned over a few good ones last spring flashing both tumble and fade.

Taylorâ€s command is average, and he looks the part of a starter professionally. There are some exciting traits here, and Iâ€ll be curious to see how his fastball shape progresses professionally.

Drew Titsworth, RHP, Clemson

Titsworth logged meaningful innings as a freshman before stepping into an elevated role last season and working a 4.28 ERA with 50 strikeouts to 19 walks across 54.2 innings.

A physical 6-foot-3 righthander, Titsworth attacks from a tough-to-pick-up sidearm slot and features a drop-and-drive delivery in which his back knee scrapes the dirt.

He relies heavily on a fastball—a pitch he threw 77 percent of the time last spring—that sits in the 92-95 mph range. Even with Titsworthâ€s usage of the pitch, he still managed to generate miss and chase rates of 28 percent and 30 percent, respectively. It jumps out of his hand and flashes life through the zone. It plays especially well in the top third—where it looks like a rise ball—thanks to Titsworthâ€s ultra-flat vertical approach angle and release traits.

Titsworth pairs his fastball with a low-to-mid-80s sweeper. While itâ€s shorter in shape, it will flash late gloveside life and was an effective bat-misser last season. Titsworth completes his arsenal with a low-to-mid-80s changeup, though he threw it just eight percent of the time last spring, making it a distant third offering.

Titsworth is an above-average strike-thrower and would be a fun ball of clay for an organization to mold.

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