College baseball evolves every autumn, but the nature of that growth is difficult to pin down. Most of the movement happens behind closed doors. It happens in the controlled chaos of intersquads, in labs full of tech and force plates or in quiet midweek scrimmages where a pitcher alters a grip, a hitter reshapes a swing or a freshman takes a leap.
Hundreds of players elevated their stock in some form over the last two months, and any attempt to catalog every riser would fall well short.
As such, our list of college baseball fall ball all-stars is not meant to be exhaustive. It is meant to reflect the broader truth of the sport: Talent is everywhere. In the interest of spotlighting as many players and teams as possible, each school is represented only once in the list below, with one player per defensive position earning recognition based on the most consistent and compelling feedback from coaches and evaluators.
These selections were informed through dozens of conversations, scrimmage evaluations and development reports from across the country. Some are established names trending toward stardom. Some are players who took an unexpected step forward. All of them earned their place here by turning promising falls into meaningful momentum for 2026.
Catcher: Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas
The debate for top college catcher in the 2026 draft class will not resolve any time soon. It will likely center on Georgia Techâ€s Vahn Lackey, Texas†Carson Tinney and Helfrick, who emerged as one of the most complete players in the country last season. He hit .305/.420/.616 with 15 home runs and 10 doubles while catching 61 games for a Razorbacks team that went 50-15 and came within a few swings of reaching the national championship series.
Lackeyâ€s summer with Team USA and Tinneyâ€s consistent exit velocity gains this fall strengthened their cases, but the fall feedback on Helfrick was as loud and unequivocal as any player in the country.
Multiple evaluators described his fall as nearly flawless. He made clear defensive strides as a receiver, showed advanced zone control and plus raw power at the plate and established himself as the toughest out in a Fayetteville environment loaded with premium arms.
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn reinforced the sentiment with uncommon conviction.
“Heâ€s a first-round pick in my book and, quite frankly, Iâ€ll have questions about whoever disagrees with that if theyâ€d seen him this fall,†Van Horn told BA. “Thereâ€s nothing he canâ€t do on the field. He calls his own game, he hits for power, he doesnâ€t swing and miss. We couldnâ€t get him out. Iâ€ve had plenty of first-rounders here. I know what they look like. Heâ€s as good as any of them. We havenâ€t had a player look this good in the fall since Heston Kjerstad, and he went pretty good.â€
First Base: Brady Ballinger, Kansas
Few hitters in the country combined impact and consistency in 2025 the way Ballinger did.
Only three Division I players with at least 65 batted-ball events reached all of the following marks last season: an average exit velocity of at least 89 mph, a 90th percentile EV of 106 mph or higher, a barrel rate above 30%, a zone contact rate above 85%, an overall contact rate above 80% and an air-pull rate above 35%. That group consisted of UT Arlingtonâ€s Tyce Armstrong, UCLA shortstop and top 2026 prospect Roch Cholowsky and Ballinger.
Ballinger produced an 89.9 mph average exit velocity and a 106.1 mph 90th percentile EV, making for an outstanding power baseline for a college hitter. His 32.9% barrel rate and 50% hard-hit rate reflect true impact, while his 85.2% zone contact rate and 80% overall contact rate show that he reached that impact without selling out. His 20.4% chase rate points to a mostly selective approach and the confidence to let the strength work inside the zone.
The statistical picture matches the scouting feedback.
This fall, Ballinger stayed on that track while addressing the one area evaluators wanted to see change: selective aggression. He swung at just 36.6% of pitches last season with a 69.4% heart swing rate and 59.1% zone swing rate.Â
The word from Kansas is that he spent the fall tightening swing decisions and being more willing to attack early-count pitches he can drive. The impact traits remain intact. The intent sharpened.
Ballinger already showed the underlying traits of a prominent draft bat. If the approach gains from this fall carry into the spring, he has a chance to push firmly into the Top 100 conversation as he builds on a breakout 2025.
Second Base: Keaton Grady, Dallas Baptist
Dallas Baptistâ€s offense absorbed heavy draft losses this summer, shifting the spotlight to returning players who needed to make developmental strides to preserve one of the sportâ€s most consistently competitive programs.Â
Several Patriots answered that call this fall, from slugging first baseman Chayton Krauss to outfielders Ben Tryon and Ryan Martin. But the most emphatic feedback centered on second baseman Grady, who started 41 games at the position last year and profiles as a critical returning piece regardless of whether he stays at second or slides to shortstop.
Grady was one of the countryâ€s most skillful contact hitters in 2025. He slashed .366/.449/.531 with four home runs, 14 doubles, 18 stolen bases and more walks (26) than strikeouts (21). His zone awareness was elite, and the bat-to-ball performance reflected it in a 92.7% zone contact rate paired with an 84.4% overall contact rate. When pitchers challenged him, he spoiled their plans with precision.
The missing gear in Grady’s 2025 profile was consistent loft-driven power. He produced an 89.6 mph average exit velocity for a strong trait baseline, but the batted-ball angles did not allow that strength to translate into home run volume.Â
This fall he made clear progress there. According to DBU coach Dan Heefner, Grady made tangible adjustments aimed at getting into the air more often and held the gains through the fall slate. It was not a wholesale identity shift, but rather a refinement that allowed his natural contact ability to carry more offensive weight.
If those directional adjustments hold, Grady has a chance to elevate from high-level table-setter to true middle-of-the-order threat. Even if the home run output remains modest, his discipline, speed and ability to punish strikes will again be central to DBUâ€s identity as it reloads for another postseason push.
Third Base: Nolan Freund, Little Rock
Little Rockâ€s postseason run in 2025 ended one win short of super regionals, but its resilience left a lasting impression. The Trojans handed eventual national champion LSU its only postseason defeat and led the Tigers through five innings of the regional final before falling in Baton Rouge. The momentum from that showing carried directly into the offseason, punctuated by a contract extension for coach Chris Curry that signals the programâ€s ambition heading into 2026.
Another run will rely on returners on the mound and a lineup driven heavily by newcomers. Among them, Freund emerged as one of the most impactful additions anywhere in the mid-major ranks this fall.
A juco transfer who earned NJCAA All-America honorable mention credentials, Freund hit .422/.495/.641 with 23 doubles, nine home runs and 71 RBIs last spring while drawing more walks (32) than strikeouts (31). The offensive track record translated immediately to Division I scrimmage environments. Curry noted the consistent quality of Freund’s contact, with firm line drives to all fields and enough loft to project legitimate extra-base threat potential against high-end pitching.
The glove is equally compelling. Curry described Freund as a strong-armed and plus defender at third base, capable of making rangy plays while also delivering carry across the diamond. That combination of polished defensive actions, bat-to-ball skill and physical strength positions Freund to anchor the left side of Little Rockâ€s infield while giving the Trojans a middle-of-the-order presence they can build around.
Freund is not just a valuable transfer. He looks like a player capable of materially elevating the ceiling for a program already riding a wave of confidence into 2026.
Shortstop: Roch Cholowsky, UCLA
A number of UCLA players delivered standout falls, but none approached Cholowskyâ€s combination of production, polish and projection. The consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2026 draft earned this spot emphatically.
Cholowsky is exactly as advertised. His defensive skill set is pure and advanced, defined by movement efficiency, soft hands, rhythmic transfers and a throwing stroke that stays loose and accurate on the move. He handles the shortstop position with natural ease and quarterback-like command, turning difficult plays into routine ones and elevating UCLAâ€s overall defensive operation.
At the plate, Cholowsky blends zone control, contact skill and impact. The swing is direct and on-plane, punishing mistakes without compromising approach. He drives the ball with authority from gap to gap and has the athleticism to turn singles into extra bases while making slow throwers uncomfortable with pressure on the bases.
During a fall scrimmage against UC Irvine, Cholowsky turned on an inside fastball for a double and later smoked a triple. Both came with the kind of effortless acceleration that only elite hitters show in game speed.
College baseball has not seen a position player enter a season with this level of draft anticipation in years. Cholowsky is the best player in the nation heading into 2026, and his fall performance only reinforced that truth.
Outfield: Derek Curiel, LSU
While Cholowsky reigns supreme, there is a legitimate competition brewing behind him for the title of second-best draft-eligible college bat. Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron, TCU outfielder Sawyer Strosnider and Virginia outfielder AJ Gracia all factor into that argument.Â
Curiel not only belongs firmly in that conversation, thereâ€s an argument he could lead the charge very early on.
His fall helped.
The draft-eligible sophomore shifted from left field to center without issue. Often when young players move to a premium spot for the first time, the discomfort is obvious in reads, angles or footwork. Curiel showed none of it. LSU coach Jay Johnson noted the absence of even the faintest growing pains, pointing to Curielâ€s instincts, closing speed and graceful timing around the ball.
At the plate, Curielâ€s fall was equally compelling. Among a position group overflowing with offensive ability, he paced the Tigers in their internal at-bat quality metric. He further tightened his approach while looking to convert more impact into the air toward his pull side, pairing that developmental emphasis with the physical gains of a second collegiate offseason.
Curiel appears positioned to take on a central role in LSUâ€s ongoing dynasty push—the type of middle-of-the-order, middle-of-the-field presence that championship programs are built around.
His fall only amplified expectations.
Outfield: Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M
Sorrell hardly needed much time last spring to validate his status as one of the nationâ€s most dynamic outfield talents. Despite appearing in only 26 games due to a hamstring injury, he slashed .337/.430/.789 with 12 home runs and five doubles while walking nearly as often as he struck out (16 to 25). At the pace he established, he was essentially homering every other game.
Sorrell’s injury had almost no bearing on his ability to drive the ball. What it did disrupt was the broader impact of his game, including his ability to pressure defenses with his speed and cover ground in the outfield. Those tools are not complementary for Sorrell. They are central, and when paired with his offensive thunder, they create a uniquely complete profile.
This fall, according to Texas A&M coach Michael Earley, Sorrell was finally his full self again. That alone is enough to elevate both his draft outlook and the Aggies†2026 trajectory. Evaluators believe he has the ingredients to push into the top 15 on draft day if he can show the total package across a full season.
For Texas A&M, the stakes around Sorrell extend far beyond personal draft value. After a season that cratered in 2025, the Aggies are operating in must-win territory. Sorrellâ€s return to full strength gives them a centerpiece for that effort.
Outfield: Ty Head, NC State
Head delivered strong surface-level results in his NC State debut last spring, batting .274/.433/.402 with four home runs, 11 doubles and a fantastic 48-to-28 walk-to-strikeout ratio. That foundation is now generating something far louder. Evaluators across the scouting community zeroed in on Headâ€s fall, with one describing him to Baseball America as “one of the top breakout candidates in the country†for 2026.
Headâ€s trademark plate discipline remains intact, but the storyline this fall was his physical growth and ability to drive the ball with more authority. The added strength has helped round out his offensive profile, and feedback suggests he is trending toward becoming a centerpiece in the Wolfpack lineup.
Head’s operation at the plate is compact and efficient. He hits from a fairly upright posture with a slightly-open stance, incorporating a minor barrel tip and toe tap before a short stride. There is real hand and bat speed, and the batted-ball data backs that up. His bat-to-ball skill is comfortably plus and approaches double-plus against fastballs. Last spring, he produced a 91% in-zone contact rate overall and a staggering 96% against heaters.
As encouraging as his offensive ceiling looks, Head’s defensive value is already established. He covers ground exceptionally well in center field, where his instincts and athleticism stand out immediately.
Head’s blend of advanced contact mechanics, refined strength and premium defensive ability makes him one of the most significant arrows-up players in the country heading into 2026.
Designated Hitter: Ethan Surowiec, Florida
Florida created a dilemma under our one-player-per-school guideline. Its two premier arms, Liam Peterson and Aidan King, both have legitimate claims to elite draft status over the next two years. But the Gators†fall had another headliner whose stock demanded recognition. Surowiec earned that distinction with a meaningful surge in momentum that stretched from his summer dominance into a productive fall.
After receiving only 16 at-bats as an Ole Miss freshman in 2025, Surowiec erupted in the Northwoods League, hitting .387/.475/.779 with 17 home runs, 23 doubles, 15 stolen bases and a 41-to-29 strikeout-to-walk ratio en route to league MVP honors. The damage output was eye-catching enough, but evaluators also noted the maturity of his approach and the way his contact quality translated to all parts of the park.
Surowiec carried that momentum directly into Floridaâ€s fall. He continued to show a disciplined, selective eye and produced a string of loud swings that translated into multiple home runs. The blend of patience, strength and adjustability at launch has Gators coaches confident that he profiles as a true middle-of-the-order presence.
Defensively, Surowiec showed promise at third base with clean actions and a solid arm, especially moving to his left. His development at the position gives the coaching staff flexibility, but whatever positional outcome awaits, the bat appears destined to play in a major way.
For a Florida team with sky-high potential, Surowiec has emerged as one of the most important additions to the lineup, and one whose rapid ascent is difficult to ignore.
Starting Pitcher: Jackson Flora, UC Santa Barbara
Multiple evaluators came out of the fall convinced that Flora “looked like the best pitcher on the West Coast,†citing both the sheer electricity of his arsenal and the way he attacked lineups in short stints. The power was effortless, the mix was more complete and the shaping improvements to his fastball stood out immediately. Nothing about his performance felt forced or rushed. Rather, it reflected a pitcher whose game continues to mature with intent.
The fastball forms the foundation of Floraâ€s profile, and it has taken another step. He regularly pushed into triple-digit velocity and paired it with an explosive carry profile that spikes into the low 20s of induced vertical break. UCSB set a clear fall objective: Eliminate occasional dead zone movement. Early feedback suggests the pitch now flies cleaner and with more consistent life. He works from a lower three-quarters slot that generated a -4.6 degree vertical approach angle in 2025, a compelling attribute that could continue tightening as the fastball refinements settle.
Floraâ€s feel for spin remains a separator. He works comfortably above 2,700 rpm with multiple breaking shapes: a sweepy slider that can devastate righties, a firmer slider that misses bats in the zone and a newly added curveball that gives him a middle option by velocity and shape. The breadth of the arsenal ensures that hitters cannot sit on one profile, especially given how well his fastball tunnels off those secondaries.
A kick changeup added this fall has emerged as the fourth pitch in the mix. While it has not yet been captured by in-game Trackman readings, UCSB coach Andrew Checketts noted that it played well in scrimmages and separated decisively from the fastball.Â
Flora set career highs across the board in 2025, and the fall showed a pitcher who looks sharper, stronger and more complete heading into his draft year. Even in a class with multiple elite arms, his combination of power, shape and command of at-bats has positioned him squarely in the race to be the first college pitcher selected in July.
Starting Pitcher: Joey Volchko, Georgia
Volchko earned one of the most meaningful fall stock bumps anywhere in the country. Evaluators who saw him at Stanford have long been captivated by his ceiling, and this fall was the first time that physical changes, pitch-shape refinement and repeatability appeared to align in a way that could turn raw promise into steady front-line performance.
That transformation began with strength gains guided by Georgia coach Wes Johnson and his staff. Added physicality naturally lowered Volchkoâ€s arm slot by 3-4 inches, making for a shift that improved his ability to maintain direction and stay through pitches. A remodeled four-seam fastball grip produced clearer carry characteristics, and Johnson worked with him to add a high-80s sweeper and a true changeup alongside his trademark cutter. Johnson said the adjustments have “unlocked more strikes and repeatability.â€
If those traits carry into the spring, Volchko could dramatically alter his draft trajectory.
The gap between Volchko’s potential and his results has defined his college experience to this point. Over 113 innings at Stanford, he pitched to a 5.89 ERA with a 20.6% strikeout rate and 10.5% walk rate. His profile was heavily influenced by difficulty repeating his delivery and consistently executing in the strike zone. The stuff has never been in question, though.
If he can now live in the zone more often, with a fastball that carries and secondaries that complement it, Volchko becomes a genuine handful for hitters. For a Georgia team with Omaha-level aspirations, the possibility of Volchko realizing his potential could be game-changing.
Starting Pitcher: Caden Castles, UC Irvine
Castles is the youngest player on our list, and his inclusion comes after a breakout fall that immediately positioned him as a high-priority draft follow for the future. His performance in Irvineâ€s marquee scrimmage at UCLA turned heads, particularly when he worked through Roch Cholowsky with a series of right-on-right changeups that drew quiet reactions from a scouting section not easily impressed.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound righty from Davis, California, is on track to step directly into the Anteaters†weekend rotation. His mix is already advanced and features a low-90s fastball, slider, sweeper and a changeup he can deploy confidently to both righties and lefties. Castles consistently achieves more than seven feet of extension, which is elite regardless of stature and especially notable for someone 6-foot-2.
UC Irvine ace Ricky Ojeda remains the headline arm for a UCI program that has become one of the most reliable postseason contenders on the West Coast under coach Ben Orloff. Castles may be the next great one in line, though. He looked the part of a future draft prospect this fall, both in results and in presence.
Relief Pitcher: Bo Rhudy, Tennessee
One bullish evaluator framed Tennesseeâ€s newest bullpen piece succinctly: “Iâ€ve never seen a fastball like the one he has.†That sentiment captures both Rhudyâ€s fall ascent and his potential impact in the spring.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound draft-eligible righty arrives in Knoxville from Kennesaw State after a strong 2025 season in which he logged a 3.16 ERA with 44 strikeouts against just five walks in 37 innings. He then backed that up in the Cape Cod League, posting a 2.45 ERA with 12 strikeouts and two walks over 11 innings while saving five games in nine appearances. Any momentum he carried into the fall only intensified.
Rhudyâ€s heater is the outlier pitch that drives the profile. On Trackman, it averaged 90 mph and touched 93.3, but it played significantly above the raw velocity because of a remarkable collection of underlying traits. The fastball averaged 18.4 inches of induced vertical break with an average spin rate of 2,722 rpm out of a 5-foot-4 release height and a -4.27 degree vertical approach angle. That combination made it extremely difficult to track, and hitters chased it at a 38% clip, well above the typical range for college arms.
Across both his 2025 college season and Cape stint, Rhudy threw the fastball 88% of the time. That staggering usage rate reflected how dominant the pitch was in both settings.
Tennessee coaches and scouts alike told Baseball America that Rhudy looked nearly untouchable all fall, carving through quality Volunteer hitters. If the traits hold under the SEC spotlight, he has a chance to become one of the nationâ€s most impactful relief arms in 2026.
Relief Pitcher: Keegan Oâ€Hearn, Michigan
This selection is rooted entirely in projection. Oâ€Hearn quietly established himself as one of the most intriguing developmental stories of the fall after transitioning from outfielder to full-time reliever under coach Tracy Smith and his staff.
Oâ€Hearn throws with a very low three-quarters, crossfire delivery and has already touched 98 mph. He pairs that fastball with a developing slider, and the combination gives him the ingredients of a late-game weapon.
Smith noted that Oâ€Hearn is still raw in terms of refinement and sequencing, but the delivery, arm speed and willingness to work make him an exciting project.
There is meaningful work ahead before Oâ€Hearn becomes a finished product, and this nod reflects future upside rather than present readiness. But mid-to-upper-90s velocity from the left side in the fall is uncommon, and the early return on his conversion points to a bullpen arm worth monitoring closely as the spring unfolds.
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