Ranking Top 10 2026 MLB Draft Prospects at the College World Series
The 2026 College World Series kicks off on Friday afternoon, with eight teams left standing in the hunt for a national championship.
With UCLA and Georgia Tech both upset in regional play, the nation's top two teams are watching from home. That also means UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey—both widely expected to be top-three picks in the 2026 MLB draft—have seen their season come to a close.
However, there will still be plenty of high-profile prospect talent in action, headlined by Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron.
Ahead we've ranked the top 10 2026 MLB draft prospects who will be playing at this year's College World Series. These are the names to know as the college baseball season comes down the homestretch.
Other Notable Draft Prospects
1 of 11
Pitchers
RHP Tyler Fay, Alabama
LHP Cameron Johnson, Oklahoma
RHP Ryan Lynch, North Carolina
RHP LJ Mercurius, Oklahoma
RHP Dawson Montesa, West Virginia
LHP Maxx Yehl, West Virginia
Hitters
C/OF Brendan Brock, Oklahoma
2B Gavin Gallaher, North Carolina
3B Camden Johnson, Oklahoma
3B Tre Phelps, Georgia
SS Jake Schaffner, North Carolina
SS Jaxon Willits, Oklahoma
10. RHP Jason DeCaro, North Carolina
2 of 11
2026 Stats: 17 GS, 11-2, 2.28 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 38 BB, 84 K, 87.0 IP
With a durable 6'5", 225-pound frame and a polished four-pitch repertoire, Jason DeCaro fits the prototypical mold of a high-floor college starter.
His fastball sits in the low 90s, and he backs it with a curveball, slider and changeup, mixing his pitches well to keep hitters off balance and induce weak contact.
With a 23.0 percent strikeout rate, he doesn't miss a ton of bats, but his 3.29 ERA over 51 career starts at North Carolina is enough proven production to believe he could move quickly toward a back-of-the-rotation role.
9. RHP Ruger Riojas, Texas
3 of 11
2026 Stats: 16 GS, 5-2, 4.04 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 19 BB, 113 K, 75.2 IP
One of the top seniors in the 2026 draft class, Ruger Riojas took a significant step forward this spring relative to his first season at the University of Texas, following two years at UTSA to begin his collegiate career.
The 6'0", 195-pound right-hander had a 5.61 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 69 innings as a junior, but he has seen his draft stock take off this year thanks to a massive spike in his strikeout rate from 20.7 to 36.0 percent.
His fastball velocity has been up to 98 mph this spring, and he also has a 60-grade splitter that can be unhittable at times as part of his five-pitch arsenal. Don't be surprised if he's one of the first players from the 2026 draft class to reach the majors.
8. OF Owen Hull, North Carolina
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2026 Stats: 297 PA, .390/.505/.589, 32 XBH (7 HR), 81 RBI, 17 SB
After hitting .367/.474/.557 with 42 steals during a breakout sophomore season at George Mason, outfielder Owen Hull transferred to North Carolina and put together an even better junior campaign.
He hit .418/.500/.648 over 144 plate appearances during conference play, steadily trending up as the spring unfolded, and his 92 hits on the season tied for 11th nationally.
Hull has an unorthodox swing, but his bat-to-ball skills and some untapped power in his 6'4", 215-pound frame potentially give him more upside to unlock once he reaches pro ball.
7. RHP Joey Volchko, Georgia
5 of 11
2026 Stats: 17 GS, 10-2, 4.07 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 45 BB, 104 K, 86.1 IP
With an upper 90s fastball that touches 101 mph and a terrific slider, Joey Volchko has some of the best pure stuff in the 2026 draft class, but he has yet to prove he can consistently command it.
He took a nice step forward this spring in terms of surface-level results, improving on the 6.01 ERA he logged over 70.1 innings as a sophomore at Stanford, and his strikeout rate soared from 17.3 to 27.4 percent.
Control remains an issue, with his walk rate actually climbing slightly this spring, and he had a 4.74 ERA and 63-to-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 49.1 innings in SEC play. He has more boom-or-bust potential than the average college arm, but his power arsenal is difficult to ignore.
6. C Carson Tinney, Texas
6 of 11
2026 Stats: 273 PA, .333/.484/.710, 35 XBH (22 HR), 58 RBI, 10 SB
After posting a 1.251 OPS with 17 home runs as a sophomore at Notre Dame, Carson Tinney has solidified his status as one of the top catchers in the 2026 draft class, arguably behind only Vahn Lackey, Ryder Helfrick and Daniel Jackson from the college crop.
His 61 strikeouts in 58 games raise some questions about his hit tool, and ability to consistently get to his 55-grade power, but he offset some of those swing-and-miss issues with a healthy 18.3 percent walk rate this spring.
He has a strong throwing arm and good receiving skills, but he lacks agility and athleticism behind the plate due in part to a large 6'4", 240-pound frame. Still, he has improved enough defensively during his time on campus to believe he could be a bat-first starter at the next level.
5. RHP Taylor Rabe, Ole Miss
7 of 11
2026 Stats: 16 G, 10 GS, 3.71 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 11 BB, 98 K, 70.1 IP
With a gem against Alabama (6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 13 K) in his final start of the regular season and impressive outings against Nebraska (6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 9 K) and Auburn (7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 8 K) in postseason play, Taylor Rabe is trending up in a big way.
The 6'5", 200-pound right-hander has an elite 70-grade fastball that touches 100 mph with good carry, and he commands the pitch extremely well. His secondary stuff has generally lagged behind, but his cutter and slider have improved as the spring has gone on.
After redshirting while recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2024 and tossing just 16.1 innings in 2025, he is a big reason why Ole Miss is at the College World Series, and another strong performance on the big stage might push him into the first-round conversation.
4. C Daniel Jackson, Georgia
8 of 11
2026 Stats: 299 PA, .396/.492/.837, 45 XBH (31 HR), 86 RBI, 26 SB
Hitting .392/.486/.725 with 11 home runs in 30 games during SEC play is enough to push any prospect into the Day 1 draft conversation.
Daniel Jackson split his time between catcher and the outfield corners as a sophomore after transferring from Wofford, hitting .240/.365/.612 with 14 home runs in 148 plate appearances. An .818 OPS and 11 extra-base hits in the Cape Cod League further boosted his draft profile, but this spring has still been a revelation.
With 26 steals in 28 attempts, he is significantly more athletic than the average catcher, though his defensive game remains a work-in-progress. His 50-hit, 55-power offensive profile will be what carries him at the next level, and his 31 home runs currently rank third in the nation.
3. RHP Cade Townsend, Ole Miss
9 of 11
2026 Stats: 14 GS, 5-3, 3.94 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 22 BB, 88 K, 64.0 IP
Despite struggling to a 6.35 ERA as a freshman, Cade Townsend turned heads down the stretch when he tossed 4.2 scoreless innings of two-hit ball against eventual national champion LSU in the SEC tournament.
The breakout performance many were expecting after that glimpse against LSU has come this spring, and his 31.9 percent strikeout rate speaks to the quality of his entire five-pitch arsenal.
He does have some effort to his delivery and is a bit undersized with a 6'1", 185-pound frame, but in terms of pure arm talent, he stacks up to anyone in the 2026 college class. His fastball sits in the upper 90s with good carry, and he has a pair of high-spin breaking balls, a low 90s cutter and a playable changeup.
2. OF Aiden Robbins, Texas
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2026 Stats: 271 PA, .342/.435/.720, 35 XBH (24 HR), 64 RBI, 12 SB
Aiden Robbins was one of the top bats in the transfer portal last offseason after hitting .422/.537/.652 with more walks (44) than strikeouts (32) in his sophomore season at Seton Hall. He followed that up with a .936 OPS and six home runs in the Cape Cod League last summer before landing at Texas.
He launched 24 home runs this spring after hitting just 12 total over 96 games at Seton Hall, and while he has sacrificed some contact for the uptick in power, it has given him more impact potential.
Robbins has also proved he can handle center field this spring after manning a corner spot in the past. If everything clicks, he could have above-average tools across the board at the next level.
1. SS Justin Lebron, Alabama
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2026 Stats: 277 PA, .277/.386/.541, 29 XBH (16 HR), 48 RBI, 41 SB
Justin Lebron entered the spring as perhaps the biggest competition to Roch Cholowsky to be the No. 1 overall pick following a sophomore season where he hit .316/.421/.636 with 18 home runs and 17 steals.
His numbers have dipped across the board this spring and it's now possible he falls out of the top 10 picks, but he still possesses the raw tools that made him one of the draft's elite prospects with a 60-power, 60-speed combination offensively and all the tools to be a standout defensive shortstop.
There is a compelling case to be made that he still has a higher ceiling than Cholowsky, albeit with more risk. After hitting .222/.323/.407 in SEC play, a strong run at the College World Series could go a long way in rebuilding his stock.
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