MLB Draft Notebook: Virginia vs. UNC

With the changes aside, Becker maintains his outstanding bat speed and heavy barrel that made him noteworthy as a sophomore.

He has slightly increased his aggression in 2026, and Becker still operates with a gap-to-gap approach, though he opted to go to the opposite field more often than not against North Carolina. When he pulled the baseball, he flashed solid exit velocities, including a 109 MPH bolt on Saturday.

The biggest improvement in his profile has been the defense at shortstop. When speaking to him after Friday’s win, Becker credited coach Derek Simmons for helping improve his internal clock at the position and his confidence.

Becker looks much smoother at the position, and while he was rushing himself last spring, he looked more composed and in control this time around. It’s adequate arm strength for the position, as well. He looks more befitting of a shortstop at the next level.

All in all, while Becker may not crack the first round, he looks every bit of a Top 50 pick this summer.

OF AJ Gracia, Virginia

Final Line: 3-13, 2 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K

While Gracia has come back down to earth a bit after a torrid start to the spring, it’s hard to ignore the offensive polish that comes with his bat.

Not much has changed in his swing mechanics, though the front leg is slightly more open than in 2025.

The sweet-swinging lefty boasts a ton of bat speed and a clean, compact stroke that is aesthetically pleasing to the naked eye. It’s built for lacing line drives to every part of the park, and while he didn’t go yard during the series, Gracia did display feel to launch to his pull-side. He just missed a home run on a 93 MPH fastball on Friday night.

Just like the prior two seasons, Gracia’s bat-to-ball skills are near the top of the scouting scale. Yes, he did whiff four times on heaters upstairs, though before the series, Gracia had whiffed just twice on fastballs all year.

He registered his first whiff on a slider all season, too. It’s comically good contact that pairs with mature swing decisions and potentially above-average power production. It’s easy to see why scouts value the bat so highly.

On the defensive side, Gracia has moved to center, though with added muscle in his lower half, he’s not the most rangy defender out there. Most believe he’ll have to move to left field, and I am in agreement with that.

The bat will have to mash, but that’s fine. Gracia should hear his name called in the first round regardless of his future defensive positioning.

OF Zach Jackson, Virginia

Final Line: 4-14, 5 RBI, 3 R, 2 HR, 1 2B, 1 BB, 5 K

Chris Pollard knew that Jackson had a chance to be “really, really special” by last May, and now, in his first taste of starting, he’s found his stride.

With the look of a projectable slugger in the left-handed box, Jackson possesses a gluttony of tools. Boasting a ton of bat speed, there’s quite a bit of power in the stick, with Jackson pummeling baseballs throughout the weekend and surpassing the 110 MPH barrier in exit velocities.

It’s impressive power, and while the swing plane is flatter and more conducive for line drives, they’ll go a long, long way.

Jackson has some twitch to his hips and clears them out well, allowing him to bring quick hands and a heavy barrel through the zone. Pollard mentioned his ability to control the zone during our post-game presser, and it was certainly evident.

Jackson likes to attack the fastball, and while the bat-to-ball skills aren’t there yet, he’s shown enough to show what could be big offensive upside. He’s not afraid to rack up the walks, either.

A plus runner, Jackson looked comfortable in right field with good routes and range, as well as a strong arm. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Jackson in center in 2027, especially once Gracia gets drafted.

He has big upside, though it’s admittedly crude and needs polish. If he holds this pace throughout conference play, he’ll enter 2027 as one of the better ACC bats.

RHP Caden Glauber, North Carolina

Final Line: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 8 K (51 Strikes/77 Pitches)

In an otherwise dull weekend for the team, Scott Forbes coined Glauber as the “story of the game.” It’s easy to see why. North Carolina has had their fair share of freshman talents who get big roles, and Glauber is next in line. A reclassification from the 2026 draft class, he should be finishing up his final high school semester.

Glauber has added quite a bit of velocity to his pitches on campus, and his deceptive delivery and low slot do a number on hitters. It’s a lot of limbs flying down the mound, but there’s some drop-and-drive to his mechanics, and his sidearm release helps aid in the uncomfortable nature of at-bats.

Glauber came out and bullied hitters with his fastball, which now sits in the mid-90s and scrapes 97 MPH. He’ll generate more run than carry given the lower release, though the width and flatter approach angle aid the pitch. He’d lower his arm slot to throw his low-80s slider and upper-80s change-up, but those pitches played excellently, too.

The slider possesses high spin rates and moderate sweeping action, and when he located it gloveside, hitters struggled to catch it. He can generate some lift on the pitch, as well. The change-up moved like a two-seam fastball at times, but at its best, it had devastating tumble away from lefties and even had negative IVB numbers.

Glauber’s path is going to remind some people of Jason DeCaro, but admittedly, the upside with Glauber may be higher. He’ll be eligible as a 20-year-old in 2028, and he may be one of the better ones in that crop already.

LHP Max Stammel, Virginia

Final Line: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (57 Strikes/89 Pitches)

Admittedly, this was a start that I missed, but a scout in attendance told me to watch it and compare it to Henry Zatkowski’s outing from Friday. Let’s just say it was good enough to earn a blurb on this piece.

A change-up first southpaw from Texas, Stammel stymied the Tar Heel offense on Saturday, allowing just three hits and one run across six innings. He pitches with some crossfire and width from a low slot, repeating his delivery well with a long arm swing. He can rush his delivery at times, but otherwise, Stammel had good composure, pitching from the stretch only.

Stammel relied heavily upon his fastball-cambio pairing, throwing both for a ton of strikes and catching hitters out in front. He started 90-92 MPH before jumping into the 92-94 MPH as the outing progressed, and he has the look of a VAA-king. He gets quality extension from his lower release, which are two components that VAA relies upon heavily. There’s good carry that mixes with run, as well.

The change-up is an interesting pitch, as it has similar spin rates to the fastball and tunnels off of it well. Sitting in the upper-70s/low-80s, there’s excellent velocity separation on the pitch, and it runs heavily out of the hand. He shows confidence in the pitch, throwing it often and landing it for strikes against lefties and righties alike. He pairs this with a firm mid-80s cutter and a larger slider, though both lag behind the first two offerings.

A 2027-eligible arm, Stammel appeared to have the most upside of any Virginia starter over the weekend. He’ll need more power to his profile, but it’s hard to hate the idea of a funky southpaw with intriguing pitch data and traits.