Stanford Baseball Has Three Freshman Getting Attention

Stanford baseball is ready to roll. Enduring a tough spring, the Cardinal are ready to put 2025 behind them and get back to greatness in 2026. But in order for the Cardinal to do that, the program needs all of their players to step up, including their newest additions.

Luckily, the new faces on the Cardinal could prove to be superstars early on, with D1 Baseball ranking three of the team's incoming freshman in the Top 100 Freshmen on Campus.

Brock Sell, an outfielder out of Tokay High School, is ranked No. 20 in D1's rankings. The 65th ranked prospect for the 2025 MLB Draft, Sell established himself as one of the best hitting outfielders in the country, and despite struggling early on this past season, he quickly regained his form and was crucial for Tokay.

Expected to provide major depth in the outfield, Sell could find himself starting for Stanford sooner rather than later, especially with Charlie Bates expected to move from center to shortstop in 2026.

Coming in ranked at No. 28 is two-way superstar out of Valley Christian, Brock Ketelsen. Ketelsen, an elite left-handed pitcher, also brings major upside to the plate with his elite contact and minimal swing and miss ability.

Despite being regarded as a better position player than a pitcher, largely due to a smaller sample size on the mound, Ketelsen's size and clean mechanics make him a candidate to be a superstar pitcher, should he choose to focus on that. Ketelsen will look to establish himself as a true two-way superstar on The Farm.

At No. 88 is former Bishop O'Dowd standout, Rashad Hayes. A career .299 hitter in high school, Hayes' senior campaign saw him hit .375, and despite O'Dowd struggling in 2025, Hayes' strong play made him one of the Bay Area's most intriguing prospects.

Athletic and an elite fielder, Hayes' run scoring ability and glove are what Stanford will rely on. If he can continue to display his raw right-handed power, he will carve out a big role for the Cardinal.

After College World Series appearances in both 2022 and 2023, the last two seasons have seen Stanford struggle mightily, going 22-33 in '24 and 27-25 last season. But one area in particular that has given the Cardinal trouble is conference play, going a combined 22-38 in Pac-12/ACC games the last two years. In 2026, the Cardinal will hope that a revamped squad gives them everything they need to return to relevance.