College Baseball Freshman To Watch in 2026

If 2025 proved anything, it’s that freshmen can have a massive impact on a team in college baseball. 

At TCU, you had Sawyer Strosnider and Noah Franco. Strosnider was ultimately named 2025 Freshman of the Year by NCBWA. Then you had Derek Curiel, who played a massive role for the 2025 College World Series Champion LSU Tigers. 

On top of that, you saw massive seasons from shortstop Tyler Bell at Kentucky, outfielder Levi Clark at Tennessee, and right-handed pitcher Aidan King at Florida. 

It was a strong year for freshmen in 2025, so let’s take a look at some names who could play a huge role for their teams as freshmen in 2026. 

Pitchers

RHP Angel Cervantes, UCLA

If you follow college baseball, you have likely already heard of Angel Cervantes. Cervantes might be the most exciting freshman to make it to campus, and UCLA Head Coach John Savage has to be ecstatic.

Cervantes was a potential first-rounder for the 2025 MLB Draft and went 50th overall in the 2nd round to the Pittsburgh Pirates. It felt like it was a done deal, and he was going to sign. 

Not so fast. Just Baseball’s 68th overall prospect for the 2025 MLB Draft ends up on campus and could play a massive role for the Bruins in 2026. What makes Cervantes so special is the combination of youth, athleticism, and pitchability you rarely see show up on a college campus. 

He was one of the youngest players in the entire draft class, and he’s a fluid mover on the mound with an effortless delivery and a clean, fast arm that projects for even more velocity as he matures. 

He already sits in the low-90s and touched 96 mph this spring, and with his frame and athleticism, it’s easy to envision that climbing into the mid-90s sooner rather than later.

But the separator, according to our MLB draft director Tyler Jennings, and the reason scouts were so convicted, is the changeup. 

It may have been the best in the class: a high-spin pitch in the upper-70s to low-80s that quite literally hits the brakes and fades away from lefties. He throws it with conviction and for consistent strikes, and it already profiles as a future plus offering at the next level. 

Pair all of that with real command, advanced pitchability, and the athletic markers that model-friendly front offices drool over, and it’s no surprise teams viewed him as a legitimate starting pitching prospect, whether that was in pro ball or at UCLA.

The Bruins now get the benefit of that profile on campus, and if everything clicks, Cervantes could be one of the most impactful arms in the Pac-12 the moment he sets foot on the mound.

Adding a high-upside arm like Cervantes really should help UCLA, which returns a lot of arms with tons of experience. RHPs Michael Barnett and Landon Stump were weekend starters for the Bruins, and both are returning. They also have the likes of lefty Ian May and Wylan Moss, who have been impressive and could fill the Sunday role. 

Will Cervantes crack the weekend rotation? It remains to be seen, but Coach Savage seems to like what he’s seen already. The floor for the young freshman is super high, and he could easily force his way into the weekend rotation early on.

LHP Cam Appenzeller, Tennessee

Believe it or not, Cam Appenzeller came in ranked higher than Cervantes. If anyone on the list had the potential to go in the first round, it was Appenzeller. 

He ended up being drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 19th round, but that was likely a safety net pick by the Mariners in case they weren’t able to sign one of their earlier picks. Seattle locked everyone in, and Appenzeller made his way to Knoxville. 

He ranked 35th on the Just Baseball Top 315 2025 MLB Draft Board, and it is easy to see why. What jumps out immediately with Appenzeller is just how much room he has to grow into his frame. 

At 6’5” and still fairly lean, he looks like someone who’s only scratching the surface of what he’ll eventually become on the mound. He moves really well for his size, and the delivery is loose and easy, giving him a lower release point that creates natural run and deception. 

His fastball is already in the upper-80s to low-90s and will grab the mid-90s in short bursts, and with how athletic he is, it’s hard not to project a meaningful velocity jump as he gets stronger. According to Tyler Jennings, the secondary pitches are already promising as well. 

His sweeper in the upper-70s shows the early signs of a pitch that could miss plenty of bats as it continues to tighten up. The changeup might be the more advanced of the two right now, coming in with late movement and the kind of action that should give right-handers real trouble.

Tennessee got him on campus after he flipped to Tony Vitello’s program in October, adding another high-upside arm to an already loaded recruiting class. Even with Josh Elander taking over after Vitello headed to San Francisco, Appenzeller stuck with the Vols. 

He’ll give a much-needed boost to a Tennessee pitching staff that lost both Liam Doyle and Marcus Phillips to the MLB Draft. Even with Doyle and Phillips, the Volunteers’ pitching staff really had its struggles, especially trying to find someone to lock down Sunday and the bullpen.

The Vols were busy this offseason bringing in arms like Blaine Brown out of Rice, Brady Frederick out of ETSU, Evan Blanco out of Virginia, and Landon Mack out of Rutgers. 

Regardless, Appenzeller has a chance to crack the rotation. It might not be the easiest path, but like Cervantes, Appenzeller has a strong floor at such a young age. Worst-case scenario, he could find himself as a midweek starter. 

LHP Jack Bauer, Mississippi State

Gas. That sums up Jack Bauer’s fastball. The lefty caught 102 mph in high school, as caught by our good friend Ian Smith. Originally a Virginia commit, Bauer flipped his commitment to Mississippi State when Brian O’Connor left Virginia to become their head coach. 

Bauer was ranked 44th on the Just Baseball Top 315 Board for the 2025 MLB Draft. The high-octane fuel he possessed on the mound had teams considering him, but he opted to head to Starkville to see how his talent would play in the SEC.

What’s crazier about Bauer is that what makes him so fascinating isn’t just the radar-gun readings, it’s the overall package. He’s a long, lean left-hander with plenty of physical projection still ahead of him, and the raw stuff already stacks up with anyone in the class. 

The arm talent is undeniable, and the velocity jump he showed this spring grabbed the attention of every scout who walked through the gate. That 102 mph bolt wasn’t a one-off moment either; he held firm velocity in the mid-90s throughout the outing and has generally lived in the 90-95 mph range dating back to last summer.

The big questions last summer were around his command, but according to Tyler Jennings, early reviews this spring were encouraging.

Mississippi State gets him on campus, and the SEC gets one of the most electric left-handed pitchers to come out of the prep ranks in years. 

O’Connor was able to get Tomas Valincius to transfer to Mississippi State as well, and he and Bauer could make a solid 1-2 punch for the Bulldogs. 

Hitters

OF Mason Ligenza, Pittsburgh 

Pitt, yes Pitt, got one of the top prep bats to come to campus. Ligenza was taken in the 6th round in the 2025 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is the second-highest drafted player behind Cervantes to make it to campus. 

The Panthers get a real solid player who ranked 116th on the Just Baseball Top 315 Board for the 2025 MLB Draft. Tyler Jennings thought Ligenza might have had one of the most intriguing upside swings in the entire class.

The bat speed jumps out immediately, and when he connects, the ball comes off hot. There’s some natural length to the swing given how long his levers are, and his lower half can get a little rigid, which leads to some miss in the profile, but those are the types of things a good college or pro development system can smooth out.

What really elevates his profile is the speed. For a player built like a corner-power bat, running a 6.4 in the 60 gives him a different dimension altogether. He moves well enough to stick in a corner outfield spot, and the athleticism suggests he could grow into an above-average defender with more reps.

It’ll be interesting to see how Pitt develops Ligenza over the next couple of years, but he should definitely be an everyday starter for them on day one. The Panthers are coming off a 28-27 season and hope the likes of Ligenza and others can help them take the next step in the ACC. 

OF Brock Sell, Stanford 

Stanford had a big-time freshman come to campus last year in Rintaro Sasaki, and they did the same this year, bringing in Brock Sell. While Sell doesn’t have the same fanfare or hype as Sasaki, he was still a pretty dang good prep player.

Brock Sell is the kind of athlete who jumps off the field the moment you watch him move. His game has taken a real step forward, and he’s turned himself into one of the more intriguing upside plays in the class. 

The swing is clean and efficient, and the barrel gets through the zone quickly with tight, direct turns. The athleticism shows up everywhere. Sell has been timed as an above-average runner, giving him a real shot to stick in center field long term. The arm is a weapon too, reaching into the low-90s from the outfield and even touching around 90 on the mound. 

Stanford is coming off a disappointing season where they finished 27-25 in the ACC when many thought they would be at the top of the conference with the likes of Joey Volchko and Matt Scott on the mound and phenom Rintaro Sasaki. 

The Cardinal didn’t have the strongest transfer portal class, but hopefully the likes of Sell and others can help bring them back to being one of the more competitive teams in the ACC. 

C Trent Gridlinger, Tennessee

They got one of the top prep arms to campus, so might as well get one of the top prep bats as well, right? Grindligner went undrafted, but that’s not because of his lack of talent. The backstop was a highly sought-after prospect, but opted to head to campus.

In May, Grindlinger flipped his commitment from Mississippi State to Tennessee, giving Tony Vitello one of the best prep bats. He, like Appenzeller, also opted to stay after the coaching change to Josh Elander.

Grindlinger ranked as the 205th best prospect on the Just Baseball Top 315 2025 MLB Draft Board. According to Tyler Jennings, Grindlinger was one of those players who just kept showing up all summer.

No matter the event, no matter the level, he found a way to hit, and by the end of the circuit, he’d quietly put together one of the more consistent resumes in the class. Physically, he’s a sturdy, athletic catcher who looks the part the moment he straps on the gear.

The actions behind the plate are clean, the feet work, and the arm is absolutely a weapon; he cut down runners all summer long and made it look routine. Everything about his defensive game points to him staying behind the plate for a long time.

At the plate, he generates real bat speed and has enough strength to drive balls into the gaps, and his feel for timing off-speed pitches has improved noticeably.

With his defensive skill set, athletic build, and flashes of impact at the plate, Grindlinger has the look of a catcher whose best baseball is still ahead of him, and the Vols are getting a good one.