Should Oregon State Baseball's Trent Caraway Go Pro if He is Drafted?

Overall, he was a below-average player, posting an 86 wRC+ (league average is 100). "He appeared to have lost his confidence," MLB Pipeline said. "He’s aggressive at the plate and there has been some swing-and-miss in his game, though he’s also shown a willingness to work counts. He has plenty of raw power, especially to his pull side, though there’s been too much soft contact and very little thump in 2025."

Despite the below average wRC+, Caraway really stood out in the Corvallis Regional, being named the regional MVP and Regional All-Tournament Team. He also hit six home runs in the postseason, the most ever by a Beaver in a single year.

"Caraway’s loudest tool is his raw power and bat speed," Baseball America notes in their scouting report. "He generates tremendous force with his 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame and can hit towering balls to the pull side when he connects, with top-end exit velocities in the 114 mph range. That power comes with a questionable approach and pitch recognition concerns."

The now former Beaver hasn't been mocked within the first two rounds by any major outlet, which leaves the question if he should forgo the draft, even if selected, or forgo the transfer portal and head to pro ball.

His first option, which is transfer to a new school would make plenty of sense. He can have another big season, lower the strikeout rate a bit more, aim for a 20 homer season and potentially see himself as one of the top prospects in the 2026 draft.

If a Major League team offers him a nice signing bonus, which surpasses any NIL offering that he has received from collegiate team in the transfer portal, then he can go and begin to make the necessary adjustments at the pro level, where there is clearly going to be more pressure and need to advance quickly as a college bat.