An MLB Draft Prospect to Watch at Each NCAA Regional
With the conclusion of NCAA conference tournaments this past weekend, the official NCAA baseball tournament kicks off this weekend with the regional round where 64 teams will face off for a chance to play in the super regionals. If you’re like many baseball fans, you’re probably an MLB fan tuning in to college baseball for the first time this season over the weekend. With that being said, there are plenty of talented players that will be on the field that may be selected by your favorite team this July in the 2025 MLB Draft. If you take a look at MLB Pipeline’s top 150 draft rankings, nearly 80% of the college players listed will be in action at the tournament. So for some added investment, I would love to introduce you to one player to watch for in each regional bracket that is likely to be a day one draft pick.
Nashville Regional - Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville
(Vanderbilt, Louisville, Wright State, Eastern Tennessee State)
The Nashville Regional hosted at Vanderbilt has a number of arms to choose from, but at the top of the list is Patrick Forbes, the Junior out of Louisville. Forbes is arguably a top ten college arm in this year’s draft class and has led the charge for Louisville’s pitching staff. Forbes features a wide arsenal with a 60 grade fastball topping out as high as 100 mph. He’s got a sinker, slider, cutter, and a changeup in the mix that helped him punch out 85 batters in 54.1 innings for the Cardinals this year. Louisville opens with Eastern Tennessee State on Friday, so you might see the Cardinals save him for a matchup against Vanderbilt.
Hattiesburg Regional - JB Middleton, RHP, Southern Miss
(Southern Mississippi, Alabama, Columbia, Miami)
JB Middleton headlines a Southern Mississippi team that surprised a lot of folks in 2025. Middleton posted all year, logging a 2.01 ERA across 98.1 innings while striking out 114 and allowing just a .168 batting average against. Middleton possesses a plus arsenal, featuring a 60 grade fastball and slider along with a 55 grade changeup with great feel for pounding the strike zone and getting whiffs. If the stars align, we could get a really fun pitching matchup if Southern Miss and Alabama face off at some point. Riley Quick is another draft-eligible pitcher ranked within the same tier as Middleton and has been the ace on a solid Alabama team.
Tallahassee Regional - Jamie Arnold, LHP, FSU
(Florida State, Northeastern, Bethune-Cookman, Mississippi State)
Jamie Arnold is a name you should get familiar with pretty quickly as this is one of the top candidates to go first overall this July and has found himself at the top of many draft boards and mock drafts. Arnold was one of the top pitchers in college baseball as a sophomore last year, so he was expected to be in this position this year and has certainly delivered. He has logged 71 innings across 13 starts this year, posting a 3.04 ERA while striking out 97. It’s an advanced arsenal for Arnold with very polished command and the ability to be a quick mover through a minor league system. I would make any Jamie Arnold start this postseason appointment viewing.
Corvallis Regional - Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State
(Oregon State, TCU, St. Mary’s, USC)
In a somewhat weaker crop of college bats in this year’s draft class, Aiva Arquette stands alone as the best bat. The 6’5” shortstop transferred to Oregon State from Washington following excellent freshman and sophomore seasons, leading the Beavers to the eighth overall seed in the tournament. Arquette displays a solid combination of hit and power along with the ability to field his position well despite his uncanny size as a shortstop. He launched 17 home runs for the Beavers this year on his way to a 1.149 OPS. He’s just about a lock to go within the top five this July, and if the Nationals want to surprise some folks, they could take him first overall.
Chapel Hill Regional - Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma
North Carolina, Oklahoma, Holy Cross, Nebraska
Kyson Witherspoon came into the season looking like a slam dunk first rounder this July, but still managed to be one of the top risers in the class. He has all but solidified his chances at landing within the top ten, and potentially the top five, and has a shot at boosting his stock even more with a big postseason. He has one of the best fastballs in the class along with advanced feel for both a slider and a cutter. The curveball has flashed above average as well while the changeup completes his arsenal as a future big league starter. He delivered 91 innings to the tune of a 2.47 ERA for the Sooners this year while striking out 120 batters. His Sooners will be on the road in Chapel Hill where North Carolina’s catcher, Luke Stevenson, won’t fall too far behind Witherspoon in the draft, so keep an eye on him as well.
Eugene Regional - Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona
(Oregon, Arizona, Utah Valley, Cal Poly)
Brendan Summerhill finds himself in the next tier of college position players behind Aiva Arquette and should be a lock to land at least somewhere in the back half of the first round. He has one of the most advanced hit tools in college baseball along with tools on both the bases and in the outfield. It’s a 55 grade run, arm, and glove, so he has a good shot at sticking as a center fielder while it very well could be an above-average bat at the next level. He only hit three home runs this year, but also managed to post a 1.133 OPS while walking more than double the amount of times he struck out. If the hit over power bat isn’t your cup of tea, Oregon’s lineup features Mason Neville, college baseball’s leader in home runs this year with 26. Neville is a potential first rounder this July and is looking to lead Oregon to a trip to Omaha.
Conway Regional - Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina
(Coastal Carolina, Florida, Fairfield, East Carolina)
Not too far behind Luke Stevenson in the college catching class is Caden Bodine, the backstop for your 2025 Sun Belt champions. Bodine’s advanced feel to hit from both sides of the plate really drive his profile, but he also has the skills to stick behind the plate long term. It was a .333/.477/.463 slash line for Bodine this year, so it certainly is an extreme hit over power profile, something not a lot of professional catchers can say they have. He drew 44 walks to just 19 strikeouts, but homered only three times, so he really is the catching version of the previously mentioned Brendan Summerhill.
Auburn Regional - Ike Irish, OF, Auburn
(Auburn, NC State, Central Connecticut, Stetson)
One of the best bats in the SEC this year belonged to Ike Irish, the recent catcher turned outfielder. The left handed hitting junior built upon a big sophomore year that earned him a lot of attention as a draft prospect coming into 2025. He hit 16 home runs on his way to a 1.130 OPS, leading Auburn to the fourth overall seed in the tournament. He was even better in SEC play, ranking second in conference play in home runs with 13 and OPS at 1.332. Irish was recently named to the All-SEC First Team and was named a Golden Spikes Award semi-finalist. The bat alone should land him somewhere in the first round this Summer, but more importantly, it will play a big factor in Auburn’s run at a national championship.
Austin Regional - Max Belyeu, OF, Texas
(Texas, UTSA, Houston Christian, Kansas State)
Another powerful left handed power bat in the SEC is Max Belyeu, the junior looking to lead the second overall seeded Longhorns to Omaha. Belyeu battled injury this year, but managed to make his way back to the field before the conclusion of the regular season. He only appeared in 28 games, but hit seven home runs on his way to a 1.014 OPS. What matters now is that he’ll be hitting right in the middle of a solid Texas lineup and can certainly raise his stock as a draft prospect with the lost time.
Los Angeles Regional - Brandon Compton, OF, Arizona State
(UCLA, UC Irvine, Fresno State, Arizona State)
Some of the best raw power in this year’s draft class belongs to Brandon Compton, the draft-eligible sophomore out of Arizona State. There’s comfortable feel to hit to all fields along with top-end exit velocities and home run distances for the lefty. The stat line doesn’t jump off the page - just nine home runs and an .881 OPS this year - but when you take a look under the hood at some of the raw talent, you’ll see why Compton has a shot at being a day one selection come July. This crop of teams in the L.A. regional might be the closest in terms of competition among all the regionals, so expect Compton to come up in some big time moments for the Sun Devils.
Oxford Regional - Kyle Lodise, SS, Georgia Tech
(Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, Murray State, Western Kentucky)
In the second tier of college shortstops in this year’s draft class is Kyle Lodise. The Georgia Tech shortstop was one of the top hitters in the ACC in his first year in the conference, and trailed only his cousin Alex Lodise out of Florida State as the best offensive shortstop in the conference. Kyle hit 15 home runs on his way to a 1.105 OPS The power in Lodise’s bat is unassuming as he’s just a 180 pound speedy middle infielder, but he has crushed some home runs and makes consistent hard contact. The Oxford Regional is certainly a gauntlet to get through this year, but the Yellow Jackets are in a good position to make a run at super regionals with one of the top shortstops in college baseball this year.
Athens Regional - Brian Curley, RHP, Georgia
(Georgia, Duke, Binghamton, Oklahoma State)
One of the more electric arms you’ll see pitch this weekend is Brian Curley for Georgia. Curley opened the season for the Bulldogs in the bullpen, but made his way to the starting rotation as one of the top pitchers in the SEC. He ended up making nine starts, and in 61.2 innings across his full season, posted a 3.21 ERA while striking out 78 batters and allowing just a .158 batting average against. The triple-digit fastball is the headliner in Curley’s arsenal and is quite the sight to behold as he nearly brings his windup to a complete stop before exploding down the mound. He also features a big slider along with a solid cutter. The chances of him sticking as a starter at the next level are slimmer than a handful of other pitchers in the class which is why he’s further down draft boards, but he’s still certainly a fun arm to watch that may be a day one selection.
Baton Rouge Regional - Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
(LSU, Dallas Baptist, Little Rock, Rhode Island)
If there is one pitcher that has a shot at being selected before Jamie Arnold as the first college pitcher off the board this year, it’s Kade Anderson. He has arguably been the top riser in this year’s class and has comfortably slotted in as LSU’s ace. Nobody in college baseball struck out more hitters than Anderson this year (145) while he also only yielded a 6.6 walk rate. It’s a well-rounded arsenal for the draft-eligible sophomore, featuring three plus pitches - a mid-90s fastball, a slider, and a changeup. There’s some room for him to fill out as well and is a very easy mover on the mound. This is another pitcher I would make an appointment to watch this weekend.
Clemson Regional - Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson
(Clemson, West Virginia, South Carolina Upstate, Kentucky)
Cam Cannarella caught the attention of a lot of folks during last year’s postseason where he came up clutch in big moments, both in the box and out in the field. However, his Clemson Tigers fell short in the super regionals and are certainly expecting to find their way to Omaha this year. Cannarella is the top defensive center fielder in this year’s draft class and has a solid case as the top all-around center fielder in college baseball this year. There’s excellent feel to hit for the left handed hitting junior, and he should grow into some more power as well. He posted a .344/.477/.495 slash line across 58 games while drawing walks at a higher rate than he struck out.
Knoxville Regional - Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
(Tennessee, Wake Forest, Miami (OH), Cincinnati)
Liam Doyle is right up there with Kade Anderson as not only one of top risers in this year’s draft class, but as one of the few pitchers that may rival Jamie Arnold as the first college arm selected this July. Doyle has consistently reached triple-digits with his heater and also has great feel for multiple breaking pitches and a splitter - something a bit rare at the amateur level. With 142 strikeouts across 83 innings, only Anderson struck out more hitters than Doyle in all of college baseball. He was recently awarded SEC Pitcher of the Year honors due to his dominance in conference play this year. Doyle has a ton of energy on the mound, making any outing of his a fun watch, so I would encourage you to tune in to watch the potential top ten pick this weekend.
Fayetteville Regional - Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas
(Arkansas, Kansas, North Dakota State, Creighton)
Rounding out my “must-watches” this weekend is Wehiwa Aloy, Arkansas’s standout shortstop. Aloy is in that upper tier of college shortstops right alongside Marek Houston out of Wake Forest. Aloy was the best shortstop in the SEC this year, producing at a high level both at the plate and on the dirt. He hit 18 home runs for the Razorbacks on his way to a 1.105 OPS and the SEC Player of the Year award. There’s some serious power in his bat but there is some question marks in the hit tool which likely leaves him in the latter half of the first round this July. However, the glove alone should provide a big league organization plenty of value. The three seed Razorbacks are expected to make quick work of this regional round, and Aloy should play a big role in that.
