College Baseball · 3 months ago

MLB Prospect Watch: Top 8 Draft-Eligible Pitchers for 2026

SportsGrid Contributor Just Baseball

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RHP Jason DeCaro, North Carolina
Jason DeCaro is one of the youngest eligible arms in the class, but you wouldn’t know it from his performance. He’s already logged two years as North Carolina’s workhorse, leading the team in innings and strikeouts. His fastball has elite spin (2500+ RPM), and he commands three nasty offspeed pitches. His changeup is a nightmare for lefties—20” of run and heavy fade—while his slider averages 10” of sweep and sits low-80s. The curve is rarely used but has bite.

He’ll be a 20-year-old on draft day, which only adds intrigue to one of the most complete arsenals in the country.

For all your MLB deep dives, check out our friends at Just Baseball.
RHP Aidan Knaak, Clemson
Aidan Knaak was the model of consistency in the ACC, going 9-1 with a sub-1.15 WHIP and 110 strikeouts across 16 starts in 2025. His changeup is a weapon—high 70s with late dive and a 50% whiff rate, the best among peers last year. The fastball lives low-90s and touches 96, while the curveball is a 12/6 breaker with solid depth. He also added a sinker for same-tunnel deception. First-Team All-ACC honors two years running, Knaak brings durability, pitchability, and five usable offerings into 2026 as the heartbeat of Clemson’s staff.

Thanks to Just Baseball for the stats, analysis, and insights for this slideshow article.
RHP Gabe Gaeckle, Arkansas
Gabe Gaeckle opened 2025 in Arkansas’s rotation but was bumped to the pen after some rocky outings. From there, he dialed it in—.202 opponent average and a 35% whiff rate to close the year. His fastball is vicious—2500+ RPM, 17”+ IVB, and upper-90s velocity. He leans heavily on a sharp slider in the mid-to-upper 80s that he throws for strikes two-thirds of the time.

Gaeckle also features a power changeup and high-spin curve. With a full year back in the rotation, his combination of stuff and SEC polish should play its way into the first round.

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RHP Jackson Flora, UC Santa Barbara
Jason Flora might be the best mid-major arm in the draft. He posted a 5.06 K-BB ratio with a 3.60 ERA last season and led UCSB’s rotation with dominant command and velocity. His fastball is mid-90s with top-percentile velo and excellent results when elevated. His low-80s sweeping slider held hitters to a .163 average with a 39% whiff rate. While he occasionally mixes a changeup and curve, he doesn’t need them much.

Flora has the size, stuff, and pitchability to become the West Coast’s top college arm in 2026—and a potential first-round lock.
RHP Cam Flukey, Coastal Carolina
Cam Flukey boasts one of the most dynamic profiles in the class. Flukey exploded in 2025, nearly doubling his innings and cutting the walk rate. His fastball sits mid-90s with heavy ride (19” of IVB), and he pounds the zone with it—74% strike rate last year. The curveball is his money pitch, generating a ridiculous 49% whiff rate. While the slider and splitter were used less, both flashed plus potential—especially the mid-80s gyro slider with 73% strike rate.

If the whiff rate on the heater ticks up and the slider sees more volume, Flukey could be the first college arm off the board.
RHP Liam Peterson, Florida
Liam Peterson blends polish with power, flashing frontline starter traits in Gainesville. After a rocky freshman year, he surged in 2025—upping his strikeouts and refining his command. His high-ride fastball spins over 2400 RPM with elite shape and velocity, while his mid-80s slider bites late and locates consistently. He also mixes in a plus changeup and a curveball that drops hard at nearly 2700 RPM.

The progress is real, and he’s poised to lead Florida’s staff next spring. Add in his advanced pitch data and mechanical consistency, and Peterson screams early Day 1 potential.
LHP Trey Beard, Florida State
Trey Beard transfers to FSU after dominating the American in 2025 with 118 Ks and a .199 BAA. The lefty excels with pitch shape and command. His fastball sits 90–92 mph but jumps thanks to a 7’ release and 20” IVB. He pairs it with three offspeed pitches that each earned over 40% whiff rates last season: a fading changeup, deep 12/6 curve, and short slider. While none blow you away on paper, they all tunnel effectively, and his ability to locate everything gives him high-level starter upside.

Beard should shine in the ACC alongside Wes Mendes.
RHP Joey Volchko, Georgia
Joey Volchko might have the loudest pure stuff in the class—and some of the wildest variance. After transferring from Stanford, he brings mid-to-upper 90s velocity with both a four-seam and sinker. The four-seam has a late ride and cut, while the sinker runs in on righties with a big bore. His slider is a tight 90 mph weapon, but the real jaw-dropper is an upper-80s curveball that falls off the table with 9+ inches of drop and a 52% whiff rate. Add in a changeup at 90 mph and you’ve got five power pitches.

If Georgia can help him find the zone more consistently, his ceiling is enormous.

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RHP Jason DeCaro, North Carolina
Jason DeCaro is one of the youngest eligible arms in the class, but you wouldn’t know it from his performance. He’s already logged two years as North Carolina’s workhorse, leading the team in innings and strikeouts. His fastball has elite spin (2500+ RPM), and he commands three nasty offspeed pitches. His changeup is a nightmare for lefties—20” of run and heavy fade—while his slider averages 10” of sweep and sits low-80s. The curve is rarely used but has bite.

He’ll be a 20-year-old on draft day, which only adds intrigue to one of the most complete arsenals in the country.

For all your MLB deep dives, check out our friends at Just Baseball.
RHP Aidan Knaak, Clemson
Aidan Knaak was the model of consistency in the ACC, going 9-1 with a sub-1.15 WHIP and 110 strikeouts across 16 starts in 2025. His changeup is a weapon—high 70s with late dive and a 50% whiff rate, the best among peers last year. The fastball lives low-90s and touches 96, while the curveball is a 12/6 breaker with solid depth. He also added a sinker for same-tunnel deception. First-Team All-ACC honors two years running, Knaak brings durability, pitchability, and five usable offerings into 2026 as the heartbeat of Clemson’s staff.

Thanks to Just Baseball for the stats, analysis, and insights for this slideshow article.

MLB Prospect Watch: Top 8 Draft-Eligible Pitchers for 2026

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