The NCAA D-1 baseball tournament kicked off this weekend, as 64 of the top teams in the nation were separated into 16 different four-team double elimination brackets. The champion of each bracket would move on to the “super regionals,” where they play in a three-game series for a spot at the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. These regional tournaments were littered with MLB draft prospects likely to be taken in this year’s draft, as well as a lot of underclass talent that could get the call a few years down the road. Over 40 different MLB Pipeline top 100 prospects played this weekend, including eight of the top 10 prospects. To no surprise, the No. 1 ranked team in the nation coming into the tournament – Tennessee, featured six MLB Pipeline top 100 prospects. These are the top amateur baseball players in the country, and at this level of the tournament, they provide us the best look at their future considering this is the highest level of play they will see outside of pro ball.
Future MLB talent on display at the NCAA Regionals
2 top pitchers dual in Greenville
In what was likely the premier matchup of the weekend, Wake Forest took on East Carolina in an elimination game on Saturday at the Greenville regional, with both clubs throwing their ace. Right-handed pitcher Chase Burns, the #5 ranked draft prospect went for Wake Forest, while right-handed pitcher Trey Yesavage, the #11 ranked draft prospect went for East Carolina. Both pitchers are regarded as top three pitching prospects along with Arkansas’s Hagen Smith.
The tools from the rubber were on display early as only one run crossed the plate through the first four innings. Burns struck out seven through the first four, featuring his big fastball that sits anywhere from 96-99 mph along with a wipeout slider. Yesavage made great use of his deeper arsenal early on, which features a mid-90s fastball, a hard slider with two different shapes, as well as a curveball and a splitter he can flash from time to time. Burns was met with some command issues in the 5th which comes as a risk with Burns in the long-term. After two walks, a double, and a three-run home run, Burns’s day was done. Yesavage went on to finish 7.1 innings, striking out six while allowing just one hit. With Wake Forest’s lineup including 1st rounders Nick Kurtz and Seaver King,
Yesavage’s performance can only be that much more encouraging to teams and probably makes him a lock to go in the top 10. Burns’s electric stuff gives him a higher upside, so it’s still very likely he goes before Yesavage, but I like that Yesavage has a much higher floor, making him a safer pick for teams looking to bolster their pitching depth. These were both Burns’s and Yesavage’s final appearances at the amateur level as East Carolina’s win over Wake Forest ended their season, while East Carolina would go on to lose to Evansville in the regional final, ending their season as well.
Top hitters showed up in a big way
A lot of guys had big weekends at the plate, including the consensus #1 overall hitter in the country, Charlie Condon out of Georgia. With one of the best hit tools in the nation along with eye-popping raw power numbers, it’s no secret why he’s projected to be the #1 overall pick in the draft this summer. He led his Georgia Bulldogs to a three-game sweep of the Athens regional, which was highlighted by a 5-10 performance which included his 36th home run of the season, which only adds to his single-season home run record in the BBCOR bat era (since 2011). To put into perspective how good his game power is, his 36 home runs have come over the course of 55 games – that’s a 106 home run pace over 162 games. He finished the weekend with a slash line of .500/.643/.900.
Travis Bazzana and Jac Caglianone are two more hitters at the top end of this year’s draft that had big weekends. With plus defense up the middle and decent speed on the bases, Bazzana is one of the more well rounded draft prospects and has a chance at going #1 overall over Condon. He went 4-11 this weekend in Oregon State’s Corvallis regional sweep, which included his 27th home run of the season. He finished the weekend with a line of .363/.538/.636. Caglianone led Florida’s offense to a victory in the Stillwater regional with three extra base hits, which included a home run with an exit velocity of 119 mph. His raw power is insane – most scouts grade it as a 70 – and the hit tool has only improved and was on display this weekend. He drew five walks and only struck out once, which speaks to his improved plate discipline and contact skills without sacrificing any power. He finished the weekend with a line of .308/.500/.692. His continued success only confirms the belief of most draft media (including myself) that he will go within the top five – and that’s without acknowledging what he can do on the mound.
Under the radar players make themselves known
The final two players I want to highlight is Vance Honeycutt, the outfielder out of North Carolina, and Steven Milam, second basemen out of LSU. Honeycutt is projected to be drafted later in the first round while Milam is not actually eligible until the 2026 draft but has become a name I plan on keeping tabs on moving forward. Milam entered last year’s draft out of high school, coming off of New Mexico player of the year honors, but went undrafted because of his commitment to LSU. The switch-hitting second basemen had an impressive freshman year for LSU where he hit to the tune of a .326/.415/.516 line. His game starts with his elite plate discipline and contact skills which have turned into gap-to-gap power with great feel for the barrel. He really put himself on the map on Friday afternoon when he homered twice against Wofford which included a walk-off home run, sending LSU into the winner’s bracket. He had another big performance on Sunday in LSU’s win over North Carolina while facing elimination where he had a 3-5 game.
Honeycutt on the other hand, who is eligible for this year’s draft (I currently have the Braves taking him at #24), had a two home run game of his own on Saturday against LSU. Those would be his 60th and 61st career home runs, making him UNC’s career home run record holder. Along with his plus power, Honeycutt’s value really comes from his athleticism which shows in the form of elite centerfield defense and base running as he went 28-31 in the stolen base department this year. There are questions about the hit tool as chase and whiff are big parts of his game offensively, but he does a good job of making up for that in power. If the right team scoops him up as their first round pick and tweaks his approach at the pro level, we very well could be looking at the next five-tool star. After North Carolina’s win over LSU on Monday night to win the Chapel Hill regional, Honeycutt’s Tar Heels will move on to the super regionals where we’ll get more looks at him during their matchup with West Virginia.
As mentioned earlier, these NCAA playoffs feature a plethora of draft prospects. Although the field has narrowed to 16 teams, there are still a lot of players to watch, which keeps the draft board wide open. The super regionals take place this weekend (June 7-9), make sure to tune in!
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