COLLEGE BASEBALL ’26: Ten players to watch

Ten players to watch in college baseball in 2026, listed in alphabetical order:

Drew Burress, Georgia Tech

The junior center fielder was the only player from a power conference with at least 60 RBIs (62), 20 doubles (23), 50 walks (53), 15 homers (19) and 70 runs (77). He batted .333 with 53 walks against 42 strikeouts. He enters his third season as the only Division I player with a career slugging percentage over .750 (.756).

Angel Cervantes, UCLA

The freshman right-hander, taken No. 50 overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates, was the highest-drafted player to choose to go to school rather than pro ball. A savvy competitor who turned 18 in the fall, he’s a projected weekend starter with his mid-90s fastball and wicked curve and changeup.

Roch Cholowsky, UCLA

The Bruins’ star is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball amateur draft after he turned in one of the best seasons in program history. He was national player of the year by four media outlets and the Brooks Wallace Award winner as the best shortstop in college baseball. He led UCLA with a .353 batting average, .710 slugging percentage, 23 homers and 74 RBIs in 66 games.

Derek Curiel, LSU

One of the most dynamic players in the SEC, the sophomore draws comparisons to former LSU star Dylan Crews, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft. Like Crews, Curiel played a corner outfield position as a freshman before moving to center. Curiel led the national champion Tigers with a .345 batting average, and he hit .390 with four doubles, a homer and 10 RBIs in the NCAA Tournament.

Henry Ford, Tennessee

One of the college game’s most versatile players, he spent his first two years at Virginia at first base and right field, but the Volunteers plan to give him a look at third. He batted .362 with nine doubles, 11 homers and 46 RBIs for the Cavaliers last season.

Gabe Gaeckle, Arkansas

The junior right-hander made 19 appearances, including nine starts, and was 4-2 with a 4.42 ERA and two saves over 71 1/3 innings. He struck out 92 and held opposing batters to a .235 average. He will be the Friday night starter, the role he held last season until he surrendered the job to Zach Root when SEC play began.

Owen Kramkowski, Arizona

His career has been on the rise since he arrived as a rarely used freshman reliever, moved into the weekend rotation as a sophomore and now projects as the Friday night starter. His four-pitch repertoire includes an effective sweeper. He was 9-6 with 90 strikeouts in 92 innings.

Ace Reese, Mississippi State

The junior third baseman was SEC newcomer of the year and is one of 15 players returning for Brian O’Connor’s first season as coach. Reese led the Bulldogs with 21 homers, a .352 batting average, .719 slugging percentage and had a 22-game hitting streak.

Aiden Robbins, Texas

The Seton Hall transfer, who will play right or center for the Longhorns, was a huge pickup for a team that lost its entire outfield to the draft and transfer portal. He was sixth in the nation with a .422 batting average and fifth with a .537 on-base percentage for the Pirates. He also had 19 doubles and 20 stolen bases and was error-free in center field.

Sawyer Strosnider, TCU

The Big 12 preseason player of the year split time between right field and designated hitter and was the first player since 2010 and the first freshman since 2001 to post double-digit totals in doubles (13), triples (10), home runs (11) and stolen bases (10).

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports