An early look at the top 10 college prospects in the 2027 MLB draft.

Even with the 2026 MLB Draft still a long way off, it’s never too early to start tracking the next wave of amateur talent set to headline the class behind it.

The 2027 college crop is already shaping up as a strong one, and at this early stage the arms are what separate it. There’s legitimate impact talent at the top, but what really makes the class intriguing is the depth - plenty of names further down the board have the ingredients to make real jumps with big spring and summer stretches.

While pitching is the backbone here, there are bats ranked near the top worth circling. Adrian Rodriguez and Brendan Lawson both profile as bat-first threats with the type of offensive upsides that could make them future top 5 picks.

In this article, we’ll break down our current top 10 prospects in detail, blending performance, underlying data, film looks, and projection to paint a clear picture of each player’s overall profile.

1. Adrian Rodriguez - 3B/OF, Texas

At this early stage, Rodriguez’s bat already stands out amongst the rest. It’s a combination of bat-to-ball skills, raw power, and a refined approach you’d be hard pressed to find at this level. It all starts with the swing, where while saying Soto-esque might be a stretch, it’s easy to draw some parallels between the mechanics. 

A switch hitter, Rodriguez cork screws deep into his back hip, leveraging the ground well, and utilizing a controlled leg kick to time up. It’s remarkably quick hips through the zone, and plus bat speed that leads to some loud exit velocities. While Rodriguez only hit 7 home runs this past season at Texas, there’s above average feel for lifting the ball to the pullside, and plenty of raw power to suggest he should have no trouble getting to at least double digits this coming year. Even with the exciting power upside, that’s not even the most attractive part of Rodriguez’s game. 

The hit tool has been the clear calling card up to this point. Rodriguez is coming off an exceptional freshman year where he hit .313 with a .927 OPS, all while facing some of the best competition college baseball has to offer. While the slashline is already intriguing, the under-the-hood metrics paint an even better picture of how advanced the bat really is. Rodriguez ran an in-zone whiff rate of just 9.7% throughout the 2025 season, paired with a sub 20% whiff rate overall. His barrel rates land towards the top of the 2027 college class as a whole. This is a guy who puts the bat on the ball at a high rate with real feel for the fat part of the bat. He’s got the makings of a plus hit tool, and with the budding power it’s easy to dream on what the final offensive package could look like.

If there’s one thing that’s uncertain about Rodriguez’s game is where he’ll end up in the field. He played in both the outfield and infield this past year at Texas, serving mostly at second or third base. There’s a chance he gets some reps at shortstop this season, but there are some things to clean up if he wants to stick there long term. He’s most likely a third baseman in pro ball, and he’s got plenty of arm strength fit for the position. Even with the defensive questions, this is a guy who could end up profiling on the dirt long term, and at this point in the process clearly possesses one of the better bats in the entire class. 

With another offseason of seasoning and two more strong years in the SEC, Rodriguez has the ingredients to be one of the first players off the board come the 2027 MLB draft.

2. Brendan Lawson - 3B, Florida

Lawson was a 19th round selection in the 2024 MLB draft by the Cardinals, but ultimately decided to bet on himself and head to campus. Up to this point, Lawson may have one of the better track records offensively in the class. Not only did Lawson hit an astounding .317 with 10 home runs as a freshman at Florida, but he followed it up with an even more impressive summer on the Cape, slashing .333 with 4 home runs across a healthy 93 plate appearance sample size.

Lawson has an open stance at the plate with a higher hand hitch. It’s an unorthodox set up, but the swing is fluid and easy, with coverage to both halves of the plate. Lawson's bat-to-ball skills have proven to be just average at this point. He posted a 25% whiff rate in 2025, adjusting to breaking balls giving him the most trouble. Lawson does have some swing and miss dating back to his high school days, but has continuously improved at the plate, even while facing SEC level competition. While the bat-to-ball skills may not be elite, Lawson’s contact quality is exceptional. 

It’s loud exit velocities consistently, and above average feel to pull and lift the baseball. Lawson also possesses plus raw power, with exceptional ability to rotate quickly and lift pitches thrown towards the inner-half of the plate. Most believe it will be at least above average in-game power when all is said and done. Lawson’s approach has proved to be plenty advanced up to this point as well. He’s drawn his fair share of walks, getting on base at a high clip.

Lawson has played all over the infield so far throughout his collegiate career, splitting most of his time between first and third base, while spending some time at second base as well. He played some shortstop on the Cape, but most think the likely outcome here is third base. Lawson is a solid athlete with a frame fit for the position and average arm strength. So long as he doesn't outgrow the position he should be serviceable there long term. 

Some believe Lawson is the best bat in this entire college crop, and he’s got all the tools necessary in order to be one of the first off the board in 2027.

3. Dax Whitney - RHP, Oregon State

In a college class that looks extremely rich in arm talent, Whitney is clearly the top dog at this point in the process. Whitney had first round money on his name in the 2024 MLB draft, but ultimately decided to head to Corvallis. He immediately slotted in as one of the top freshmen to make it to campus, with big expectations right of the bat. So far throughout one college season, Whitney has done more than live up to those. He was the center piece of an Oregon State pitching staff that ended up making it to Omaha, and performed in seemingly every single big game situation he was thrust into. He capped off his 2025 campaign as a near unanimous first team freshman All American, as well as with a Team USA Collegiate National Team selection.

The first thing that immediately stands out about Whitney is his pitcher's frame. It’s a long, athletic 6 foot 5 with plenty of strength gains still to dream on. Whitney is an athletic mover down the mound with drop and drive mechanics and excellent lower half usage. It’s a short arm swing and an over the top arm slot, easily comparable to a guy like Shane Bieber. It’s well sequenced, and Whitney’s arm is consistently on time, leading some to believe he could develop into a guy with above average command.

Whitney’s arsenal is already extremely complete, and has the makings of multiple plus pitches. The first is a fastball that lives in the mid 90’s, getting up to 98 with huge carry towards the top of the zone coming from his over-the-top release angle. It’s a tough downhill look for hitters that generates plenty of swing and miss towards the top rail. Even with the electric fastball, that may not even be Whitney’s best pitch. 

The curveball is a big breaker that lives in the high 70’s with exceptional vertical bite, generating ugly swings inside and out of the zone. The sweeper is another swing and miss pitch, living in the low to mid 80’s with huge lateral shape. Whitney also folds in a mid 80’s changeup, but that’s probably his worst offering at the moment, and he doesn't use it much. 

Whitney enters his sophomore season as one of the top pitchers in all of college baseball. At this point in the process he is the favorite to be the first arm off the board in 2027.

4. Casan Evans - RHP, LSU

Evans was a huge part of an LSU pitching staff that went on to win it all in 2025, pitching to the tune of a 5-1 record and a 2.05 ERA, all while recording over 12 strikeouts per nine. While he didn’t start much his freshman year, Evans looks like the favorite for the Friday night role in Baton Rouge come 2026, and certainly has all the characteristics to succeed heavily given the results we’ve seen so far. 

At these early stages, Evans might have the most complete pitch mix in the entire class. It’s headlined by an explosive fastball that’s already been up to 99 mph, consistently living in the mid 90’s with riding life towards the top of the zone and big spin rates. While the fastball is an exceptional pitch, Evans’s offspeed offerings may be even more intriguing. It’s hard to choose which one of the two could ultimately end up being better. 

At this point, Evans’s best secondary is probably his mid to upper 80’s slider that he tunnels exceptionally well off the fastball with late, darting life when he throws it towards the bottom of the zone. It’s a pitch he’s become more than comfortable with throwing to righties and lefties alike. Even with the exceptional slider, that may not be Evans’s highest upside secondary. The changeup here has a chance to be special, diving off the fastball tunnel with fade and tumble away from left handed hitters. At the end of the day, Evans may already possess a full array of three plus pitches headed into his sophomore year.

If there’s one critique to pick at with Evans it would be with the way he moves, which can stand out as a bit “efforty” at times. Even with the clunky mechanics, Evans has had no trouble with filling up the zone up to this point, and there’s no reason to think he could actually improve in that regard in 2026. 

Evans may still have to prove that he can start at the next level, but the stuff is good enough to get him drafted in the first round regardless. If Evans can show some success in a Friday night role, he has all the components to be a very, very high selection come 2027.

5. Bino Watters - OF, Notre Dame

Watters burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2025, slashing .317 with a .984 OPS and 9 home runs atop a strong Notre Dame lineup. He returns in 2026 as the top returning bat for the Fighting Irish, and looks primed to continue his ACC success. 

Watters is already one of the more physical bats in the entire 2027 college class. It’s an imposing 6 foot 2, 227 pound frame that immediately stands out. At the plate, he sets up from an open base, utilizing a hover leg kick and striding forward with clear intent to do damage to the baseball. The swing can get rhythmic at times, but Watters’s coverage of the strike zone is exceptional. He ran an out-of-zone whiff rate of just 23% in 2025, even while expanding the zone quite a bit. These bat-to-ball skills helped Watters to fend off pitches in two strike counts, limiting his strikeouts to a promising level.

Even with the already polished hand eye coordination, at this stage Watters is well known for his immense power. Watters posted a max exit velocity north of 113 mph on the 2025 season, showcasing the makings of at-least plus raw power, maybe double plus. Even with the gaudy exit velocities, Watters still can deposit one over the left field fence on pitches towards the outer half of the plate. He may have to learn how to use the pull side to a greater extent in order to maximize the homerun production, but Watters feels like a 20 homerun season ready to happen in college. Pair that with some other components of the offensive profile, and it’s easy to see how special the bat could become in due time. 

Watters still has a ton of uncertainty surrounding his defensive home, most see a likely outcome at first base or at a corner spot. Even with the limited defensive value, the bat will be what carries this profile heavily come draft day.942514238?s=20

6. Levi Clark - C, Tennessee

Clark was a pretty highly regarded recruit out of high school and ended up making it to Knoxville, where the bat has made an immediate impact. Clark slashed .298 with a 1.053 OPS for the Vols, along with 10 home runs in 172 plate appearances. He followed that up with an even stronger stint on the cape, hitting .333 with 4 homeruns across a healthy 88 plate appearance stint. 

The power has been the big calling card for Clark up to this point in time, and he could end up one of the more prolific sluggers in the class when it’s all said and done. The swing is big and violent from the right side of the plate with a slight barrel tip that has caused some swing and miss so far. Clark ran an in-zone whiff rate of 17% throughout the 2025 season paired with a near 20% strikeout rate. These numbers aren’t extremely concerning, but will likely need to be monitored approaching the draft, given there is some swing and miss dating back to his high school days.

Even if the bat-to-ball skills only end up reaching an average level, Clark’s approach to hitting is exceptional. He ran a sub 20% chase rate in 2025, while walking in north of 22% of his plate appearances. It’s exceptional control of the strike zone that figures to serve him well as he continues to face better and better arms.

As we stated earlier, Clark’s power is his clear calling card at this point. It’s immense raw power with exit velocities peaking well north of 110 mph, and innate feel to lift balls to the pullside. The contact quality is exceptional as well, and the hit tool figures to be solid enough to where Clark should be able to get to that power in-game consistently. It’s easy to already slap a plus on the power grade, and there’s no reason to think the tool can’t continue to grow throughout the rest of Clark’s collegiate career.

As impressive as the bat already is, Clark also figures to add some value on the defensive side of the ball. He played all over the field for the Vols in 2025, but should see a shift over to the catcher position long-term in 2026. While Clark may still be a tad raw at the position, he has a strong arm benefiting of sticking behind the plate long term, and is athletic enough that most think he should have no trouble holding down the starting backstop role for the Vols in 2026. 

Clark’s profile already has plenty to like, and at these early stages he is the consensus top catcher in the 2027 college class. If the hit tool can continue to show forward strides and the defensive questions are answered, Clark has every tool to be one of the very top players in this entire draft class as a whole.

7. Landon Hairston - OF/1B Arizona State

The son of former big leaguer Scott Hairston, Landon carved out an immediate role with Arizona State as freshman, slashing .333 with a .908 OPS en route to an All-Big 12 First Team selection. At this early stage, Hairston has an argument as one of the more complete collegiate bats in the 2027 class. The ultimate hit/power package here could end up special.

Hairston has a really hitterish look from the left side of the plate. He sets up from a slightly crouched, open stance, utilizing a slight leg kick to time up. The swing is quick and efficient with impressive barrel length through the zone, and present adjustability. Hairston’s bat is impressive off first looks, but the data paints an even better picture of just how good it really is.

Throughout the 2025 season, Hairston ran an overall whiff rate of just 16 percent. When he chased outside the zone - an even more impressive 27 percent. Not only are these well above average bat-to-ball metrics already, but the approach may be even better. Hairston kept his strikeout rates to under a 10% clip this past year, all while walking at a near 16% rate. The hit tool already projects as above average, and could very well take the leap to plus by this same time next year. 

Despite being smaller in stature and only slugging 4 home runs this past year, Hairston is a pretty physically built 5 foot 11 with big bat speed projection. It was reported by Arizona State baseball analytics that Hairston peaked with an a loud 113.3 mph exit velocity this fall, suggesting legitimate raw power. Hairston has at times struggled with getting to it due to limited feel lifting the ball to his pullside, but those bullish on the offensive profile figure the power production should see an uptick in due time. 

Hairston has played both first base and in the outfield in the past, most thinking he’s athletic enough to handle a corner outfield spot at the next level. Even if it does end up as an exclusively corner profile, Hairston’s offensive profile is more than good enough to carry the overall package. With steady production across two more collegiate seasons, Hairston could end up a first round pick come the 2027 MLB draft.

8. Aidan King - RHP, Florida

King carved out a significant role in Florida’s pitching staff in 2025, making 12 starts as a true freshman and posting a 2.58 ERA across 73.1 innings. The right-hander earned SEC Freshman All-American honors and returns to Gainesville in 2026, forming one of the more intimidating one-two punches in college baseball alongside Liam Peterson.

From an operation standpoint, there is a ton to like here. King is a good mover down the mound with a quick, whippy arm. He repeats his delivery well, although it can get a bit efforty when he tries to reach back for more velocity. It’s still a relatively long body, and King has plenty more room to add muscle to his 6 foot frame.

King’s 3 pitch mix is already exceptionally developed, all three pitches already grading out as above average or better. King’s fastball will generally live in the low to mid 90’s, occasionally touching 97 mph with carry towards the top of the zone. The pitch also tails in on the hands of right handed hitters despite coming from a high three quarter slot. It’s a pitch he’s consistently filled the strike zone up with, also generating chases when he throws it near the top of the zone. 

King’s best secondary offering at the moment is a high spin low 80’s slider with exceptional late biting life off the fastball tunnel. It’s been a crucial offering for him against right handed hitters especially, and figures to only improve with added velocity. The changeup also flashes plus with late fading life off the fastball sitting in the mid 80’s. He’s deployed it mostly to left handed hitters, and flashes feel for commanding the pitch to the outer half of the plate.

King has done everything needed so far in order to be considered a first round caliber arm, and has the bright lights at Florida in order to continue raising his stock even higher. He looks like one of the top returning arms in the SEC for 2026.

9. Dylan Volantis - LHP, Texas

Volantis may have been the best closer in the entire country this past year as a freshman. He put up a 1.94 ERA with over 13 strikeouts per nine across 51 innings, as well as a miniscule 2.1 walks per nine. The baseball card here is absolutely unbelievable, especially considering a lot of the performance is against SEC competition. Even with the exceptional success Volantis showed in a relief spot, his future is undeniably in the starting rotation where he looks like the favorite to be the Friday night guy for a loaded Texas team in 2026.

Volantis is a tall, lanky 6 foot 6 with plenty of potential added muscle to dream on. He uses a high leg kick, immediately dropping into his back leg before rotating and launching from an extremely over-the-top arm slot. When Volantis throws, the ball comes from a ridiculously steep, downhill angle, making it a deceptive look for hitters and allowing the entire arsenal to play up.

Volantis’s fastball will regularly sit in the low 90’s, getting up to 94 mph at times. The pitch lacks huge velocity or life, but still performs well due to the high launch height, as well as the ridiculous quality of the secondaries. Volantis’s best pitch is a big low 80’s breaker that comfortably grades as a plus offering. Volantis throws it a ton with sharp, late break to righties and lefties alike, generating tons of swing and miss with the offering. He’ll also fold in a mid to upper 80’s cutter that serves as a solid bridge offering between the breaker and the fastball with tight, short shape. Volantis utilized a changeup more in high school, but hasn’t really thrown the pitch much while as Texas, mainly sticking with the three pitch offering to the present.

If there’s one thing to rave about with Volantis is with his moxy on the mound. He’s a different type of competitor who consistently gets high praise for how he slows the game down and attacks hitters. The velocity on the fastball may have to tick up a bit and the incorporation of a changeup would definitely help, but Volantis has the potential to become a top 10 pick if the stuff continues to tick up to where some think it could.

At this point in the process, Janicki might be the most underrated player in this entire college class. Janicki’s slash line his freshman year at Troy doesn't entirely jump off the page - a .280 batting average, .737 OPS and just two home runs? Doesn't seem insane. His under-the-hood metrics tell a completely different story.

Janicki’s contact rates throughout the 2025 season were borderline elite. He ran just a 13 percent whiff rate overall, 24 percent on pitches outside of the zone, and when he was thrown pitches inside the zone - an astonishing 6 percent. Not only are these all exceptional marks, but these metrics are normally reserved for top of the order, slappy type profiles. Janicki bucks that trend. 

Standing at 6 foot 3, nearly 230 pounds, Janicki looks the part of a middle of the order bruiser. It’s huge bat speed from the right side of the plate, and he’ll eclipse 110 mph at times, peaking north of 112. While the raw power is loud, Janicki will have to improve his overall feel to pull and lift the baseball if he wants to get to that power regularly in game. Even if it’s not completely refined yet, Janicki just may have one of the higher offensive upsides in the class if it all comes together.

Janicki played third base at Troy in 2025, but looks fit to make the shift over to the catcher position for the 2026 season. He’s got huge arm strength that should play exceptionally well at the position, and the idea of added defensive value just makes his profile that more intriguing. 

Janicki’s overall data is some of the more intriguing in the entire class. He’s got a chance to be a first round pick if the production can continue at a steady rate.

Rest of the top 30: