Ben Blair

Blair has really impressed throughout his first two collegiate seasons at liberty. He owns a 3.61 ERA across 132 innings with 136 strikeouts. He's gotten more physical and put on significant weight throughout his time on campus, and as a result the stuff has continued to tick up.

Blair has some funky traits that make him an uncomfortable at bat for any hitter who steps in the box. He launches from sub 5 foot release height, and creates big extension on all his offerings. The arsenal is headlined by a fastball that's been up to 98 mph, generally sitting in the low to mid 90's with tons of tailing life. The pitch is generating quite a bit more whiff in 2026 than in the past, mainly due to Blair using it more at the top of the zone. Still, he is generating a ton of weak contact on the ground, and similarly to his first 2 years in college, he is running a high ground ball rate. Blair's best secondary is his mid 80's sweepy slider that he tunnels well of the fastball and flashes plus. He's got solid feel for a changeup, and also has started throwing a mid 80's cutter that looks like a solid fourth offering. Overall, it's a pretty full menu of pitches.

Blair does present some reliever risk, just mainly due to the way he moves. He's done a solid job filling up the zone in the past, but the command has taken a huge step forward in 2026. Blair is walking hitters at miniscule rates and throwing his fastball for a strike more than ever. If performance holds, it's clearly a top 2 round profile.