Duncan Marsten

Marsten was considered by some as a top-100 prospect in the 2024 MLB Draft but ended up making it to campus due to a high asking price. He was a highly revered freshman but only saw 10.1 innings in 2025, never eclipsing the mark of over 50 pitches in his relief stints. His stuff backed up as well, as injuries caused him to go from touching the upper 90s to sitting more in the low 90s, at times touching above 95.

While the start of his collegiate career hasn’t been picture-perfect, Marsten’s stuff has ticked back up this fall. He looks healthy and ready to go in 2026 and should be in contention as a weekend starter for the Demon Deacons.

Marsten has a pretty physical frame at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, but he’s an athletic mover down the mound. It’s a clean, low-effort operation that really projects. The command here is probably what needs the most work. Marsten has a career seven walks per nine across both his time at Wake Forest and his stint on the Cape. He’s got the athletic traits, however, to make major strides in that regard come 2026.

The stuff is already loud, and that’s been obvious since Marsten’s prep days. The fastball wasn’t as good in 2025 due to the dip in stuff mentioned earlier, but it is back up to 99 this fall with big, tailing life. The pitch doesn't have outlier ride and carry, but the added velocity should help it perform better toward the top of the zone. The slider and changeup have flashed promise as swing-and-miss offerings, both with above-average potential. The slider is probably the better of the two at the moment, a mid-80s offering with sharp, biting life off the heater.

2026 will be a make-or-break season for Marsten, but all signs point toward him taking big steps forward. With a healthy year backed by performance, Marsten has a chance to quickly ascend draft boards.