The prospect talent in Omaha is strong this year. Even though only two SEC teams made it, the Men’s College World Series field is full of traditional powers with first-round talents.
Before regionals, I ranked the programs with the most MLB draft prospects and though the second-, third- and eighth-ranked teams made it to Omaha, the other five MCWS teams didn’t crack the top dozen. Most of them would’ve been in the next tier — with the notable (and fantastic) exception of Murray State.
Below, I rank the top 15 prospects in the tournament (regardless of draft class), who are all strong candidates to be drafted in the first or compensation rounds. Some underclass prospects could belong in that conversation, and they’re all covered below in the team-by-team breakdown. This ranking is based on major league potential and draft stock, not potential College World Series impact, and prospects are 2025 draft-eligible unless noted otherwise.
Here are all the top pro prospects in Omaha this year.
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Top MLB draft prospects in MCWS
1. Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA (2026)
2. Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
3. Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State
4. Dax Whitney, RHP, Oregon State (2027)
5. Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas
6. Brendan Summerhill, CF, Arizona
7. Gage Wood, RHP, Arkansas
8. Derek Curiel, CF, LSU (2026)
9. Casan Evans, RHP, LSU (2027)
10. Cole Gibler, LHP, Arkansas (2027)
11. Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina
12. Anthony Eyanson, RHP, LSU
13. Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville
14. Charles Davalan, LF, Arkansas
15. Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas
Arizona
Top Prospect: Brendan Summerhill, CF
Summerhill is the clear headliner here, tracking as a mid-first-round pick with above-average tools, but Arizona also has a ton of pro talent depth who should be drafted in later rounds.
The Wildcats outfield features Aaron Walton and Easton Breyfogle (2026), while the infield has some pro talent in shortstop Mason White, third baseman Maddox Mihalakis and catcher Adonys Guzman. The pitching staff also has some depth with right-handers Collin McKinney, Owen Kramkowski (2026) and Smith Bailey (2027), along with a few more in the bullpen.
One or two will sneak into the third round, but most fit just beyond that.
Arkansas
Top Prospect: Wehiwa Aloy, SS
Arkansas is flush with early-round pro talent, finishing second in my rankings of teams with the most pro talent and now first among the programs in Omaha. Aloy leads the way — he’ll likely be selected by Pick 15 in this summer’s draft — but right-hander Gage Wood, left-hander Zach Root and left fielder Charles Davalan should all go by around Pick 50. Third baseman Brent Iredale is a sleeper pick who should also go in the top three rounds of this draft.
Catcher Ryder Helfrick and right-hander Gabe Gaeckle lead the 2026 group, and left-hander Cole Gibler tops the 2027 hopefuls. All three players could go in the first two rounds.
Coastal Carolina
Top Prospect: Caden Bodine, C
The Chanticleers are similar to Gonzaga’s men’s basketball team — a perennial, nationally relevant mid-major program. Bodine leads the way as a late-first/early-second-round prospect who stands out for his contact and framing. There isn’t a ton of top-five-round depth talent, but right-handers Jacob Morrison and Cameron Flukey (2026) and left-hander Dominick Carbone (2026) are the next-best talents, with Flukey the best of the bunch.
Louisville
Top Prospect: Patrick Forbes, RHP
Forbes is a late-first/early-second-round fit as a starter with big stuff but could end up as a reliever in the majors. Louisville’s lineup has some pro prospects: outfielder Zion Rose (2026), center fielder Lucas Moore (2026), first baseman Tague Davis (2027), third baseman Jake Munroe and catcher Matt Klein. Right-hander Tucker Biven, who has been trending up in the second half of the year and getting some starts.
LSU
Top Prospect: Kade Anderson, LHP
LSU was third (now second among teams in Omaha) in my rankings of the programs with the top pro talent. Anderson could be the No. 1 pick and seems like a lock to at least go in the top five. Outfielder Derek Curiel and shortstop Steven Milam lead the way in their 2026 group while right-handers Casan Evans and William Schmidt are the team’s top 2027 prospects.
There’s also plenty of depth beyond those players. Right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Chase Shores, second baseman Daniel Dickinson and designated hitter Ethan Frey are all in the conversation to go in the first three rounds of the 2025 draft.
Murray State
Top Prospect: Will Vierling, C
The Racers might be the team with the most improbable Cinderella run to Omaha in our lifetime. Vierling (cousin of Detroit Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling) is a later-round prospect for this year as a left-handed-hitting catcher. After checking with some scouts, that might be all of the pro talent on this team. A college team full of good college players who are hot at the right moment might be enough to make some noise in Omaha, but just getting this far is an incredible accomplishment.
Oregon State
Top Prospect: Aiva Arquette, SS
Arquette and right-hander Dax Whitney (2027) are both top-half-of-the-first-round talents to headline a strong Beavers club. There’s more high-end talent in the lineup and rotation with third baseman Trent Caraway, left fielder Gavin Turley, left-hander Nelson Keljo, right-hander Eric Segura (2026) and left-hander Ethan Kleinschmit (2026), who are all top three-to-four-round talents playing key roles for Oregon State this year.
UCLA
Top Prospect: Roch Cholowsky, SS (2026)
Cholowsky is the top pro prospect in college baseball, making him an early candidate to go first overall next summer. He has a complete game and is above average at almost everything on the field.
There’s some depth for the Bruins in the third-to-fifth-round range, particularly in the infield: catcher Cashel Duggar (2026), third baseman Roman Martin (2026), first baseman Mulivai Levu (2026), second baseman Phoenix Call (2026), left fielder Dean West (2026) and right-handers Cal Randall (2026) and Easton Hawk (2027). But they don’t have much else in the 2025 group.
