College Baseball Review + MLB Draft Thoughts: Week 1

Minor League Baseball and prospects will always be my thing and first love. But that does not mean I don’t love college baseball and spend a lot of time watching. My love for NCAA baseball goes back to being a young kid and going to my first South Carolina baseball game with my Little League team at Sarge Frye Field. The Gamecocks later built a beautiful new stadium in Founders Park and went on to win two College World Series Titles.

Growing up, I went to countless regionals and super regionals. Now going back to a college game is a whole different experience. Even with Spring Training and Minor League ball, I still try to get out to 5-10 college games each season to see players for the upcoming MLB Draft. If I am going to write about players for FYPD, I am certainly going to watch them.

I spent all weekend watching college baseball on TV. Kids having the flu kept me from getting to Columbia, SC this weekend. But I got to see a lot. Here were my thoughts!

NCAA Baseball Player Thoughts: 2025 Draft Eligible

*There were a ton of strong performances this weekend and I would be writing all day if I tried to cover everyone. So if I did not write about your favorite player, I apologize!

Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State, 6’1”/192

I said in January that I would take Arnold 1.1 in the 2025 Draft, and I stand by that. It is rare for me to feel that way about a pitcher in the draft, but Arnold is it. He dazzled on Friday against James Madison, throwing six scoreless innings with just one hit and zero walks allowed. Arnold struck out eight batters and had a 31 percent whiff rate, while keeping 92 percent of his batted balls allowed on the ground.

Arnold’s fastball is as unique as they come. Throwing from a 4’8” release height, he creates 11 inches of IVB(impressive from the release), and 17 inches of horizontal movement on average. The pitch sits at 94 mph and topped at 96 while having a very flat VAA. On his sinker, Arnold creates over 18 inches of run on average.

The slider sits in the mid-80s with 14 inches of sweep. His new changeup, he only threw 5.5 percent of the time, but I think we see it more with time. It is about as unique of a shape as it get,s having -9 inches of IVB and 10 inches of armside movement.

Arnold’s ability to throw strikes and command his pitches while being incredibly unique is why I landed on him as the number one player for the draft.

Jace Laviolette, OF, Texas A&M, 6’6”/230

Laviolette will fall as the consensus top prospect for most, but I am a littler lower on him. Yeah, his numbers are video game esq. In 2024, Laviolette mashed 29 home runs and had 48 extra-base hits in 68 games. The .305/.449/.726 slash is studly. To start 2025, Laviolette hit three home runs in three games.

Why am I lower on him than most? It starts with contact skills. Laviolette’s 78 percent zone-contact rate and 72.5 percent overall marks are not good. Can they improve? Absolutely, and if they do, there is no doubt this 1.1. Remember people talking poorly about Braden Montgomery’s contact skills last year? He ran an 85 percent in-zone contact rate. Laviolette whiffed at alarming rates on fastballs in the upper quadrant of the zone that were 92 mph+.

The approach is strong as he rarely expands the zone, the power is plus or better, and he could stick in center field. I would just like to see the contact skills cleaned up.

Avia Arquette, SS, Oregon State, 6’4”/220

Arquette is a premium athlete for someone who is built like he is at 6’4” and looks like someone who could go 1.1. Transferring from Washington to Oregon State, Arquette got off to a blazing hot start this weekend, having five hits and four walks in 14 trips to the plate.

Arquette mashed a home run and had a double off the wall that left the bat at 113 mph. Considering his max EV last year was 113 mph, it is huge to already hit your max on opening weekend. Having a 107 mph 90th percentile last season shows impressive power, and his 87 percent in-zone contact rate is strong. The approach is sound, and the launch angles are good.

The boxes are all checked, especially if Arquette can prove the ability to hit better fastballs this year.

Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson, 6’0”/180

Cannarella is a defensive wizard in center field who has also made steady strides with his bat. Mashing 11 home runs last season and having a .362/.440/.561 career collegiate slash stands out in a big way. Playing some of the best competition of any hitter to begin the season at the Shriners College Showdown, Cannarella collected three doubles.

He had four balls hit over 100 mph and averaged 90.6 mph on nine batted balls. Cannarella did whiff on 36 percent of swings, which is out of character for him, as he had a 91 percent in-zone contact rate last season. It is worth noting that Cannarella is coming back from shoulder surgery so it may take a few more games to get going.

Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest, 6’3”/205

Houston is a defensive stud at shortstop with an impressive 6’3” frame. The contact skills have always been impressive but there were questions surrounding his power as he posted a sub-100 mph 90th percentile exit velocity and a max just under 105 mph last season. The in-zone contact rate of 92.5 percent was rather impressive and Houston hits the ball at ideal angles.

He had a huge opening weekend, hitting three home runs and driving in 13 runs in the first four games. Houston walked five times and struck out just once. He also already hit a 104 mph home run that pushed his max exit velocity last year which is encouraging. If the power gains are real, Houston is a top-five-to-ten pick.

Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee, 6’2”/220

Doyle has transferred from Coastal Carolina to Ole Miss, to Tennesse but looks to be in the right spot during his draft year. Striking out 11 batters over five scoreless innings in your volunteer debut will absolutely do that. He allowed just one hit and zero walks and faced the minimum batters.

After sitting 92-93 mph last year, Doyle averaged 96 and topped just shy of 100 mph while having over 21 inches of IVB from his 5’7” release height.

Pierce Coppola, LHP, Florida, 6’8”/245

Injuries have limited Coppola for most of his career, but he is healthy and looked the part in his first start of 2025. Striking out 12 batters across five innings of work while allowing just one hit and walk a piece is just utter dominance.

Coppola pounded the strike zone, landing 73 percent of his pitches for strikes. His low-to-mid 90s fastball creates a ton of horizontal movement, and the slider is a beautiful pitch. Don’t be shocked if Coppola flies up draft boards.

RJ Austin, OF, Vanderbilt, 5’11”/199

Austin is a speedy, versatile player who has spent time in the outfield and second base, and even some at first. He put together an impressive sophomore campaign by slashing .335/.402/.471 with strong contact and respectable exit velocities.

Having a strong first weekend, Austin collected six hits, including a home run and double. His double left the bat at 112 mph with a 25-degree launch angle. Last year he had a 111 mph max exit velocity with a 105 mph 90th percentile. If the power jumps are real, Austin suddenly becomes a fun power and speed threat.

NCAA Underclassmen That Impressed

Dax Whitney, RHP, Oregon State, 6’5”/204

Whitney had first-round buzz out of high school last year but opted to head to Oregon State, where he earned a weekend rotation spot as a true freshman. It was easy to see why on Saturday as he struck out eight batters over five scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and one walk.

Touching 98 mph on his fastball, Whitney sat mostly around 95 mph with good life up in the zone, averaging around 20 inches of IVB. He also dominated hitters with a mid-80s slider that he spins exceptionally well. Whitney also has a strong curveball.

He won’t be draft-eligible until 2027, but given what we saw, Whitney is poised to make a lot of money come draft day.

Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida, 6’5”/220

Peterson showed flashes last season as a true freshman who started 16 games for the Gators. On the surface, things did not look good, as he had a 6.43 ERA, but the stuff was there. He entered 2025 and was dominant, striking out 11 batters across six scoreless innings. Peterson landed 72 percent of his pitches for strikes while dominating with his arsenal.

Peterson averaged 96.5 mph on his fastball with over 21 inches of IVB. He throws from a high 6’6” release point, but the stuff is off the charts and Peterson generated a 44 percent whiff rate on the pitch. His slider sat 86 mph and had a 50 percent whiff rate. Peterson flashed a couple of curveballs and even a few changeups.

Being draft-eligible in 2026, Peterson might be one of the best arms among sophomores.

Rintaro Sasaki, 1B, Stanford, 6’0”/230

Sasaki opting out of the NPB draft and coming stateside for college baseball was a big off-season storyline. His first three games definitely lived up to the hype. Sasaki nearly left the yard a couple of times, going opposite field and drilling the wall, but wound up with two doubles and six hits in three games, while driving in eight runs. He struck out just one time.

The exit velocities are impressive as Sasaki had five batted balls north of 100 mph in three games, with two of them being north of 109 mph. As a true freshman, Sasaki looks impressive as he controls the barrel exceptionally well.

Way To Early Top 10 FYPD For 2025-2026

1. Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State

2. Avia Arquette, SS, Oregon State

3. Jace Laviolette, OF, Texas A&M

4. Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara

5. Dean Curley, SS, Tennessee

6. Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona

7. Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana

8. Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson

9. Ethan Holliday, SS, HS

10. Seth Hernandez, RHP, HS