College Baseball is back again! With the fresh-cut grass and crack of the bat this spring, we are back to break down 10 MLB Draft college baseball standouts from the first two weeks of play. In this weekly series, we will dive into the draft-eligible college standouts to get you ready for not only the MLB Draft but your FYPD next off-season. Moving through this series, there will be some names that re-occur due to performance, but the goal is to break down and discuss as many of the draft-eligible college baseball prospects prior to the MLB draft. In doing so, we will be covering potential prospects that will be 10-team relevant all the way to 30-team deep stashes for the end of your FYPD. Let us dive into 10 of the MLB Draft College Standouts from weeks one and two.
College Baseball Batting Standouts
Aiva Arquette, 2B Jr. Oregon State
(7 GP, .440/.559/.880, 3 HR, 8 R, 10 RBI)
The first season with Aiva Arquette with Oregon State is underway! The 21-year-old second baseman played previously at Washington where he slashed .325/.384/.574 with 12 home runs, 45 runs scored, 36 RBIs, and six stolen bases in 48 games played. Standing 6’5” and 220 pounds, Arquette has a build for power but has been graded out as an average power contributor although he grades as a plus bat-to-ball skill and defensive player. After the 2024 season, Arquette played in the Cape Cod League where he slashed .291/.357/.437 with three home runs, 15 runs scored, 21 RBIs, and two stolen bases in 29 games played for Chatham.
All eyes are on Arquette this season as he has already shown some improvements and upside on the diamond. In seven games played, Arquette is slashing .440/.559/.880 with three home runs, eight runs scored, and 10 RBI. Now healthy from wrist surgery, look for Arquette to push for above-average power now with a great development school like Oregon State.
Marek Houston, SS Jr. Wake Forest
(9 GP, .460/.535/.919, 5 HR, 15 R, 20 RBI, 3 SB)
Watching Marek Houston play for Wake Forest in 2024 was fun as the infielder showed off excellent defensive prowess while being effective with the bat, and so far this season might propel Houston to go in the first round. Houston stands 6’3” and 185 pounds with above-average bat-to-ball skills and has started to see the below-average power grades trend towards average long-term. In 54 games played with Wake Forest in 2024, Houston slashed .326/.434/.516 with eight home runs, 57 runs scored, 39 RBIs, and four stolen bases.
💥💣Marek Houston has come out hot this season for Wake Forest. In 9 GP he has .460/.535/.919 with 5 HR, 15 R, 20 RBI, and 3 SB. So far showing solid exit velocities early on paired with excellent defense. @WakeBaseball @HoustonMarek @Fantrax https://t.co/YC7PJTyLHI
— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) February 27, 2025
After the season was through, Houston headed to the Cape Cod League where he went on to slash .306/.465/.329 with 17 runs scored, eight RBIs, and seven stolen bases in 27 games played with wood bats. So far this season we have seen Houston go off in his first nine games slashing .460/.535/.919 with five home runs, 15 runs scored, 20 RBIs, and three stolen bases.
Gavin Kilen, 2B Jr. Tennessee
(8 GP, .409/.611/.1.046, 3 HR, 13 R, 10 RBI, 1 SB)
Tennessee replaced first-round pick Christian Moore with a potential first-round transfer in Gavin Kilen at second base this season. Kilen stands 5’11” and 187 pounds transferring from Louisville where he slashed .330/.361/.591 with nine home runs, 41 RBIs, and one stolen base in 54 games played. Unlike Moore from the season prior, Kilen isn’t a power threat as he grades out as a below-average power bat long term. What makes Kilen’s game is his excellent bat-to-ball skills paired with plus defense at second base.
After the 2024 season, Kilen went to the Cape Cod League where he slashed just .253/.33/.341 with two home runs, 19 runs scored, and 10 RBIs in 24 games played. The struggle with the batting average with the wood bats is slightly concerning, but the production since starting the season has turned the skepticism around. Across eight games played with the Vols, Kilen is slashing .409/.611/.1.046 with three home runs, 13 runs scored, 10 RBIs, and one stolen base. If these improvements continue, we could see Kilen make his way up toward the first round with a good season in Tennessee.
Brendan Summerhill, OF Jr. Arizona
(8 GP, .353/.436/.647, 1 HR, 5 R, 11 RBI, 2 SB)
Popping up on the college players to watch early this season is Brendan Summerhill. Standing 6’3” and 200 pounds, batting from the left side of the plate, Summerhill is known for his above-average bat-to-ball skills, speed, and defense in the outfield. In 2024, with Arizona Summerhill played 58 games, slashing .324/.399/.550 with eight home runs, 50 runs scored, 59 RBIs, and seven stolen bases. Not necessarily the amazing numbers, but not bad as a whole, what sent him soaring up rankings is what he did in the Cape Cod League over the summer.
In 24 games played with Wareham in the CCBL Summerhill slashed .286/.358/.441 with two home runs, 19 runs scored, 14 RBIs, and finished with 12 stolen bases in 15 attempts. The increase in stolen bases paired with the performance with wood bats in the CCBL is an encouraging sign of improvements for this season. So far in just eight games played, Summerhill has been effective slashing .353/.436/.647 with one home run, five runs scored, 11 RBIs, and two stolen bases in four attempts. With a profile as a safe bat-to-ball outfielder with above-average to plus defense, look for Summerhill to remain high on draft rankings.
Ethan Conrad, OF Jr. Wake Forest
(9 GP, .364/.500/.727, 2 HR, 12 R, 15 RBI, 3 SB)
Coming to Wake Forest from Marist College, a MAAC conference school, Ethan Conrad looks to do what Seaver King did last season and make some waves leading up to the MLB Draft. In 2024 Conrad played 55 games slashing .389/.467/.704 with nine home runs, 55 runs scored, 52 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases. Standing 6’3” and 200 pounds, Conrad is a bat-to-ball prospect with speed and above-average defense that can play in the outfield as well as first base. The power is average for Conrad coming from the left side of the plate, though the early exit velocity readings have looked impressive with Wake Forest.
📝Ethan Conrad OF Wake Forest. Played for Marist in 24 he’s looking like what we saw out of Seaver King. Excellent CCBL numbers and currently slashing .364/.500/.727 with 2 HR, 15 RBI, 3 SB in 9 GP. Second HR was 106mph of the bat 😳@WakeBaseball @ethanconrad23 @Fantrax https://t.co/VyMDApbD5d
— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) February 27, 2025
After finishing the season with Marist in 2024, Conrad headed to the Cape Cod League to get more work in. Across 30 games played for Bourne Conrad slashed .385/.433/.486 with two home runs, 27 runs scored, 19 RBIs, and stole 19 bases in 23 attempts. This success with the wood bat in the CCBL has begun to push Conrad up heading into his first season with Wake Forest. To this point so far Conrad has played nine games, slashing .364/.500/.727 with two home runs, 12 runs scored, 15 RBIs, and has three stolen bases in as many attempts. There is easy power in the swing as we saw Conrad hit the ball 106 mph off the bat for his second home run of the season. Keep your eyes on Conrad as the season wears on.
College Baseball Pitching Standouts
Liam Doyle, LHP Jr. Tennessee
(2 GS, 10.1 IP, 1 BB, 25 K, 0.87 ERA, 0.9 BB/9, 21.8 K/9)
Recently transferred from Mississippi, Liam Doyle is a hard-throwing left-hander who has put up some impressive numbers in his first two starts with the Vols. Standing 6’2” and 220 pounds, Doyle has a starter’s build and a solid four-pitch mix to remain a starter long-term. The four-seam fastball sits at 96 mph and tops out at 98 mph early this spring while the 83 mph slider has excellent horizontal movement. With the 88 mph cutter, it works well against lefties, but the command can vary at times. Rounding out the arsenal is an 82 mph change-up that gets firm at times and is a work in progress.
⛽️🔥Liam Doyle is a bad bad man! 2 GS for Tennessee with a league leading 25 Ks in 10.1 Innings pitched with only 1 walk and a 0.87 ERA. That’s a 21.8 K/9 early on but the stuff looks electric from the left side.@Vol_Baseball @Fantrax https://t.co/6E9X6ugbjH
— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) February 27, 2025
The first start of the season for Doyle came against Hofstra as he struck out 11 batters over five innings pitched, allowing just one hit with 58 pitches. Doyle’s dominance continued over to the Samford start as he struck out 14 batters over 5.1 innings pitched, allowing two hits, one earned run (home run) and walk with 81 pitches. It seems like the Tennessee touch might have been all Liam Doyle needed to take his game to the next level, we will see how he fares as the season goes on.
Logan Lunceford, RHP Jr. Wake Forest
(2 GS, 9.1 IP, 4 BB, 20 K 0.00 ERA, 3.9 BB/9, 19.3 K/9)
Fresh from the transfer portal, Lunceford played two seasons at Missouri with middling success before making the move to Wake Forest this season. Standing 5’10” and 190 pounds, Lunceford is a bit undersized for a starter, though the stuff has proven early to be something to take notice of. Lunceford has a mid-90s fastball with riding life up in the zone, the curveball comes in at 73 mph with excellent break while the slider sits at 80 mph with solid horizontal movement down in the zone. Coming up last is the change-up that has improved tremendously since arriving at Wake Forest. The four-pitch offerings have been helped by above-average spin rates and a deceptive low release height from Lunceford so far this season.
Luceford started his season against Long Island where he struck out seven batters, allowing two walks, and just one hit over four innings of work, totaling 76 pitches. Just one hit against Long Island was a welcome sight as what has hurt Lunceford in his time at Missouri was allowing too many hits. This was evident in his 10.8 H/9 and 7.5 H/9 in 114.2 innings pitched in 2023 and 2024 combined. In his most recent start against St John’s, Luceford struck out 13 batters over 5.1 innings pitched, allowing two walks and just one hit on 93 pitches.
If he can keep up this level of production throughout the college season against stronger competition, look for Luceford to push the top three rounds of the draft in July.
Pierce Coppola, LHP Jr. Florida
(2 GS, 10.0 IP, 2 BB, 20 K 1.80 ERA, 1.8 BB/9, 18 K/9)
Imposing pitchers with solid mechanics can dominate opposing batters and New Jersey native Pierce Coppola is no exception. Standing 6’8” and 245 pounds, throwing from the left side, Coppola has cast fear into the eyes of opposing batters so far in his first two starts. Working with a four-pitch-mix, Coppola sits 95 mph with the four-seam fastball and regularly hits the upper-90s early in starts. The slider sits at 83 mph while the curveball comes in at 78 mph and both are pitches Coppola has refined over the years, aiming to get more spin and movement. As for the upper 80s change up it’s at least an average offering.
In the first start against Air Force, Coppola got the win, striking out 12 batters while allowing just one walk and hit across five innings of work on 70 pitches. The dominance on the mound was encouraging for Coppola who made only eight starts for Florida in 2024 and struggled with the walks, finishing with a 4.6 BB/9 in 23.2 innings pitched. His second start of the season came against Dayton where he struck out eight while allowing two earned runs, on three hits, and walked one over five innings pitched needing just 74 pitches. Not as highly touted going into the season, there could be something here to watch this season in Pierce Coppola leading up to draft season.
Patrick Forbes, RHP Jr. Louisville
(2 GS, 10.0 IP, 1 BB, 20 K, 1.80 ERA, 0.9 BB/9, 18 K/9)
Hailing from Bowling Green, Kentucky, Forbes stayed close to home, attending the University of Louisville, and quickly stood out as a name to watch this season in his first two starts. The right-hander has a starter’s build standing at 6’3” and 220 pounds with a three-pitch mix. Grading out as a true double-plus offering is a four-seam fastball that sits at 96 mph and has topped out at 100 mph over the summer in the Cape Cod League.
With excellent spin rates on the fastball, Forbes generates a ton of swing and miss thanks to the movement he generates at such a high speed. Aided by the spin on the fastball, Forbes slider grades out as a plus offering sitting in the low 80s with excellent movement. Last is the change-up that shows inconsistencies sitting 88 mph with solid fade but hasn’t been easy to throw for strikes consistently.
The 2025 season will be Forbes’s first season as a starter for Louisville and the early results have been excellent as he gets stretched out. In his first matchup against a tough Texas squad, Forbes picked up the win by pitching five innings allowing five hits with two earned runs (one home run), walking one, and finishing with 11 strikeouts on 84 pitches. The second match-up came against Western Michigan as Forbes struck out nine batters over five innings pitched, allowing just two hits and no walks on just 74 pitches. So far Forbes has limited the walks in his first two starts, a welcome sign from his 15 BB across 29 innings pitched in 2024.
Kyson Witherspoon, RHP Jr. Oklahoma
(2 GS, 12 IP, 2 BB, 21 K, 2.25 ERA, 1.5 BB/9, 15.8 K/9)
Coming out strong to start the season with the Sooners has been Kyson Witherspoon. Standing 6’2” and 206 pounds, the right-hander has some electric stuff. Witherspoon features a four-seam fastball that sits 95 mph and has topped out at 100 mph in short bursts, the 86 mph slider can ramp up to the low 90s with excellent movement and depth, both offerings grade out as plus offerings. The change-up lags behind the fastball and slider development as it sits at 87 mph but is inconsistent with repeating movement, making this a project pitch in 2025.
Starting the season against Lehigh, Witherspoon went five innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits while walking two and striking out nine on 90 pitches. The main adjustment that needed to be made this season was bringing down the walks from the 2024 season. Across 80 innings pitched for the Sooners, Witherspoon walked 40 batters, good for a 4.5 BB/9. With this being said, Witherspoon limited the walks in his second game against Minnesota. Across seven innings pitched, he allowed three hits, one of them being a solo home run while striking out 12 batters on 90 pitches. The early results are good thus far for Witherspoon, who could push for one of the top pitching arms available come draft day.
For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.
