The College Baseball season is moving right along as we inch closer to the MLB Draft in July. We dive into these college baseball standouts to give us an idea of what to expect once the player is drafted and starts his professional career. This preparation will help dynasty managers get a leg up leading up to the FYPDs during the off-season. Let’s dive into the draft-eligible college standouts from week nine.
Standout College Batters
Trent Liolios, 1B/3B/OF Jr. Northwestern
(31 GP, .321/.402/.798, 15 HR, 28 R, 32 RBI, 1 SB)
Standing out from Northwestern is the versatile Trent Liolios. Standing 6’3” and 225 pounds, Liolios bats from the left side and displayed solid pop this season in the Big Ten. Now in his third season at Northwestern, Liolios has seen his power increase year over year. In 2024, Liolios hit nine home runs and had a total of 18 extra-base hits across 222 plate appearances. Overall, the bat has taken huge strides forward as the .209/.285/.398 slash line from the previous season left much to be desired.
TRENT LIOLIOS.
SECOND HOMER OF THE GAME.
WE'RE TIED. pic.twitter.com/BMsI8CqA02
— Northwestern Baseball (@NUCatsBaseball) March 29, 2025
This season, Liolios is making better contact while drawing more walks in the process. If he is drafted by a team that can continue to get more power out of the bat, Liolios could be a sneaky grab. Most of his games have been played at first base, though he has seen time at third as well as the corner spots in the outfield.
Max Williams, OF Jr. Florida St.
(34 GP, .312/.389/.667, 14 HR, 30 R, 36 RBI, 2 SB)
Among the many standouts at Florida State this season, Max Williams is quickly standing out as a solid outfield option with upside in this year’s MLB Draft. Standing 6’2” and 207 pounds, Williams has played all three outfield positions while at first Alabama, then Florida State, logging 81 of his 110 games played in centerfield. The power has increased each season as Williams hit 14 home runs and logged 29 extra base hits in 64 games played at Florida State in 2024. This season, we have seen the power continue to grow as he looks to surpass last season’s production in half the games played.
📈📝FSU OF Max Williams is so fun to watch and could be a sneaky draft pick in July. Solid bat-to-ball paired with potential above average pop from CF is huge. This season he has
•34GP
•.312AVG
•.389OBP
•14HR
•36RBIPotential 20-25 HR bat long term. @Fantrax @FSUBaseball https://t.co/9Kssk8dHUo
— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) April 14, 2025
If the offensive profile continues to improve once Williams is drafted, we could be looking at a 25-plus home run bat with solid bat-to-ball skills paired with excellent defense. The plate discipline can not be lost in the shuffle here, as he has never had an OBP below .384 in each of his three collegiate seasons and hasn’t struck out more than 54 times across 259 plate appearances. This could easily be a late first-round selection or an early second-round selection when draft day rolls around.
Ryan Wideman, OF Jr. Western Kentucky
(35 GP, .451/.500/.764, 6 HR, 45 R, 41 RBI, 27 SB)
Standing out as one of the best batters in the NCAA right now is Ryan Wideman of Western Kentucky. Standing at 6’5” and 215 pounds, Wideman has been stellar with the bat as he is currently ranked fourth in the NCAA in batting average. These bat-to-ball skills, paired with the solid defensive skills displayed at Western Kentucky, could see his draft stock rise. The profile is hit over power, though we have seen some solid pop out of Wideman’s bat this spring, from his six home runs to the 28 extra base hits across his 65 total hits.
RYAN WIDEMAN OH MY GOODNESS 🤯@RyanWideman03 robs a walk-off homer with a #SCTop10 catch and we play on!
📺 https://t.co/Yztn9AWxfQ (SECN+/ESPN+) pic.twitter.com/3Y6qnzUYmc
— WKU Baseball (@WKU_Baseball) April 2, 2025
There is speed on the base paths as well, and Wideman has stolen 27 bases in 34 attempts. Playing in Conference USA at Western Kentucky might not get Wideman the attention he deserves, but he could be a solid day two selection for a team looking for upside.
Standout College Pitchers
Cade Obermueller, LHP Jr. Iowa
(9 GS, 53.2 IP, 76 K, 2.18 ERA, 2.7 BB/9, 12.7 K/9)
Iowa might have back-to-back seasons with an arm selected in the first two rounds of the MLB Draft, with Brody Brecht selected by the Rockies 38th overall and now potentially Cade Obermueller. Standing 6’0” and 150 pounds and throwing from the left-hand side, Obermueller doesn’t have the typical starter’s frame, but the ability to go deep into starts with solid production is nothing to scoff at. The fastball and slider combination has been electric this season as the fastball sits 93 mph and has peaked at 95 mph with solid spin rates as well as ride up in the zone. A sharp slider coming in at 83 mph has generated big strikeouts this season.
📝📈Iowa LHP Cade Obermueller has been electric this season. Across 9 GS he has 76 Ks over 53.2 IP good for a 12.7 K/9 & a 2.7 BB/9 with a 💪 2.18 ERA. Could we see back to back seasons of a Hawkeye selected in the first two rounds? 🤔@Fantrax @CadeObermueller @TheIowaHawkeyes https://t.co/gVnQ5QU28q
— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) April 14, 2025
Strikeouts have been plenty this season, but none more than Obermueller’s performances against Northwestern as he struck out 12 over seven innings pitched, allowing one hit, run, and walk in the contest. Long term, there could still be a starter long term, but with the size and two-pitch mix, a reliever profile might be likely.
Kade Anderson, LHP So. LSU
(9 GS, 51.2 IP, 81 K, 3.48 ERA, 2.3 BB/9, 14.1 K/9)
LSU continues to crank out top-tier pitchers as Kade Anderson makes a case for a first-round selection this spring. Standing at 6’2” and 179 pounds, the south paw features a solid four-pitch mix. The fastball averages 94 mph and touches 96 mph with solid carry up in the zone. Throwing batters off is a 78 mph curveball and a high-spin rate slider that sits at 86 mph; finally, the changeup sits at 84 mph with solid fade and tumble.
📝📈LSU LHP Kade Anderson has big upside and has put together a solid season this for @LSUbaseball. So far this season he has
•9GS
•51.2 IP
•81 K
•14.1 K/9
•2.3 BB/9
•3.48 ERASolid four pitch mix in FB,SL,CB,CH. @Fantrax @KadeAnderson32 https://t.co/wOEECHFP5F
— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) April 14, 2025
Throughout his first season as a full-time starter for the Tigers, Anderson has strung together some solid starts, including a nine-inning performance against Oklahoma, where he struck out 14 and no earned runs. There have been some rough starts peppered into Anderson’s season thus far, such as the Mississippi State and Auburn starts, where he allowed five earned runs over 4.1 innings pitched in each contest. Regardless of the rough starts, there is a solid long-term profile here as a potential SP3 with an SP2 ceiling if everything clicks.
