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Week 10 Draft Eligible College Baseball Standouts

Fantasy BaseballDynasty Fantasy BaseballMLB Prospects
Richard Haake
Author: Richard Haake
6 min.read

We are getting close to the conclusion of the College Baseball season, but that won’t stop us from breaking down some of the top names to know prior to the MLB Draft in July. 10 weeks are in the books so far, and we have dived into many of the top players who are eligible for the draft as well as some deeper round guys. Keeping with it, we will be diving into this week’s eligible College Baseball standouts.

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College Hitting Standouts

Ike Irish, C Auburn

(35 GP, .353/.460/.692, 11 HR, 35 R, 36 RBI, 4 SB)

Power-hitting catchers stand out in dynasty circles, so it’s fair to say Ike Irish should be on our radars leading up to draft season. Irish stands 6’2” and 202 pounds, batting from the left side of the plate, and has been a standout at Auburn the last three seasons. As a freshman, Irish played in 58 games, slashing .361/.429/.546 with six home runs, 48 runs scored, 50 RBIs, and three stolen bases while having 31 of his 86 total hits go for extra bases. This level of production took a major step forward in his sophomore season as he played in just 47 games while slashing .319/.403/.627 and crushed 14 home runs, with 27 of his 59 total hits going for extra bases.

This season, Irish has not only hit for power but also improved his batting average and OBP. Across 35 games played, Irish is slashing .353/.460/.692 with 11 home runs, 35 runs scored, 36 RBIs, and four stolen bases. With 47 total hits, Irish has had 21 extra-base hits, continuing the trend of power gains. At the plate, he has improved his walk percentage to 12.4% while striking out just 16.1% of the time. This could be a well-rounded catching prospect for a team in the late first to early second round of the MLB draft, but do not be surprised if he hits the ground running in professional ball thanks to the advanced SEC pitching he faced.

Devin Taylor, OF Indiana

(41 GP, .378/.493/.701, 13 HR, 50 R, 49 RBI, 9 SB)

Indiana baseball has a difference maker in Devin Taylor as he makes his push for first-round consideration. Taylor stands 6’0” and 190 pounds and bats from the left side, producing above-average power and displaying a plus hit tool. The last three seasons have been excellent for Taylor, who slashed .315/.430/.650 with 16 home runs and 59 RBIs across 55 games played as a Freshman. This was just the beginning for Taylor, who started to tap into his raw power while making steady improvements to the bat-to-ball contact in his sophomore season. Across 59 games played, Taylor slashed .357/.449/.660 with 20 home runs, 67 runs scored, 54 RBIs, and swiped five bases.

Now in his Junior season, Taylor has continued to improve his game. In 41 games played, Taylor is slashing .378/.493/.701, with 13 home runs, 50 runs scored, 49 RBIs, and nine stolen bases. The walk percentage has gone up to 18.2% while the strikeout rate is down to a career low of 10.8%. This offensive output is pushing Taylor’s name further up draft boards as a name to watch when FYPD comes around.

Ethan Petry, OF/1B South Carolina

(42 GP, .333/.448/.613, 10 HR, 30 R, 34 RBI)

The slugger from the University of South Carolina is making his way to draft day. Ethan Petry has been a perennial power hitter, appearing near the top of the home run leaderboards since he was a Freshman back in 2023. Petry stands 6’4” and 230 pounds, playing both first base as well as outfield. Petry stood out as a Freshman as he played in 63 games and slashed .376/.471/.733 with 23 home runs and 75 RBIs. There is no doubt the plus power has been on full display in his time with the Gamecocks, which would translate into his Sophomore season as he would crush 21 home runs in 61 games played.

This season, however, Petry is looking like a more balanced hitter despite a dip in power production. Across 42 games played, he is slashing .333/.448/.613 with 10 home runs, 30 runs scored, and 34 RBIs. Petry’s eye at the plate has improved as he is walking 13.7% while cutting the strikeout rate to a career low 16.4%. This is a power bat to watch when the draft comes around, as the improvement to the strikeout rate and batting average will translate into professional ball, and the power should come back strong.

College Pitching Standouts

Dylan Mathiesen, RHP, Liberty

(14 GS, 56 IP, 76 K, 4.34 ERA, 12.21 K/9)

Liberty University is not known for producing top-tier Major League players. Regardless, the school has been improving the athletics department, and currently has a pitcher standing out on the NCAA strikeout leaderboards. Dylan Mathiesen stands 5’10” and 180 pounds, throwing from the right side, and features a solid four-pitch mix. The fastball tops out at 92 mph and sits at 91 mph with excellent ride up in the zone, his change-up is a great offering coming in at 83 mph with late fade. Two breaking pitches in the 82 mph slider with tight break and 79 mph curveball with two-plane depth round out the arsenal.

In his first season as a full-time starter, Mathiesen has been solid. Across 14 starts, he has 76 strikeouts in 56 innings pitched, good for a 12.21 K/9 while walking 4.18 BB/9, and currently has a 4.34 ERA. Don’t let the ERA fool you. Mathiesen has had some bad luck on the defensive side this season, as the 3.59 FIP would lead on. As of this article, Mathiesen is tied for 15th in the  NCAA for strikeouts and has been in this range all season, despite lower velocity. Mathiesen’s pitchability could make him an interesting draft pick in July.

A.J. Russell, RHP, Tennessee

(4 GP, 3 GS, 5.2 IP, 7 K, 0.00 ERA, 11.12 K/9)

Tennessee has been a powerhouse in college baseball for several seasons now, and this year, they have one of, if not the best, arms in the upcoming draft in Liam Doyle. However, A.J. Russell is lost in the mix. Standing 6’6” and 195 pounds, Russell is an imposing right-hander who dominates batters with an electric fastball that tops out at 98 mph but sits 94 mph with arm-side run up in the zone. The 83 mph slider has solid horizontal movement while the 85 mph change-up has good fade, but both lack consistency as compared to the fastball. Russell pitched alright for Tennessee back in 2024 in his first time in the rotation, striking out 21 batters over 14.1 innings pitched, good for a 13.19 K/9 and finishing with a 5.02 ERA across four starts and six appearances. His season was cut short as he underwent an internal brace surgery on his elbow.

This season, Tennessee has been taking their time bringing Russell back to full workload as he made an appearance back in February but didn’t pitch again till April. They have been bringing him in as a starter but putting him out for small one or two-inning bursts, but there might be some more in store for us yet. Across four appearances (three starts), Russell has seven strikeouts over 5.2 innings pitched, good for an 11.12 K/9 while walking just 1.59 BB/9, and currently has a 0.00 ERA. Russell has managed to keep opposing batters to just a .105 batting average against in the limited sample size. Tony Vitello, the Vols skipper, said that he will be working Russell more into the games in middle relief as well as starting going forward.

This could be a massive value on the upside come draft day for a club looking for a pitcher with upside who hasn’t had many innings pitched in college. In Russell’s three seasons at Tennessee, he has only 50.1 innings pitched with 70 strikeouts and a career 1.97 ERA.

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