College baseball preseason superlatives: Golden Spikes watchlist, top transfers and more

Last week, we released our preseason top 25. On Tuesday, it was the All-America teams. Today, it’s time for some lists.

Who are the top candidates for the Golden Spikes Award? Who are the best pitchers in the country? Which players are poised to break out in 2025?

Golden Spikes Award favorites

1. Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M: LaViolette, a first-team All-American in 2024, is a projected top-three pick in the MLB Draft this summer and is the leader of the top-ranked team in the preseason. He checks a lot of boxes for a Golden Spikes Award winner.

2. Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech: The last true sophomore to win the Golden Spikes Award was Andrew Vaughn of Cal in 2018, but Burress, last season’s National Freshman of the Year, has the offensive firepower to put himself in the mix.

3. Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson: Cannarella was slowed a bit by injury last season, but he’s a high-profile player whose athleticism and highlight-making ability put him in the conversation among the best players in the country.

4. Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State: Arnold anchored the pitching staff as Florida State reached the College World Series in 2024, and he has a chance to hit an even higher level this spring.

5. Nolan Schubart, OF, Oklahoma State: The nation’s top home run hitter is typically in the Golden Spikes Award mix, and few hitters in the country can match Schubart’s power-hitting ability.

6. Ethan Petry, OF, South Carolina: Petry is another dangerous power hitter who last spring hit 21 home runs and then hit 11 more in the Cape Cod League, where he was named MVP.

7. Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara: Bremner can give Arnold a run for his money as the best pitcher in the county, and he should put up some gaudy numbers in the Big West.

8. Max Belyeu, OF, Texas: Belyeu was named Big 12 Player of the Year in 2024 after hitting .329/.423/.667 with 18 home runs for the Longhorns.

9. Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana: Taylor is an electric player who can impact the game in a variety of ways. If he powers the Hoosiers to a Big Ten title, he could push his way into this race.

10. Tanner Thach, 1B/LHP, UNC Wilmington: The 2024 co-CAA Player of the Year hit .324/.406/.700 with 27 home runs as a sophomore. He may also mix in a few more appearances on the mound in 2025 (he made six last year), which could be the push he needs to be a darkhorse National Player of the Year contender.

10 best position players

1. Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M: LaViolette hit .305/.449/.726 with 29 home runs to earn first-team All-America honors for the College World Series runner-up.

2. Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech: Burress took college baseball by storm in 2024, hitting .381/.512/.821 with 25 home runs and was named National Freshman of the Year.

3. Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State: Arquette hit .325/.384/.574 with 12 home runs at Washington in 2024 and he also plays smooth defense up the middle, making him the best infielder in the country.

4. Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson: Cannarella played through a shoulder injury for much of the season and still hit .337/.417/.561 with 11 home runs and showed off his defensive prowess with a Willie Mays-esque basket catch in the Super Regionals.

5. Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana: Taylor last year hit .357/.449/.660 with 20 home runs and needs just 12 more homers to become the program’s career record holder.

6. Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina: Last year as a freshman, Stevenson hit .284/.420/.535 with 14 home runs and started 63 games to help UNC win the ACC title and reach the College World Series.

7. Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona: Summerhill hit .324/.399/.550 to help Arizona win the Pac-12 title and then built on that momentum with an All-Star performance in the Cape Cod League.

8. Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest: Houston may be the best defensive shortstop in the country and also hit .326/.434/.516 with eight home runs last season.

9. Nolan Schubart, OF, Oklahoma State: Despite missing 12 games due to injury, Schubart last season hit .370/.513/.838 with 23 home runs and ranked eighth nationally in home runs per game (0.47).

10. Ethan Petry, OF, South Carolina: Petry hit .306/.471/.639 with 21 home runs in 2024. All those numbers were down from his freshman year, illustrating just how dangerous he is as a hitter.

10 best pitchers

1. Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State: Arnold emerged as Florida State’s ace, going 11-3 with a 2.98 ERA and 159 strikeouts in 105.2 innings as a sophomore.

2. Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara: Bremner is the latest star pitcher for the Gauchos and last season went 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 88.2 innings.

3. Aidan Knaak, RHP, Clemson: Knaak emerged as Clemson’s ace as a freshman, going 5-1 with a 3.35 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 83.1 innings.

4. Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma: Witherspoon went 8-3 with a 3.71 ERA in his first season after transferring from junior college.

5. Chase Shores, RHP, LSU: Shores missed last season due to injury but the 6-foot-8, 245-pound right-hander has as much upside as any pitcher in the country and could rocket to the top of the sport this spring.

6. Ryan Prager, LHP, Texas A&M: Prager went 9-1 with a 2.95 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 97.2 innings and then turned down the opportunity to sign with the Angels as a third-round pick, opting instead to make another run at the national championship.

7. Matt Scott, RHP, Stanford: After going 4-10 with a 5.96 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 80 innings in 2024, Scott looks set to take another step forward as a junior.

8. Gabe Gaeckle, RHP, Arkansas: As a freshman, Gaeckle went 3-3 with a 2.32 ERA, seven saves and 57 strikeouts in 42.2 innings and now is ready to move to the front of the Arkansas rotation.

9. JD Thompson, Vanderbilt: Thompson went 5-2 with a 4.15 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 52 innings and now looks like the next premium starter for the Commodores.

10. Jason DeCaro, North Carolina: DeCaro stepped up to lead the UNC rotation as a freshman and went 6-1 with a 3.81 ERA.

10 breakout candidates

A breakout means something slightly different for each of the players on this list, but all of them have a chance to make a jump this spring.

1. Trent Caraway, 3B, Oregon State: A blue-chip recruit from the Class of 2023, Caraway was limited to just 18 games as a freshman and is now primed to anchor the Beavers lineup.

2. Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara: He’s already regarded by MLB scouts as the best right-hander in this year’s draft class, but he should garner more widespread attention as he moves to the front of the rotation.

3. Logan Sauve, C, West Virginia: Sauve has been a solid player for two seasons at WVU (.290/.389/.451 with 12 home runs) and now could take a step to the forefront as one of the better catchers in the nation.

4. Matt Scott, RHP, Stanford: Scott’s solid 2024 (4-10, 5.96 ERA, Pac-12 leading 103 strikeouts) was largely lost in Stanford’s dismal 22-33 season, but the Cardinal should rebound in 2025 with the junior playing a big role.

5. Nick Dumesnil, OF, California Baptist: Dumesnil had a big 2024, including all-star honors in the Cape Cod League, and now has a chance to make an even bigger name for himself while trying to lead the Lancers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since reclassifying to Division I in 2019.

6. Marcus Phillips, RHP, Tennessee: Phillips stepped up in a few key moments for the 2024 national champions and now could be one of the Volunteers’ more important arms out of the bullpen.

7. Pierce Coppola, LHP, Florida: Once a blue-chip recruit, Coppola has finally had a normal offseason after battling injuries throughout his collegiate career. If he can get back to form, he has significant upside as a starter for the Gators.

8. Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville: Forbes was limited to 29 innings last season by injury, but he’s healthy now and has a big fastball (up to 98 mph) and could emerge as one of the ACC’s best pitchers.

9. Case Sanderson, 1B, Nebraska: Sanderson was the Huskers’ second-leading hitter last year as a freshman and is in line to take an even bigger role as he develops more power.

10. Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina: Flukey was a high-profile recruit for Coastal a year ago and struck out 83 batters in 55 innings as a freshman.

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10 impact freshmen

1. Rintaro Sasaki, 1B, Stanford: Sasaki set the Japanese high school career home run record (140) and then made the extraordinary decision to play college baseball in America instead of entering the Japanese professional system.

2. William Schmidt, RHP, LSU: Schmidt was considered the top prep right-hander in the country in 2024 and brings a 99-mph fastball to the Tigers staff.

3. Hunter Carns, C/OF, Florida State: Carns has a powerful right-handed swing and is coming off an impressive fall with the Seminoles.

4. Derek Curiel, OF, LSU: Curiel, like Schmidt, is part of a stellar freshman class in Baton Rouge. Breaking into the deep LSU lineup won’t be easy, but he was one of the Tigers’ best hitters in the fall and should find a role sooner rather than later.

5. Dax Whitney, RHP, Oregon State: The Idaho native has come on strong over the last year and has the raw tools and big arm to quickly make an impact for the Beavers.

6. Duncan Marsten, RHP, Wake Forest: Marsten comes to Wake from powerhouse Harvard-Westlake School in California and has the polish and powerful stuff to quickly slot into the rotation.

7. Sean Jenkins, RHP, East Carolina: Jenkins graduated high school a year early to enroll at ECU. He’ll still be 17 on opening day but has all the tools to become the next Pirates ace.

8. Jay Abernathy, OF, Tennessee: Abernathy is an excellent athlete and could play nearly anywhere, on the diamond but look for him to find a home in the outfield this spring.

9. Smith Bailey, RHP, Arizona: Listed at 6-6, 196 pounds, Bailey offers impressive upside and enough polish to potentially work his way into the Wildcats rotation.

10. Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU: Strosnider has big power potential and looks like a prototypical right fielder who could make an impact in the middle of the order.

10 impact transfers

1. Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State (previous school: Washington): Arquette left Washington after a coaching change and moved down the Pacific Coast, bringing athleticism, a strong set of offensive tools and solid defense in the middle of the infield.

2. Anthony Eyanson, RHP, LSU (UC San Diego): Eyanson went 6-2 with a 3.07 ERA for UCSD and then pitched for the Collegiate National Team during the summer.

3. Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest (Marist): Conrad broke out during the summer in the Cape Cod League where he hit .385/.433/.486 with 19 stolen bases and was named MVP of the All-Star Game.

4. Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas (East Carolina): Root last year went 6-2 with a 3.56 ERA as the Pirates’ No. 2 starter and now moves to Arkansas where he’ll be a key part of the new-look Razorbacks rotation.

5. Kane Kepley, OF, North Carolina (Liberty): Kepley last year hit .332/.484/.523 with nine home runs and 25 stolen bases at Liberty before transferring to UNC, following former Flames coach Scott Jackson, who is now the Tar Heels pitching coach.

6. Daniel Dickinson, 2B, LSU (Utah Valley): Dickinson was named first-team All-WAC in each of his two seasons at Utah Valley and last season hit .367/.469/.661 with 18 home runs and 32 stolen bases, earning him a spot on the Collegiate National Team before transferring to LSU.

7. Wyatt Henseler, 3B, Texas A&M (Penn): Henseler is the latest Ivy League transfer for the Aggies and adds another powerful bat to the lineup. No active Division I player has hit more home runs (54).

8. Gavin Kilen, 2B, Tennessee (Louisville): Kilen hit .330/.361/.591 as Louisville’s starting shortstop before joining the 2024 national champions during the summer.

9. Cade Fisher, LHP, Auburn (Florida): Fisher was Florida’s opening day starter in 2024 but never got on track (4-3, 7.13 ERA). He brings plenty of talent and experience to a rebuilt Auburn pitching staff.

10. Luke Gaffney, 1B, Clemson (Purdue): Gaffney last year earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors after hitting .359/.449/.646 with 13 home runs and adds needed thump to the Clemson lineup.

(Photo of Cam Cannarella: Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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