Baseball America ranks Top-10 MLB Draft prospects playing in NCAA Tournament

The 2026 NCAA Baseball Tournament is almost underway, and it is absolutely loaded with pro talent. That is no surprise to anyone.

Ahead of Regional play, which gets underway on Friday, Baseball America has ranked its Top 10 MLB Draft prospects playing this weekend. The list is, of course, headed by UCLA star shortstop Roch Cholowsky. The two-time Big Ten Player of the Year is the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. He’d become the third No. 1 overall selection in UCLA history, joining first baseman Chris Chambliss (1970) and future Cy Young Award-winning right-hander Gerrit Cole (2011).

Baseball America’s full list is below, featuring five players from the 2026 MLB Draft. It also has five players from the 2027 MLB Draft.

1. SS Roch Cholowsky (UCLA)

The best player in college baseball plays for the best team in all of college baseball. The UCLA Bruins have enjoyed a phenomenal 2026 season so far, as they have compiled a 51-6 record, won the Big Ten Tournament for the first time in program history, and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Cholowsky, the No. 1 pro prospect in the sport, was massive in the Bruins’ success. The Vallejo, CA native hit for a .329 batting average with 21 home runs and 59 RBI. He won his second Big Ten Player of the Year Award this season and is one of the favorites to win the Golden Spikes Award.

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2. C Vahn Lackey (Georgia Tech)

The No. 1 ranked player led his team to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the No. 2 ranked player led his team to the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Vahn Lackey‘s Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are the No. 2 national seed after compiling a 48-9 record and winning both the ACC Regular Season and Tournament Championship.

Lackey hit for a .410 batting average with 18 home runs and 75 RBI this season. The Suwanee, GA native can do it all, as he even played in eight different positions during a game against West Georgia earlier this year. He is one of the top projected names off the board in the 2026 MLB Draft.

3. RHP Jackson Flora (UC Santa Barbara)

College baseball fans might get their first look at UC Santa Barbara right-handed pitcher Jackson Flora in the Austin Regional. Flora, the 2026 Big West Pitcher of the Year, pitched to a dominant 1.05 ERA in 94 1/3 innings this season. He struck out 124 batters, while walking just 30.

He has put himself in a position to be one of, if not the first, collegiate pitchers selected in the 2026 MLB Draft. The Gauchos head into the NCAA Tournament, boasting a 38-18 record and a Big West co-Regular Season Championship.

4. C/2B Gavin Kelly (West Virginia)

West Virginia‘s Gavin Kelly is the top prospect in the 2027 MLB Draft on this list. He was vital in the Mountaineers’ earning their first Regional in Morgantown since 2019. Kelly hit for a .379 batting average with 13 home runs and 48 RBI this season, and will be one of the favorites to win the Golden Spikes Award next season.

If WVU can outlast Wake Forest, Kentucky, and Binghamton to advance to a Super Regional, Kelly could match up against UCLA‘s Cholowsky with a trip to the Men’s College World Series on the line. WVU has never made an appearance in Omaha, but that very well could change this season.

5. SS Brendan Lawson (Florida)

Following a disappointing 2025 campaign, which saw the Gators eliminated in the Conway Regional, Florida is back to hosting a Regional in Gainesville this season. Shortstop Brendan Lawson, one of the top prospects in 2027, was vital to that success.

Lawson hit for a .308 batting average with 16 home runs and 43 RBI across 52 games this season. He looks to become the latest Florida shortstop selected high in the MLB Draft, joining the likes of Richie Martin, Nolan Fontana, and Adam Davis. The Gators are seeking a return to the Men’s College World Series for the first time since 2024.

6. OF Landon Hairston (Arizona State)

The Arizona State Sun Devils are in as the No. 3 seed in the Lincoln Regional, led by star outfielder Landon Hairston. Hairston is one of the top prospects for the 2027 MLB Draft. Hairston, who was named the Big 12 Player of the Year this season, hit for a .413 batting average with 28 home runs and 79 RBI.

Arizona State is hoping to make its first NCAA Super Regional appearance since 2011, and its first Men’s College World Series appearance since 2010. The Sun Devils haven’t won the MCWS since 1981. With Hairston leading the way, however, they are certainly one of the dark horses that could make a run.

7. LHP Tomas Valincius (Mississippi State)

Left-handed pitcher Tomas Valincius was one of the biggest names in the Transfer Portal this offseason. He followed former head coach Brian O’Connor from Virginia to Mississippi State, and has excelled for the Bulldogs this season. Across 86 innings pitched, Valincius boasts a 2.93 ERA with 120 strikeouts and just 17 walks.

Mississippi State was desperately in need of a reboot, and it got it with O’Connor and Valincius leading the way. The Bulldogs haven’t appeared in the Men’s College World Series since 2021, when they won the National Championship.

8. RHP Chris Levonas (Wake Forest)

The Morgantown is stacked with future pro talent, as both West Virginia‘s Gavin Kelly and Wake Forest‘s Chris Levonas are seeking a win in the Regional. Levonas compiled a stellar 10-3 record this season, pitching to a 2.90 ERA with 110 strikeouts and just 32 walks across 68 1/3 innings.

Levonas is just the latest star Demon Deacon pitcher who could really become a household name in the NCAA Tournament, joining the likes of Rhett Lowder and Chase Burns. He is projected as one of the top arms in the 2027 MLB Draft.

9. 2B Chris Hacopian (Texas A&M)

Much like Virginia left-hander Tomas Valincius, Maryland second baseman Chris Hacopian was also one of the top-ranked transfers in the Portal this offseason. Hacopian committed to Michael Earley and Texas A&M and helped lead the Aggies back to national relevance.

TAMU is the No. 12 overall national seed and will host No. 2 USC, No. 3 Texas State, and No. 4 Lamar in the College Station Regional. In his lone season at A&M, Hacopian hit for a .308 average with nine home runs and 33 RBI. The Aggies are seeking a return to the MCWS, which would be the ninth in program history.

10. C Ryder Helfrick (Arkansas)

Finally, Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick rounds out the list of top pro prospects in the 2026 NCAA Baseball Tournament. In his third and final season at Arkansas, Helfrick hit for a .285 batting average with 16 home runs and 49 RBI. Although the Razorbacks posted a 39-20 record this season, they were not selected as a national seed.

They will participate in the Lawrence Regional as the No. 2 seed, looking to make a run back to the Men’s College World Series. Helfrick is the second-ranked catcher prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft, behind Georgia Tech‘s Vahn Lackey.