Opening Day has arrived — at least in college baseball.
While the countdown to Major League Baseball continues, the college season offers an early look at the players who could shape the 2026 draft class in July.
Here are five prospects who should command attention this spring.
CAMERON FLUKEY – RHP, Coastal Carolina
Regarded by MLB Pipeline as the top college pitcher in the class, Cameron Flukey enters the season as one of the premier arms in the country.
The 20-year-old right-hander is coming off a standout sophomore campaign in which he posted a 3.19 ERA across 101.2 innings, making 17 starts in 18 appearances.
Flukey will anchor a Coastal Carolina club ranked No. 6 in the D1 Baseball preseason poll. His résumé already includes Third-Team All-America honors from D1 Baseball and First-Team All-Sun Belt recognition. He was named the Sun Belt’s preseason Pitcher of the Year and appears on the Golden Spikes Award watch list.
MLB Pipeline ranks him ninth overall on its top-100 draft prospects list. Flukey is slated to start Opening Day against Fairfield Friday at 4 p.m. EST.
DEREK CURIEL – OF, LSU
Few players in this class bring the polish and production of Derek Curiel.
MLB Pipeline tabs him as the top college outfielder this season, and his freshman season at LSU justified the hype. In 68 games, Curiel slashed .345/.470/.519 with a .990 OPS, collecting 89 hits, 20 doubles, seven home runs and 53 walks.
His performance on the sport’s biggest stage elevated his profile further. Across 11 College World Series games, Curiel has hit .390/.545/.561 with a 1.106 OPS, helping lead LSU to the 2025 National Championship. He drove in two runs in Game 2 of the finals and earned D1 Baseball Freshman of the Year honors, along with a spot on the CWS All-Tournament Team.
Ranked sixth by MLB Pipeline, Curiel opens the season at the top of LSU’s lineup against Milwaukee Friday at 3 p.m. EST.
LIAM PETERSON – RHP, Florida
Liam Peterson may be one of the more intriguing arms in the first-round conversation.
The 6-foot-5 right-hander flashed swing-and-miss stuff as a sophomore, recording 96 strikeouts in 69.1 innings over 16 appearances. He finished with a 4.28 ERA but posted three outings of at least 10 strikeouts, underscoring his upside.
Consistency remains the next step. Peterson struggled in his lone College World Series appearance, allowing four runs (two earned) in 1.1 innings. Still, his early-season dominance — including multiple 11-strikeout performances before SEC play — illustrates the ceiling.
MLB Pipeline ranks him 13th overall, second among college pitchers behind the aforementioned Flukey. He is scheduled to start Florida’s opener against UAB Friday at 6:30 p.m. EST.
SHANE SDAO – LHP, Texas A&M
Shane Sdao’s draft stock will hinge largely on his health.
The left-hander missed the entire 2025 season following Tommy John surgery sustained after his Super Regional appearance in 2024. Prior to the injury, he showed significant growth.
In 2024, Sdao logged a 2.96 ERA across 20 appearances and 48.2 innings, holding opponents to a .235 average — a marked improvement from the .305 clip he allowed as a freshman.
MLB Pipeline ranks him 45th overall, but his pre-injury performance suggests first-round talent if he returns to form. Texas A&M opens its season with Sdao on the mound against Tennessee Tech Friday at 6 p.m. EST.
ETHAN NORBY – LHP, East Carolina
Ethan Norby, the younger brother of former Oriole Connor Norby, quietly put together one of the more impressive seasons in the AAC last year.
The East Carolina left-hander posted a 3.80 ERA over 90 innings in 18 appearances, striking out 119 while issuing just 22 walks.
His signature performance came March 7, when he delivered 7.1 scoreless innings with 19 strikeouts against a Coastal Carolina club that would advance to the College World Series finals.
Ranked 70th by MLB Pipeline, Norby begins his season against Xavier Friday at 4 p.m. EST and enters the year as East Carolina’s ace.
The MLB season may still be weeks away, but the college game offers a compelling preview of baseball’s next wave of talent. These five prospects headline a deep 2026 class, and by July, their performances this spring could reshape the top of the draft board.
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