The MLB Draft is all about leverage, and there might not be a demographic that holds more leverage than draft-eligible sophomores.

“Old for the class” has become a notorious label when talking about prep players’ draft stock, and ultimately leads to the elder statesmen being undervalued and pushed to campus. Fast forward two years, and those same players flip the script becoming some of the most sought-after prospects in the class with both draft and college eligibility remaining.

Once again draft-eligible sophomores will be in the thick of Day One draft action. Although not as deep as the stellar 2024 class that included first-rounders Malcolm Moore (Stanford), Cam Smith (Florida State) and Jurrangelo Cijntje (Mississippi State), the 2026 college class has over a dozen prospects who, with another successful season, will likely hear their name called within the top 75 overall picks.

+ Tyler Bell (Kentucky)
Ranked No. 12 in our final 2024 national prep rankings, the switch-hitting Bell was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays as the No. 66 overall pick out of Lincoln-Way East HS, IL. He did not sign and headed to Lexington where he’s retained his first round talent ranking as the No. 12 overall prospect on our current 2026 Draft Board.

+ Sawyer Strosnider (TCU)
A third round valued prospect out of Brock HS, TX in 2024, Strosnider put on a show during batting practice at the Area Code games in 2023. He also pitched as a prep and was generally comparable to Jonathan Santucci (Duke, 2024 2nd round) as a left-left, two-way talent. During his freshman season in Fort Worth, Strosnider batted .350/.420/.650 and became just the sixth NCAA Division I player in the past 25 seasons to reach double figures in homers, triples, doubles and steals. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds he has better than average tools across the board.

+ Derek Curiel (LSU)
A California Prep from Orange Lutheran HS, Curiel was regarded as a high floor high school prospect and ranked No. 46 in our final national prep rankings. He performed below expectations during his spring high school season then broke his finger in the summer before the draft, sinking his draft value below preseason expectations. As a result, he headed to Baton Rouge where he’s done nothing but increase his value after a .345/.470/.519 freshman season for the Tigers. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound lefthanded hitter currently ranks No. 17 on our 2026 Draft Board.

+ Chris Rembert (Auburn)
A Florida prep, there were questions about his hit tool as a right-right second baseman and most viewed as a fifth round draft talent. After a sizzling freshman season (.344/.467/.555), summer in the Cape (.429/.478/.952) and for the USA CNT, he has more than answered those hit ability questions and currently ranks No. 22 on our Draft Board.

Other sophomore draft-eligibles who are top two round prospects at this point in the process include RHP Ryan Lynch (North Carolina), a New Jersey prep who was highly regarded by Prep Baseball as a Max Scherzer 2.0 type. However, he didn’t have the best spring as a high school senior as his velo was down a few ticks and his control a bit suspect which caused him to fall below his expected value. Fellow RHP Tegan Kuhns was viewed as a first rounder by Prep Baseball (ranked as the No. 25 prep on the final national rankings) and by many others in the industry. We would have paid his asking price, but being from a small town in Pennsylvania (Gettysburg) made paying a big bonus less possible. And CF Ty Head (NC State), a Florida prep who was ranked No. 28 on our final prep rankings, is a premium bat whose bat-to-ball ability and general swing decisions stood out with the hopes that the power would blossom at the collegiate level.

Top Preps who project to become draft-eligible sophs in 2028:

The top two pitching prospects in the 2026 prep class, LHP Gio Rojas (Miami recruit) and LHP Carson Bolemon (Wake Forest recruit), are destined for early first round selections while holding status as potential draft-eligible sophomores in 2028. However, there is an impactful collection of other prospects in the class who will carry intriguing propositions with regards to the draft.

+ RHP Kaden Waechter (Florida State recruit)
The Prep Baseball All-American has strong 1st round potential in July, but also will carry the bargaining chip of being a draft-eligible sophomore for 2028. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-hander has one of the most explosive fastballs in the class with upper 90s velocity that also holds impressive metrics. An ultra-competitor, Waechter would immediately challenge as a weekend arm.

+ SS Aiden Ruiz (Vanderbilt recruit)
An alluring talent in an undersized frame, Ruiz has captivated the scouting community with incessant bat-to-ball capability that nestles next to a premium defend tool at shortstop. The switch-hitting New York native will likely entertain first round attention all spring which will present a decision to be made in July.

+ RHP Blake Bryant (Clemson recruit)
A breakout star of the summer, and a Prep Baseball All-American, Bryant is an upside pick that has quickly trended in the right direction. A future weekend starter for the Tigers, the 6-foot-6 right-hander is also a standout on the hardwood as a basketball player. Depending on how that season shakes out throughout the winter, there is a chance that the south Georgia native follows a similar tract to LHP Cam Appenzeller (Tennessee), who was the #2 arm in the class to make it to campus, from a year ago.

+ RHP Trey Rangel (Texas recruit)
Longhorn recruiting is rolling and given the rapidly-building reputation of pitching coach Max Weiner for on-campus development, the potential for a Prep Baseball All-American like Rangel to get to campus is definitely not out of the question. A data darling whose upper 90s sinker and dizzying spin already provide multiple plus-pitches, the right-hander is a presumptive Day 1 pick whose path to campus would ignite buzz along a similar path to recent draft-sophs like Cade Horton and Jurrangelo Cijntje.

+ OF Ryan Harwood (Texas A&M recruit)
In a year that features a plethora of outfielders who are strongly positioned as Top 50 picks, Harwood is strongly in that mix. THe 6-foot-2, 218-pounder is built in a similar mold to former Aggie superstar, Jace LaViolette, and might see a similar path laid out with regards to heading to College Station before a first round selection.

+ OF Anthony Murphy (LSU recruit)
Murphy is the best prep outfield defender in a LOADED class, and carries some electric tools that includes sneaky big power to the pull side as a right-handed hitter. Hailing from southern California powerhouse, Corona High, he has received plenty of attention from MLB scouts the past two years while situated next to multiple big draft picks. Coach Jay Johnson has gotten many big prospects to campus in recent years, and as fellow So-Cal native, and current draft-eligible sophomore, Derek Curiel, exits to a likely first round selection, could Murphy immediately slide into his place?

+ RHP Savion Sims (Oklahoma recruit)
One of the more alluring and intriguing talents in the class, Sims’ loose right arm already pumps in effortless, triple-digit fastballs into the zone. The 6-foot-8 right-hander has one of the highest upsides in the class which will obviously garner considerable attention from the professional scouting community. However, given what Coach Skip Johnson has done in developing, and elevating, high-level arms, there is clearly a chance that he makes it to Norman.