Prep Baseball Nebraska Rankings Insider: Class of 2026 (June 2025 Update)

Cordell Clinkingbeard doesn’t just look the part—he plays it, too. A Nebraska commit with a name built for headlines and a skillset built for box scores, Clinkingbeard is one of the more intriguing multi-tooled prospects in the region. At 6-foot-even and solidly built, the right-handed-hitting catcher generates real thunder at the plate. His swing isn’t loud, but the results are: a 103.4 mph max exit velocity, 92.3 mph average, and a 392-foot missile launched at the Upper Midwest Procase in February.

There’s polish in his offensive game—fluid mechanics, advanced barrel control, and a whip-like finish through the zone—but his defense is no afterthought. Behind the dish, he carries a catch-and-throw presence that’s hard to miss: 82 mph on throws to second with pop times hovering in the 1.91-1.95 range. He’s agile, confident in the dirt, and particularly sharp when framing low in the zone.

And then there’s the wrinkle: he’s just starting to unlock something on the mound. At the 2024 Future Games, Clinkingbeard touched 92.1 mph with a slider that moved like it had a mind of its own—15 inches of glove-side break and plenty of bite.

Power. Arm talent. Athleticism. Clinkingbeard brings all of it. And if he continues trending upward, Nebraska may have a future cornerstone on their hands.

There’s an effortless quality to the way Caito goes about his business on the mound—an easy tempo, a loose, almost elastic arm path from a three-quarters slot that snaps off pitches like he’s cracking a whip. His fastball lives comfortably in the upper 80s, touching 91.6 mph, but it’s the life—not the number—that jumps. The ball comes out clean with late ride, supported by above-average spin (topping 2296 rpm).

What separates him, though, is his feel. There’s a curveball in the mid-70s that tumbles with an 11/5 shape, and a slider that shows sharper tilt at 77-81 mph from a slightly altered release. Both sit in the 2,000 rpm range and give hitters different looks. Then there’s the splitter—a true wrinkle pitch at 82 mph that falls off the table, killing spin and playing like a ghost pitch when he needs it.

At the plate, the Nebraska commit shows why he’s more than just a two-way curiosity. His right-handed swing is compact and twitchy, built on a wide, athletic base. He doesn’t get big—but he gets loud. His bat path stays flat through the zone, and he showed the ability to drive balls to the pull side with authority during the 2024 Future Games, where he posted a max exit velocity of 95.7 mph and averaged nearly 87.

He’s a 7.16 runner in the 60, an above-average athlete who does a little bit of everything—and a lot of things well. There’s still polish to come, but the foundation is in place.