Arnold sits in the mid 90s on his fastball from a 4.4’ release height while getting elite extension. It’s a 2-seam shape, but he’s able to get whiffs with it to all quadrants. His slider is potentially more attractive, getting 11.6” of sweep and lift, drawing a 42% whiff rate and landing the pitch for strike. He threw an upper 80s change-up in 2024, which was a contact pitch for him, but he added a splitter at driveline over the off-season thats had up to 8” of depth. He’ll be even better this year than he was last year stuff wise, and may find himself in the 1-1 conversation when it’s all said and done.

A personal favorite of mine, Lodise is going to play a great shortstop for the Noles this spring. He’s got the arm, actions, and athletic ability to play SS at an above-average level for years to come. The bat is power first, with a 110.2 mph max EV and 106 mph 90th EV. He’s got a 26.2% barrel rate with a plus launch angle profile, allowing a .358 xwOBAcon. He’s very aggressive, swinging over half of the time, but has done well limiting whiffs. There’s going to be a Ks, but with the positional value and power production you’ll live with it.

Myles Bailey, a 6'4" 257-pound first baseman from Florida State, announced his arrival as one of college baseball's premier power threats by finishing second in the ACC with 19 home runs as a freshman and earning first-team All-American honors. The left-handed slugger possesses some of the most elite raw power in the 2026 draft class with a 112.1 mph 90th percentile exit velocity and impressive 28.8% barrel rate, showcasing the ability to drive the ball out to all fields and muscle mishits over the fence. However, Bailey's swing-and-miss concerns remain significant, as his 31.0% strikeout rate and 23.9% chase rate reflect a somewhat grooved swing that will need refinement for him to consistently access his plus-plus power at the professional level, though his solid 13.1% walk rate demonstrates some plate discipline. A better athlete than he's typically credited for, Bailey is likely destined for first base defensively where he profiles as adequate, with his bat being the carrying tool in his profile. If Bailey can tighten his approach and cut down the strikeouts while maintaining his elite raw power and improving his contact quality, he has the upside to be a middle-of-the-order run producer and one of the most intriguing draft-eligible sophomores in the class.

Leiter will not pitch for Florida State in 2025 due to injury, but a healthy Cam Leiter is the best pitcher in the class for my money, with 3 plus or better off-speed offerings He sat 96 mph, touching 99 mph, in 2024. He’s throwing it with an almost directly over-the-top arm path to a 5.8’ release height with plus extension at 6.7’. The extension and velocity combination has allowed the pitch to play beyond his 15”/8.5” shape, drawing a 29.8% swing-miss rate (28% in-zone) with 24.6% chase. The slider here may be the best in the class. It’s 87 mph with 2” of lift and 6” of glove-side. The results are elite, drawing chases at a 51% clip with a 64% whiff rate. His second breaking ball is a downer Curveball thrown at 80.3 mph with -60” of depth and -10” of sweep. The pitch has been viable to both Righties and Lefties for him, drawing a 41% whiff rate, but the chase here is minimal. Like with both his slider and curveball, the change-up draws a near-elite amount of whiffs at 44.5%.

Trey Beard, a 6'2" 185-pound left-hander from Florida State University, is one of the most underrated pitchers in the country and represents the new wave of deceptive arms that pro baseball is prioritizing, with his 6.7-foot release height creating a steep vertical approach angle that destroys the modern hitters trained to hit flat fastballs. Beard operates with a high slot that generates elite extension and deception, featuring a fringy 90-93 mph fastball that he elevates effectively to induce chases and plays far better than its velocity suggests due to his unique delivery. Beard's best pitch is an outlier 75-77 mph changeup that seems to stop halfway to the plate, sold with outstanding arm speed and generating swings and misses while keeping hitters completely off-balance. He complements his primary weapons with a low-80s slider and softer curveball that he deploys strategically, both showing solid spin and depth, though they trail his elite changeup in effectiveness. Beard has made strides in filling the strike zone while posting a 12.35 K/9 and 3.14 ERA across 86.0 innings. Elevating the first pitch strike rate should help him control counts at an even higher clip in 2026. He profiles as a second-round pitchability arm whose unconventional angles and command-first approach could carve out a successful career as a back-end starter or versatile long reliever.

Faurot is a switch-hitting MIF with above-average power. Through the first week of 2025 his career max EV is already up from 108 to 111 mph, which vaults him up my ranking. He's an aggressive hitter, chasing 37.9% and swinging in-zone 80.4%. When considering the swing rates and chase numbers, Faurot's bat-to-ball skills looks really strong, 25.6% whiffs. He'll play 2B for Florida State this year, but should have a shot to give it a run at SS in pro ball.

Williams is one of the bigger power threats in the draft class. He posted a 90th EV at 109.5 mph, with a 114.2 max EV while hitting half of his batted balls >95 mph. The issue for him has been a poor launch profile, though. He’s not hitting the ball in the air, with his average LA standing at 4.9 degrees. His bat-to-ball skills are at the very least average, if not a tick above. Despite a 36.8% chase rate, Williams K’d just 21.1% of the time, which is encouraging all things considered. Williams will play an average corner-OF spot moving forward, so the burden will fall on the bat to carry him to the big leagues.

Cole Stokes is a 6'6", 230-pound right-handed junior out of Florida State who owns one of the most electrically live arms in the 2026 draft class, sitting 97-99 mph and touching triple digits with a sinker that pairs naturally with a low-to-mid 80s sweeper in a classic east-west attack. The 2025 baseline was exciting: 20.1 innings, 3.10 ERA, and a 38.6% K% that suggested a pitcher who could harness the electric stuff with enough consistency to welcome more volume. The raw strikeout ability across both seasons jumps off the page, culminating in a 16.48 K/9 over 25.2 career innings. The 2026 numbers, however, tell a more complicated story: a 26.7% BB% and 15.2% FPStk% through 5.1 innings indicate the command has wavered a bit. The platoon split shows an 11.57 BB/9 against lefties that underscores the structural challenge a two-pitch sinker-sweeper mix faces when hitters don't have to cover the entire plate. The reliever risk here is not a peripheral concern, it is the defining reality of the profile. A sinker paired with a sweeper plays as a dominant late-inning combination in a one-inning role where command variability is more manageable, and that is almost certainly where Stokes ends up. The ceiling as a high-leverage reliever is potentially elite, but the floor is not far below it. The raw arm is too good to ignore, but the two-pitch mix and walk tendencies make the starter pathway a very difficult sell.

Fastball shape is suboptimal, with 16” of vertical and 14.4” of arm-side run. He’s been up to 96 mph, but sat 91.6 mph this spring. 5.5’ release height creates outlier approach angles, and will allow a true vertical profile fastball to play up in the zone. He’s got outstanding spin traits and threw a sweeper at 84 mph with 1.4” of lift and 8” of sweep. There’s a cutter he throws at 89 mph with 3.5” of vertical and 3” of glove-side, future plus offering and whiff pitch blending a big sweeper with his FF. The best pitch is a change-up at 85 mph with 16” of armside, killing spin at a plus level. Chrest has a general feel for the strike zone but needs to figure out the primary offering in order to project as a starter long term.