For the 1st time in college baseball history, a legal sportsbook has posted preseason odds to win the Golden Spikes. Let's clap it up for FanDuel 👏👏👏
No this is not a paid advertisement, and no we are not sponsored by FanDuel (but yo FD, if you wanna partner this season hmu contact@11point7.com)
Most of these players already have write-ups under our MLB DRAFT tab, so if you want advanced analytic numbers with a more scout-like approach, go ahead and check it out like you're done shopping at Kroger.
Allow me to introduce the 22 favorites to win the Golden Spikes, and at the end I will give you 5 more fellas you should keep an eye out for.
Top 11 Odds To Win: +500 to +2100
+500 Jac Caglianone (Florida) LHP/1B:
Coming off of a season where he set the BBCOR home run record, Cags is deservingly a heavy favorite to win the award. He is college baseball's version of Shoehi Ohtani. I know, you've heard that saying 1000x's over the last 12 months, but it's true. He is a left handed pitcher who throws 100mph, and also hits baseballs like a 4 iron. If he puts up even similar numbers to last season he will win this award. Since 2014, there has been 2 other two-way guys to win the award. Both were left handed too. AJ Reed (Kentucky 2014) and Brendan McKay (Louisville 2017).
+600 Nick Kurtz (Wake Forest) 1B:
I mean what do you want me to say? The numbers from last year speak for themselves. He looks like he could play for the MONstars from SpaceJam. Just so daggum tall and lanky and has more pop than a midwestern city vending machine. What's even more impressive than his bat is his glove. He's got a fishing net over there and nothing gets past him. Definitely the best defensive 1st baseman I have seen at the college level.
+700 JJ Wetherholt (West Virginia) SS:
The best combo of hitting and speed in the country. It is actually crazy to think about how he wasn't a finalist last season, but thanks to the trio of Paul Skenes, Jac Caglianone, and Dylan Crews all having insane years, Wetherholt didn't make the final cut. When has a .449avg 24doubles 16HR 60RBI and 36SB college season not even sniffed the Golden Spikes Award? It will be hard to duplicate those numbers this season now that he will have his name circled in red ink in the opposing dugout all season, but there isn't much you can do to stop him. He's going to swing at strikes, barrel balls up, and steal bags in your face. He is our generation's Pete Wheeler from Backyard Baseball, and NO that is not a joke about playing in the state of West Virginia.
+950 Travis Bazzana (Oregon State) 2B:
I'd probably bet Bazzana based off his jawline alone. That old scout from Moneyball would draft him off of his confidence. He is looking to become the first 2B to win the award since Rickie Weeks in 2003. His swing is like Harley Quinn, so violent but so beautiful. There's a good chance he could hear his name called #1 overall in the MLB Draft this year. If the Beavers dominate the Pac12 this year and win 45+ games, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Bazzana take home the hardware.
+1400 Tommy White (LSU) 3B:
We jokingly made fun of Tommy White for not being able to hit a home run to the pull-side last season on Twitter. He followed our account the next day and hit 2 homers pull side in the same game. The kid is unbelievable. Never forget when he hit 8 homers in his first 7 college games while he was at NC State. Never forget when he hit the walk-off homer in the greatest college baseball game I've ever seen in the 10th inning of a 0-0 shutout between Skenes and Lowder. Never forget his Jeff Bagwell 2 strike approach. So don't forget to bet on Tommy White 14-1 before he racks up 5HR and 20RBI the first weekend of the season.
+1400 Charlie Condon (Georgia) 1B:
.386 25HR 1.284OPS in the SEC is crazy for a Freshman. What's even crazier is that he plays in a huge ballpark that's 350ft to LF. He probably could have hit 35HR if he played in that crackerjack park in Starkville, MS. No offense to Mississippi State fans, your place is beautiful, but the field plays like its 300ft to all outfield spots. Anyways, Condon is the Mark McGwire of college baseball this year. He's giant and the bat looks like a toothpick in his hands. I imagine he will have more intentional walks than doubles this year, but if he gets good protection in the lineup he will hit an easy 20+ bombs. I was going to say it's going to be hard to win this award with a name like "Charlie" but then I remembered a guy named "Adley" won it so...
+1600 Vance Honeycutt (UNC) CF:
If you're looking to bet on a guy who is a freak athlete and has all of the tools to take over college baseball, here's your boy Vance. He is the type of guy to hit a 450ft homer in the top half of the inning and then rob a homer in the bottom half. It seems like he robs a home run every damn weekend. Coming into last year he was easily one of the favorites to win the GSA, coming off of an incredible Freshman year where he hit 25HR. Look for a huge bounce back year for one of my favorite guys to watch.
+2000 Malcolm Moore (Stanford) C:
Reminds me of Adley Rutchmann 2.0. Not as good as Adley defensively, but can absolutely swing the stick from the left side of the plate. In order for him to win the award he is going to have to put up insane hitting numbers because he's not a threat to steal bases, and he doesn't pitch. Of course he could go out and hit .450 this year with 20HR and 100RBI though. Personally, I wouldn't bet him at 20-1 because I think you will probably get a higher number at some point in the season, but he is definitely someone who has the hitting ability to get hot and stay hot throughout the season, which if that happens, I give everyone of you the right to screenshot this and tag Old Takes Exposed.
+2000 Mike Sirota (Northeastern) CF:
The best mid-major outfield prospect coming into a season since.... yes, my former roommate at Mercer, Kyle Lewis. Sirota had a strong summer and built his draft stock up quite a bit more playing in the Cape. If he wants to win this award he is going to have to flat out dominate and put up stupid numbers in the CAA. No disrespect to the CAA, because I personally think it's going to be the best mid-major conference this season, but the voters will absolutely lean towards an SEC, ACC, Big 12 guy with similar numbers before voting for him. But it's not out of the question. Hopefully teams will pitch to him this season so we can see what a special player he is. Also, I'll be the one who says it... shoutout to Mike Sirota for not hopping in the transfer portal. He knows this team has what it takes to get to Omaha.
+2000 Seaver King (Wake Forest) SS:
Division 2 transfer from Wingate, and now projected 1st round pick and starting shortstop for the #1 ranked team in the nation. What a wild 12 months it's been for King. Pro scouts are drooling over his abilities on the field. He hit above .400 with 11HR and 20 doubles last season, but after staying in the Wake Forest development laboratory, where they just grow these superhumans, I expect him to actually have better offensive numbers at the Division 1 level. Plus Wake's field is the size of a wiffle ball field and the wind gusts out at 30mph every game. Relax WF fans, I was just repeating what I see these SEC fans say on Twitter. No but for real, Seaver King is a dark horse to win the GSA. I'm just mad Vegas already knows about him and only has him at 20-1.
+2100 Braden Montgomery (Texas A&M):
The #1 transfer portal player from last season. Montgomery left Stanford and headed to College Station, TX to play under one of the best coaching staff's in America in my opinion. He burst onto the scene as a Freshman at Stanford, leading the Cardinal to the College World Series as both an outfielder and relief pitcher. Last season he struggled on the mound quite a bit. All of the tools are there for him to win the award, and it helps that he should pitch a good amount of innings for the Aggies, but everyone knows it's his bat that could play him into consideration to be a 1st round draft pick.
The Best Of The Rest: +2100 to +5000
+2100 Josh Hartle (Wake Forest) LHP:
He's about as polished as you're going to find in a LHP at the college level. His stuff won't blow you away but his numbers will. Last year he was more consistent than "tomorrow" and finished the year with a 2.81ERA in 102.1IP. Stuffwise, he is similar to 2021 Golden Spikes Winner, Kevin Kopps. Like imagine if Kopps was a weekend starter instead of a closer and threw left handed. He will sink the ball, cut the ball, spin the ball, etc. In order for him to win the award he's going to have to go like 12-0 with a sub 2.00ERA in my opinion, which is very doable with the team he has behind him, but not likely. We will see though.
+2300 Carsen Benge (Oklahoma State) OF:
I don't know how tf FanDuel knew to put Benge as one of the favorites this season, but damnit it pissed me off to see him at such low odds. I thought for sure I would see his name around the 50-1 area so I could hammer that bet. I mean, good God, who is smart enough and following college baseball over at FanDuel to know Carsen Benge being an absolute stud even though he only hit 7HR in 243AB last year. I don't even know if what I am typing is making sense because I am so frustrated right now. But this should tell you that I am very high on Benge to put up a monster season in Stillwater, where the ball flies. He will be the best player on the field during every Big 12 game. I'm telling you, this kid is special.
+2300 Chase Burns (Wake Forest) RHP:
At this time I would like to ask Tennessee and Southern Miss fans to remove your caps and look away. Okay, now that they are gone, let's talk about how good Chase Burns is going to be this year. This has the potential to be a Paul Skenes like season if he stays healthy. You might think I am crazy for saying that, but from what I've been hearing from WF camp this offseaon, it seems like their devlopment laboratory where they build superhumans is working rather nicely on Burns. He was already throwing 98-100mph, and even touched 102mph when he got pissed off against Southern Miss in the Supers. For those who follow the MLB, let me make this comparison for you. Wake Forest is the Houston Astros when it comes to pitching development. Chase Burns is Gerrit Cole.
+2500 Brody Brecht (Iowa) RHP:
Look, I know Brecht threw 104mph last season. I know he is focusing solely on baseball now instead of playing wide receiver at Iowa. I know Iowa is the favorites to win the Big 10 and host a regional. But I am going to stay far away from this bet at 25-1. I think he is facinating to watch, in fact, I made Dimitri buy Big 10+ Network last season so we could watch him pitch. But the reason why I am staying away from betting him to win the GSA is because only 1 person ever has won the award playing in the Big 10 and that was in 1987. Plus, Brecht has a bright MLB future, so I imagine his innings and pitch count will be limited this year. I hope I am wrong about this one because it would be sweet and huge for college baseball if he wins it.
+3100 Thatcher Hurd (LSU) RHP:
We got to see the real Thatcher Hurd the 2nd half of the season last year. I mean he went from losing his spot in the weekend rotation to pretty much matching Skenes numbers every week. He was low key the real MVP of the postseason for the Tigers. Everything I've seen this fall makes it seem like he's ready to go again this year with better all around stuff. Again, I might be a fool for having zero interest in betting him to win the Golden Spikes Award, but I think he will compete for SEC pitcher of the year. Can we all agree on that and be happy?
+3400 Caleb Lomavita (Cal) C:
We saw Andrew Vaughn win the Golden Spikes out of Cal in 2018, and Lomavita has very similar potential to Vaughn at the plate. So it is definitely possible for him to belt 25+ homers and win the award. The Hawaiian is coming off an 16HR 13double season that had a 30% chase rate, but a high average exit velo. If he can cut down on swinging at pitches outside the zone, his advanced analytics say you can expect a lot of longballs. Again, I want to know who at FanDuel is making these odds because I would love to bet him at 50-1 or higher, but obviously FD has been doing their homework on players with huge upside.
+3400 Hagen Smith (Arkansas) LHP:
I know nobody cares, but if I were making my own Golden Spikes Award odds, I would personally have Hagen Smith well ahead of Hurd, Brecht, and Hartle. I think the only 2 full-time pitchers who can actually win this award this year are Chase Burns and Hagen Smith. I think they both have everything you need to win over the hearts of the voters and that is electric fastball, big game moments, and pitch deep into games every weekend. I've been wrong many many many times before, but I think Burns and Smith will separate themselves as the full package. From fall scrimmages, I know pro scouts are high on Smith and expect a huge year from him. I'm not saying he is going to win the GSA or even be a finalist, I'm just saying that I would take him over pretty much any other pitcher in the nation at this point besides maybe Chase Burns.
+3700 Dakota Jordan (Mississippi State) OF:
When these odds were released earlier today, I was on Facetime with Dimitri and we both gave each other a look and said "Dakota Jordan at 37-1.... uhhh... yes please". I already hinted at it earlier, but Dudy Noble does play small and Dakota Jordan plays big. There's an argument to be made that between Jordan and teammate Hunter Hines on who will hit the furthest ball this season for the Bulldogs because they both possess more thunder than a pissed off Pikachu. But if we were to close our eyes and think of who could break Caglianone's BBCOR home run record this year, Dakota Jordan is one of the first 3 names college baseball fans will think of. If he does, he's got a great shot to come in as a longshot and win it.
+5000 Will Taylor (Clemson) OF:
Freak athlete. Plain and simple. This guy oozes with swagger and confidence. He turned down top-15 money out of high school to play football and baseball at Clemson, and now is just focusing on baseball. He will be a catalyst on Clemson's offense and is always making SportsCenter plays out in the outfield. He feels like the guy that ESPN will promote all postseason because he chose to turn down millions to play college ball. He's going to have to improve his offensive numbers to have any shot at winning the award with all of the great names above him, but I wouldn't doubt that he's fine tuned his approach and power under another year with Coach Backich and company.
+5000 Cam Smith (Florida State) 3B:
After an average Freshman year at FSU, Cam Smith made some noise in the Cape this Summer. He ended up hitting .347 in close to 200AB and .981OPS. He was regarded as one of the top recruits in the nation a couple of years ago for a reason. He's going to be hitting in the middle of the Seminole batting order all year, and when he gets hot at the plate he is HOT. I expect him to bounce back in a big way this season and hit 20+HR which is near what they were expecting last season. It wouldn't be the worst idea to throw a small wager on him to win the GSA at 50-1 odds, banking on him coming into this season with all of the confidence he built up last summer in the Cape.
+5000 Jacob Cozart (NC State) C:
I've been hearing some really good things about Cozart all offseason. He was already a top prospect in my head coming into this season, but it feels like there is something special about this kid that even the numbers don't tell. His leadership, his ability to effect the game behind the plate stealing strikes for his pitchers, and his left handed bat in the middle of the order are all factors that make a team better. I'm fairly confident he won't put up GSA numbers this year, but again, I've been hearing really good things about his development this offseason. Maybe wait until after the first couple of weekends before pulling the trigger on betting him.
5 PLAYERS WHO DID NOT MAKE THE LIST BUT HAVE A REAL SHOT TO WIN THE GOLDEN SPIKES:
1.) Rodney Green Jr. (Cal) CF:
2.) Shane Lewis (Troy) CF:
3.) Ethan Petry (South Carolina) RF:
4.) Payton Tolle (TCU) LHP/1B:
5.) Trey Yesavage (ECU) RHP:
For the 1st time in college baseball history, a legal sportsbook has posted preseason odds to win the Golden Spikes. Let's clap it up for FanDuel 👏👏👏
No this is not a paid advertisement, and no we are not sponsored by FanDuel (but yo FD, if you wanna partner this season hmu contact@11point7.com)
Most of these players already have write-ups under our MLB DRAFT tab, so if you want advanced analytic numbers with a more scout-like approach, go ahead and check it out like you're done shopping at Kroger.
Allow me to introduce the 22 favorites to win the Golden Spikes, and at the end I will give you 5 more fellas you should keep an eye out for.
Top 11 Odds To Win: +500 to +2100
+500 Jac Caglianone (Florida) LHP/1B:
Coming off of a season where he set the BBCOR home run record, Cags is deservingly a heavy favorite to win the award. He is college baseball's version of Shoehi Ohtani. I know, you've heard that saying 1000x's over the last 12 months, but it's true. He is a left handed pitcher who throws 100mph, and also hits baseballs like a 4 iron. If he puts up even similar numbers to last season he will win this award. Since 2014, there has been 2 other two-way guys to win the award. Both were left handed too. AJ Reed (Kentucky 2014) and Brendan McKay (Louisville 2017).
+600 Nick Kurtz (Wake Forest) 1B:
I mean what do you want me to say? The numbers from last year speak for themselves. He looks like he could play for the MONstars from SpaceJam. Just so daggum tall and lanky and has more pop than a midwestern city vending machine. What's even more impressive than his bat is his glove. He's got a fishing net over there and nothing gets past him. Definitely the best defensive 1st baseman I have seen at the college level.
+700 JJ Wetherholt (West Virginia) SS:
The best combo of hitting and speed in the country. It is actually crazy to think about how he wasn't a finalist last season, but thanks to the trio of Paul Skenes, Jac Caglianone, and Dylan Crews all having insane years, Wetherholt didn't make the final cut. When has a .449avg 24doubles 16HR 60RBI and 36SB college season not even sniffed the Golden Spikes Award? It will be hard to duplicate those numbers this season now that he will have his name circled in red ink in the opposing dugout all season, but there isn't much you can do to stop him. He's going to swing at strikes, barrel balls up, and steal bags in your face. He is our generation's Pete Wheeler from Backyard Baseball, and NO that is not a joke about playing in the state of West Virginia.
+950 Travis Bazzana (Oregon State) 2B:
I'd probably bet Bazzana based off his jawline alone. That old scout from Moneyball would draft him off of his confidence. He is looking to become the first 2B to win the award since Rickie Weeks in 2003. His swing is like Harley Quinn, so violent but so beautiful. There's a good chance he could hear his name called #1 overall in the MLB Draft this year. If the Beavers dominate the Pac12 this year and win 45+ games, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Bazzana take home the hardware.
+1400 Tommy White (LSU) 3B:
We jokingly made fun of Tommy White for not being able to hit a home run to the pull-side last season on Twitter. He followed our account the next day and hit 2 homers pull side in the same game. The kid is unbelievable. Never forget when he hit 8 homers in his first 7 college games while he was at NC State. Never forget when he hit the walk-off homer in the greatest college baseball game I've ever seen in the 10th inning of a 0-0 shutout between Skenes and Lowder. Never forget his Jeff Bagwell 2 strike approach. So don't forget to bet on Tommy White 14-1 before he racks up 5HR and 20RBI the first weekend of the season.
+1400 Charlie Condon (Georgia) 1B:
.386 25HR 1.284OPS in the SEC is crazy for a Freshman. What's even crazier is that he plays in a huge ballpark that's 350ft to LF. He probably could have hit 35HR if he played in that crackerjack park in Starkville, MS. No offense to Mississippi State fans, your place is beautiful, but the field plays like its 300ft to all outfield spots. Anyways, Condon is the Mark McGwire of college baseball this year. He's giant and the bat looks like a toothpick in his hands. I imagine he will have more intentional walks than doubles this year, but if he gets good protection in the lineup he will hit an easy 20+ bombs. I was going to say it's going to be hard to win this award with a name like "Charlie" but then I remembered a guy named "Adley" won it so...
+1600 Vance Honeycutt (UNC) CF:
If you're looking to bet on a guy who is a freak athlete and has all of the tools to take over college baseball, here's your boy Vance. He is the type of guy to hit a 450ft homer in the top half of the inning and then rob a homer in the bottom half. It seems like he robs a home run every damn weekend. Coming into last year he was easily one of the favorites to win the GSA, coming off of an incredible Freshman year where he hit 25HR. Look for a huge bounce back year for one of my favorite guys to watch.
+2000 Malcolm Moore (Stanford) C:
Reminds me of Adley Rutchmann 2.0. Not as good as Adley defensively, but can absolutely swing the stick from the left side of the plate. In order for him to win the award he is going to have to put up insane hitting numbers because he's not a threat to steal bases, and he doesn't pitch. Of course he could go out and hit .450 this year with 20HR and 100RBI though. Personally, I wouldn't bet him at 20-1 because I think you will probably get a higher number at some point in the season, but he is definitely someone who has the hitting ability to get hot and stay hot throughout the season, which if that happens, I give everyone of you the right to screenshot this and tag Old Takes Exposed.
+2000 Mike Sirota (Northeastern) CF:
The best mid-major outfield prospect coming into a season since.... yes, my former roommate at Mercer, Kyle Lewis. Sirota had a strong summer and built his draft stock up quite a bit more playing in the Cape. If he wants to win this award he is going to have to flat out dominate and put up stupid numbers in the CAA. No disrespect to the CAA, because I personally think it's going to be the best mid-major conference this season, but the voters will absolutely lean towards an SEC, ACC, Big 12 guy with similar numbers before voting for him. But it's not out of the question. Hopefully teams will pitch to him this season so we can see what a special player he is. Also, I'll be the one who says it... shoutout to Mike Sirota for not hopping in the transfer portal. He knows this team has what it takes to get to Omaha.
+2000 Seaver King (Wake Forest) SS:
Division 2 transfer from Wingate, and now projected 1st round pick and starting shortstop for the #1 ranked team in the nation. What a wild 12 months it's been for King. Pro scouts are drooling over his abilities on the field. He hit above .400 with 11HR and 20 doubles last season, but after staying in the Wake Forest development laboratory, where they just grow these superhumans, I expect him to actually have better offensive numbers at the Division 1 level. Plus Wake's field is the size of a wiffle ball field and the wind gusts out at 30mph every game. Relax WF fans, I was just repeating what I see these SEC fans say on Twitter. No but for real, Seaver King is a dark horse to win the GSA. I'm just mad Vegas already knows about him and only has him at 20-1.
+2100 Braden Montgomery (Texas A&M):
The #1 transfer portal player from last season. Montgomery left Stanford and headed to College Station, TX to play under one of the best coaching staff's in America in my opinion. He burst onto the scene as a Freshman at Stanford, leading the Cardinal to the College World Series as both an outfielder and relief pitcher. Last season he struggled on the mound quite a bit. All of the tools are there for him to win the award, and it helps that he should pitch a good amount of innings for the Aggies, but everyone knows it's his bat that could play him into consideration to be a 1st round draft pick.
The Best Of The Rest: +2100 to +5000
+2100 Josh Hartle (Wake Forest) LHP:
He's about as polished as you're going to find in a LHP at the college level. His stuff won't blow you away but his numbers will. Last year he was more consistent than "tomorrow" and finished the year with a 2.81ERA in 102.1IP. Stuffwise, he is similar to 2021 Golden Spikes Winner, Kevin Kopps. Like imagine if Kopps was a weekend starter instead of a closer and threw left handed. He will sink the ball, cut the ball, spin the ball, etc. In order for him to win the award he's going to have to go like 12-0 with a sub 2.00ERA in my opinion, which is very doable with the team he has behind him, but not likely. We will see though.
+2300 Carsen Benge (Oklahoma State) OF:
I don't know how tf FanDuel knew to put Benge as one of the favorites this season, but damnit it pissed me off to see him at such low odds. I thought for sure I would see his name around the 50-1 area so I could hammer that bet. I mean, good God, who is smart enough and following college baseball over at FanDuel to know Carsen Benge being an absolute stud even though he only hit 7HR in 243AB last year. I don't even know if what I am typing is making sense because I am so frustrated right now. But this should tell you that I am very high on Benge to put up a monster season in Stillwater, where the ball flies. He will be the best player on the field during every Big 12 game. I'm telling you, this kid is special.
+2300 Chase Burns (Wake Forest) RHP:
At this time I would like to ask Tennessee and Southern Miss fans to remove your caps and look away. Okay, now that they are gone, let's talk about how good Chase Burns is going to be this year. This has the potential to be a Paul Skenes like season if he stays healthy. You might think I am crazy for saying that, but from what I've been hearing from WF camp this offseaon, it seems like their devlopment laboratory where they build superhumans is working rather nicely on Burns. He was already throwing 98-100mph, and even touched 102mph when he got pissed off against Southern Miss in the Supers. For those who follow the MLB, let me make this comparison for you. Wake Forest is the Houston Astros when it comes to pitching development. Chase Burns is Gerrit Cole.
+2500 Brody Brecht (Iowa) RHP:
Look, I know Brecht threw 104mph last season. I know he is focusing solely on baseball now instead of playing wide receiver at Iowa. I know Iowa is the favorites to win the Big 10 and host a regional. But I am going to stay far away from this bet at 25-1. I think he is facinating to watch, in fact, I made Dimitri buy Big 10+ Network last season so we could watch him pitch. But the reason why I am staying away from betting him to win the GSA is because only 1 person ever has won the award playing in the Big 10 and that was in 1987. Plus, Brecht has a bright MLB future, so I imagine his innings and pitch count will be limited this year. I hope I am wrong about this one because it would be sweet and huge for college baseball if he wins it.
+3100 Thatcher Hurd (LSU) RHP:
We got to see the real Thatcher Hurd the 2nd half of the season last year. I mean he went from losing his spot in the weekend rotation to pretty much matching Skenes numbers every week. He was low key the real MVP of the postseason for the Tigers. Everything I've seen this fall makes it seem like he's ready to go again this year with better all around stuff. Again, I might be a fool for having zero interest in betting him to win the Golden Spikes Award, but I think he will compete for SEC pitcher of the year. Can we all agree on that and be happy?
+3400 Caleb Lomavita (Cal) C:
We saw Andrew Vaughn win the Golden Spikes out of Cal in 2018, and Lomavita has very similar potential to Vaughn at the plate. So it is definitely possible for him to belt 25+ homers and win the award. The Hawaiian is coming off an 16HR 13double season that had a 30% chase rate, but a high average exit velo. If he can cut down on swinging at pitches outside the zone, his advanced analytics say you can expect a lot of longballs. Again, I want to know who at FanDuel is making these odds because I would love to bet him at 50-1 or higher, but obviously FD has been doing their homework on players with huge upside.
+3400 Hagen Smith (Arkansas) LHP:
I know nobody cares, but if I were making my own Golden Spikes Award odds, I would personally have Hagen Smith well ahead of Hurd, Brecht, and Hartle. I think the only 2 full-time pitchers who can actually win this award this year are Chase Burns and Hagen Smith. I think they both have everything you need to win over the hearts of the voters and that is electric fastball, big game moments, and pitch deep into games every weekend. I've been wrong many many many times before, but I think Burns and Smith will separate themselves as the full package. From fall scrimmages, I know pro scouts are high on Smith and expect a huge year from him. I'm not saying he is going to win the GSA or even be a finalist, I'm just saying that I would take him over pretty much any other pitcher in the nation at this point besides maybe Chase Burns.
+3700 Dakota Jordan (Mississippi State) OF:
When these odds were released earlier today, I was on Facetime with Dimitri and we both gave each other a look and said "Dakota Jordan at 37-1.... uhhh... yes please". I already hinted at it earlier, but Dudy Noble does play small and Dakota Jordan plays big. There's an argument to be made that between Jordan and teammate Hunter Hines on who will hit the furthest ball this season for the Bulldogs because they both possess more thunder than a pissed off Pikachu. But if we were to close our eyes and think of who could break Caglianone's BBCOR home run record this year, Dakota Jordan is one of the first 3 names college baseball fans will think of. If he does, he's got a great shot to come in as a longshot and win it.
+5000 Will Taylor (Clemson) OF:
Freak athlete. Plain and simple. This guy oozes with swagger and confidence. He turned down top-15 money out of high school to play football and baseball at Clemson, and now is just focusing on baseball. He will be a catalyst on Clemson's offense and is always making SportsCenter plays out in the outfield. He feels like the guy that ESPN will promote all postseason because he chose to turn down millions to play college ball. He's going to have to improve his offensive numbers to have any shot at winning the award with all of the great names above him, but I wouldn't doubt that he's fine tuned his approach and power under another year with Coach Backich and company.
+5000 Cam Smith (Florida State) 3B:
After an average Freshman year at FSU, Cam Smith made some noise in the Cape this Summer. He ended up hitting .347 in close to 200AB and .981OPS. He was regarded as one of the top recruits in the nation a couple of years ago for a reason. He's going to be hitting in the middle of the Seminole batting order all year, and when he gets hot at the plate he is HOT. I expect him to bounce back in a big way this season and hit 20+HR which is near what they were expecting last season. It wouldn't be the worst idea to throw a small wager on him to win the GSA at 50-1 odds, banking on him coming into this season with all of the confidence he built up last summer in the Cape.
+5000 Jacob Cozart (NC State) C:
I've been hearing some really good things about Cozart all offseason. He was already a top prospect in my head coming into this season, but it feels like there is something special about this kid that even the numbers don't tell. His leadership, his ability to effect the game behind the plate stealing strikes for his pitchers, and his left handed bat in the middle of the order are all factors that make a team better. I'm fairly confident he won't put up GSA numbers this year, but again, I've been hearing really good things about his development this offseason. Maybe wait until after the first couple of weekends before pulling the trigger on betting him.
5 PLAYERS WHO DID NOT MAKE THE LIST BUT HAVE A REAL SHOT TO WIN THE GOLDEN SPIKES:
1.) Rodney Green Jr. (Cal) CF:
2.) Shane Lewis (Troy) CF:
3.) Ethan Petry (South Carolina) RF:
4.) Payton Tolle (TCU) LHP/1B:
5.) Trey Yesavage (ECU) RHP:
