Just Baseball - 2026 MLB Draft – Top 50 College Prospects - #46-50

 

2026 MLB Draft – Top 50 College Prospects

#46-50

https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb-draft/mlb-draft-top-college-prospects/#entry-135444

46. Russell Sandefer – RHP

HT/WT: 6’1/180 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Florida | Hometown: Tampa, FL | Projected Age: 21.3

Sandefer’s journey to this stage took a path less traveled.

Out of high school, Sandefer enrolled at DII Saint Leo before jumping into the portal and enjoying a nice campaign at UCF, where he secured a starting role towards the end of the season. Now at the University of Florida, Sandefer will face his biggest test yet.

He has a long, wiry, and projectable frame on the bump with solid athleticism and arm speed, though he can rush his delivery and open his body early, which leads to some command inconsistencies.

It’s an east/west arsenal with an emphasis on generating groundballs. His deceptive low three-quarters slot generates significant run and sink out of the hand, spinning it very well. He’s gotten up to 96 MPH in shorter bursts, holding 90-93 MPH primarily deep into his starts. It’s not a pitch that will miss bats, but he will grow into better command and generate a good amount of chases with it.

The secondaries are the moneymakers, though.

His low-80s slider is vicious, flashing excellent bite and loud spin numbers. It averages over ten inches of sweep on average, as well. He can struggle to land it for strikes, and he drops his arm slot to throw it, but he missed bats at a clip just under 50% in 2025. His change-up sits in the same velocity band, flashing tons of running action away from lefties, sometimes upwards of twenty inches. He’s flashed a bridge cutter in the upper-80s, too.

Florida is high on Sandefer’s potential, and he should see time in the starting rotation this spring. Cleaning up the command will be paramount, but scouts do like the projection and athlete as it is.

 

47. Ryan Kucherak – SS

HT/WT: 6’1/195 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Northwestern | Hometown: Chandler, AZ | Projected Age: 21.10

A high school teammate of Roch Cholowsky at Hamilton High, Kucherak started his college career at LSU, but limited playing time led to his transfer. He moved north to Northwestern and secured the shortstop position in 2025, making a significant impact for the Wildcats.

Kucherak’s 18 home runs in 2025 set a single-season program record, showing how he seized the opportunity and made the most of it. While he’s not the most physically imposing athlete, his hips move quickly, allowing his barrel to get through the zone efficiently. Kucherak consistently makes solid contact, showing power to both fields, but his ability to generate fly balls when pulling the baseball stands out. His power is above average for the next level.

The hit tool can be inconsistent at times. Kucherak will crush anything inside, but his swing can become a bit predictable, and he struggles with off-speed pitches away. However, he has shown flashes of adjustment and consistently stays within the zone.

Defensively, Kucherak has the athletic tools required to remain a long-term shortstop. He maintains control over his body at the position, displays a strong arm across the field, and has a good internal clock. He looks comfortable at the shortstop position with quick exchanges and good footwork.

Improving his ability to avoid strikeouts and maintaining his power will raise his profile, but as it stands now, Kucherak is an exciting prospect to watch and is likely to hear his name called early next July.

 

48. Caden Bogenpohl – OF

HT/WT: 6’6/240 | Bat/Throw: L/R | School: Missouri State | Hometown: Jackson, MO | Projected Age: 21.3

With a body and toolset that will remind people of Spencer Jones and Jace LaViolette, Bogenpohl is a mid-major behemoth with immense offensive upside, albeit without a ton of polish present.

At 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Bogenpohl is a very athletic specimen and moves with nimbleness on the field. As expected for his size, power is the calling card in his profile. It’s mammoth juice from the left side, with exit velocities surpassing 115 MPH at times, and it plays to every part of the field. It’s easy double-plus power at the end of the day, though he hasn’t produced the kind of over-the-fence production you’d want to see with that kind of juice.

However, Bogenpohl’s swing is a work in progress. His hands can get outside of his body and cause his swing to get long, plus he has struggled to find a consistent bat path to date. He’s struggled with pulling the baseball in the air and has pounded the ball into the dirt more often than not, though he did tweak his swing mid-season and found some improvements in that department.

It’s a lot of swing-and-miss presently, and the 23.8 K% isn’t great for a mid-major bat, but it’s excellent plate discipline. Bogenpohl draws an enormous amount of walks and rarely chases out of the zone. The overall contact skills need polishing up, but if they do, the comparisons to guys like Jones or LaViolette won’t look as outlandish.

The nimbleness mentioned above is on display in the outfield, where he’s manned center often, though many believe he’ll move to a corner outfield spot in due time. It’s above-average speed right now with good routes and a strong arm.

If Bogenpohl can improve his contact and find ways to punish the baseball more consistently in the air, he’ll be a no-doubt Top 100 pick. The ceiling is too hard to ignore, but it’s a steeper path given his track record and conference strength.

 

49. Ricky Ojeda – LHP

HT/WT: 5’11/185 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: UC Irvine | Hometown: Valencia, CA | Projected Age: 20.9

A consistent force in UC Irvine’s bullpen over the past two seasons, Ojeda might possess the most electric fastball in the country.

He isn’t the biggest pitcher out there, nor does he throw extremely hard, but Ojeda’s stats will catch your eye instantly. His average velocity stayed around 90 MPH throughout the spring, though he showed the ability to reach the mid-90s during the summer with Team USA.

The pitch metrics are impressive: Ojeda generates over 19 inches of vertical carry on his fastball from a lower arm slot, along with over seven feet of extension. It rises on the top rail of the strike zone, striking out over 30% of batters during the summer.

Few heaters are better than this, and there’s still room for growth. Ojeda’s frame still needs filling out, and his athleticism is evident on the mound. There’s a good chance he can gain velocity before next July.

His pitch mix is very fastball-heavy, with him throwing it nearly 80% of the time in 2025; however, he also has upside with his secondary pitches. His low-70s curveball offers a change of pace, with nearly 17 inches of depth, and has been an effective swing-and-miss pitch so far. He’ll also throw a low-80s splitter with good tumbling action. He commands both pitches well, though he sometimes slows his body down, which hitters can recognize.

Still, the fastball establishes a foundation for further development, and he could see time in UC Irvine’s starting rotation in 2026, as they aim to break into Omaha for the first time since 2014.

 

50. Tre Broussard – OF

HT/WT: 6’0/170 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: Houston | Hometown: Houston, TX | Projected Age: 20.9

Starting his college career as a JUCO player at San Jacinto, Broussard gained significant weight and saw his game improve. For his sophomore year, Broussard transferred to the University of Houston, where he established himself as a key part of the Cougars’ lineup and gained recognition as a draft prospect.

Broussard is more than just a typical table-setter. While he has a swing suited for slashing the baseball at times, Broussard also has some sneaky power with good bat speed. His top exit velocities have reached upwards of 109 MPH, and he has shown the ability to hit over the fence down the lines, though he more often drives line drives into the gaps.

His plate coverage is outstanding as well. Broussard rarely whiffs on fastballs and can adjust his swing easily. He posted a 90% in-zone contact rate in 2025, which improved to 94% on the Cape. In addition to his hitting ability, Broussard is a double-plus runner and knows how to be a threat on the basepaths.

That speed makes him an excellent center fielder, with a quick first step and exceptional route-running skills, which could develop into a plus defender.

To add to his accolades, Broussard will only be 20 years and 9 months old on draft day. With his toolset, projection, and traits favorable for the draft, Broussard could be a Day 1 selection.