Just Baseball - 2026 MLB Draft – Top 50 College Prospects - #30-32

 

2026 MLB Draft – Top 50 College Prospects

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

30. Joey Volchko – RHP

HT/WT: 6’4/218 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Georgia | Hometown: Visalia, CA | Projected Age: 21 

Admittedly, Volchko is one of the more unique pitching profiles we’ve come across in recent years. It’s a full-on power arsenal; you won’t find many pitches in his logs under 85 MPH. However, Volchko has profiled more as a groundball machine than a strikeout specialist to date. 

Now at Georgia, Volchko will look to find ways to evolve as a pitcher in the SEC. 

Volchko is a long-framed athlete with plenty of projection to his body, but he is very athletic. There’s a ton of moving parts to Volchko’s delivery, one that features uptempo movements and looseness, though his body has been tough to sync up to date. This has caused inconsistent command, but the expectation is that this will improve with added weight. 

Volchko’s fastball is a unique pitch; it’s a hard-thrown cutter in the mid-90s that has reached 99 MPH in the past, and it generates a high number of grounders, especially from left-handed hitters. When his fastball command lacks, he’ll pitch primarily off a low-90s slider with firm shape and slight tilt. 

However, his mid-80s curveball may be his best pitch. It’s a true hammer with significant depth and impressive spin rates, though he’s yet to unleash it at a high rate (~6% usage in 2025). To round out the arsenal, he throws a hard low-90s change-up that is seldom used. 

Volchko’s pitch movements tend to blend, which does hamper his overall effectiveness. It wouldn’t be a shock to see a revamped arsenal in 2026, including a potential introduction of a sinker and the potential for the cutter or slider to be ditched from it. It will be an interesting situation to follow over the course of the next year, especially if he can find untapped upside as a result. 

To help his case, Volchko will barely be 21 years old on draft day.

31. Jake McCoy – LHP

HT/WT: 6’1/185 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: South Carolina | Hometown: Fort Mill, SC | Projected Age: 21.5 

Yes, we are aware that McCoy’s collegiate ERA starts with a seven. However, in recent years, bloated stats don’t paint the whole picture, and major league development programs know what changes are necessary. 

McCoy certainly needs a coat or two of polish, but the pure stuff is electric. He started fourteen games for the Gamecocks in 2025, flashing significant potential, but his command was always a work in progress. 

He’d earn an invitation to the Cape, and he took full advantage, striking out 25 batters and walking just three in 12.1 innings. It was loud. 

He’s a metric darling, possessing a release height that hovers ~5 feet off the ground and utilizes a quick left arm. He’s primarily been fastball/slider to date, but the duo can be hellacious at times.

 He spins the fastball well, averaging just under 2,500 RPMs, and it jumps on hitters quickly. Given the lower release, it’s only modest carry, but he’ll cut the heater and allow it to eat on the top rail. He’s been up to 97-98 MPH in shorter bursts, holding 90-95 MPH across lengthier outings. 

His mid-80s slider has significant bite and lateral tilt, topping the 3,000 RPM barrier routinely. He can backfoot it to righties, and he will manipulate depth at times, though he generates close to eight inches of sweep on average. He’s toyed with a running mid-80s change-up, upper-80s cutter, and a low-90s sinker, as well. 

He can rush his arm swing, which has led to an inconsistent release and command woes, but he’s an arm that has significant upside with the right organizational fit. We’ll see what’s in store for 2026, but scouts are excited for what’s to come.

 

32. Ethan Norby – LHP

HT/WT: 5’9/200 | Bat/Throw: R/L | School: East Carolina | Hometown: Kernersville, NC | Projected Age: 21.5 

The younger brother of Marlins infielder Connor Norby, Ethan is an extremely unique arm with loud spin numbers and intriguing traits on the bump. He is undersized, and it will be a knock against him at 5-foot-9, 200 pounds, but there’s a lengthy track record here. 

Norby is a legitimate bulldog; he pitches with moxie and confidence, and he pounds the strike zone. The ball comes out of a really low slot with deception and width to it, though his arm slot does drop for the breaking balls compared to the heater. 

He doesn’t throw hard, averaging just over 90 MPH on the heater and getting up to 94 MPH at his peak. He throws two fastballs, with the most effective one being the four-seam with considerable carry from his slot. It’s extremely flat to the plate with explosiveness out of the hand, spun very hard (2500+ RPMs), and misses bats on the upper third. He’ll mix in a sinker with significant horizontal movement to it, getting up to 20 inches of run at times. 

His low-80s sweeper is his best offering, and it’s one of the best breaking balls in the country. It has exceptional bite with significant sweeping action, getting upwards of 20 inches of horizontal action at its best. The standout trait is the impressive spin rates he possesses, as he consistently spins the baseball over 3,000 RPMs. It’s an easy plus offering. 

He added a mid-80s cutter that acts like a bridge pitch, though it has similar spin numbers to the sweeper and has upside. Norby does have the feel to delete spin on his mid-80s cambio, but he hasn’t deployed it often to date. 

Norby has a very good floor as a prospect, and he has the chance to be a backend starter at the next level. If he can add more velocity, he’ll have a better outlook, but even as it is, Norby will have a future as a professional.