JUST BASEBALL TOP 50 DRAFT PROSPECTS - #16-20

 

2026 MLB Draft – Top 50 College Prospects

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16. Maddox Molony – SS

HT/WT: 6’2/210 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Oregon | Hometown: Springfield, OR | Projected Age: 21.9

Oregon baseball has been one of the most consistent teams in the country over the past five years, achieving 35 wins in each of the last three seasons and 40 wins in the previous three seasons. In that timespan, they’ve had two Day 1 draft picks in Aaron Zavala and Josh Kasevich, but Maddox Molony has a chance to be Oregon’s first position player drafted in the first round since 1980.

Molony’s first two seasons on campus have been extremely promising, as he’s been a consistent force in the middle of their lineup. He doesn’t hit the ball nearly as hard as some of his peers, as his maximum EV in 2025 was 107.7 MPH, but his ability to lift the ball to the pull-side aids his case.

It’s a quiet right-handed swing with quick hands, albeit his swing is more rotational than anything else. His bat speed and ability to generate higher-end impact do leave a bit to be desired, but his ability to put the bat on the ball is up there with the rest of them. He excelled against pitches inside the zone, posting a contact rate of 91% in 2025, and there’s an affinity for the heater, where he whiffed just 12% of the time on velocity.

He can struggle a bit with chasing and adjusting, but it’s a high-floor projection outcome. If he can show more hard-hit events and adapt to pitches out of the zone better in 2026, he’ll add upside to his profile.

Defensively, it’s a fantastic first step at shortstop with the ability to make a plethora of plays. He’s under control, he’s got a great internal clock, and it’s above-average arm strength across the diamond. It’s not often that you’ll see Molony fooled in the dirt.

He’ll make the tougher plays look simple without the range that his peers possess. It’s hard to envision moving to second or third base in the future.

Again, it’s a high-floor profile, but there are adjustments he can make to tap into more upside. If so, he’s a no-doubt first-rounder in 2026.

 

17. Logan Hughes – OF

HT/WT: 5’11/197 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: Texas Tech | Hometown: DeLand, FL | Projected Age: 21.2

Logan Hughes might be the best hitter in the country that not enough people know about. 

After spending his freshman campaign at Stetson, Hughes wound up at Texas Tech, where he put up exceptional numbers for the Red Raiders.

Hughes’ exquisite barrel feel and 63% Hard Hit rate are amongst the best in the entire country, plus pitchers struggle to sneak pitches by him. You will not find a ton of holes in his swing, as he covers the zone exceptionally well (91% in-zone contact) and shows adjustability outside of the zone, too. He can get overly aggressive in terms of chasing, but his bat-to-ball skills help neutralize that wart.

The power is legit, as well. Hughes has excellent contact quality and has pushed his exit velocities beyond the 110 MPH echelon. Hughes’ power is above-average to plus at the next level, and it plays to both sides of the park, though he’s found most of his success pulling the baseball in the air to date.

It’s not out of the question that Hughes is a plus hit/plus power bat in the future. You won’t find many bats like this in the college landscape.

With that said, there is immense pressure on the bat to perform. He’s a physically maxed-out profile with limited defensive upside in the outfield. It’s a left field profile with fringe-average speed and arm strength. If he finds more defensive value and can handle a right field role, he’ll boost his stock.

However, even if he doesn’t do that, the bat is good enough to be taken within the first two rounds next July.

18. Caden Sorrell – OF

HT/WT: 6’3/205 | Bat/Throw: L/L | School: Texas A&M | Hometown: Highland Village, TX | Projected Age: 21.4

Sorrell had significant helium to his name during his senior year at Marcus High School in Texas, where his athleticism and tools shone. After showing out in a successful freshman campaign for the Aggies, Sorrell was hampered significantly by the injury bug as a sophomore, missing the start of the season with a hamstring injury and ending his year early with a hand injury.

However, Sorrell is a toolshed athlete with significant upside if he can stay on the field in 2026. It’s a potentially fun power/speed combination with solid defense in a corner outfield spot.

He’s filled out his frame with more muscle, and he loves to lift the baseball in the air. Sorrell has effortless juice from the left side, flashing significant bat speed and a heavy barrel through the zone. Sorrell’s best contact quality comes to the pull-side, and he posts one of the best AirPull% in the country, though he’s shown the ability to drive pitches to the opposite field. It’s potentially plus power at the next level.

With that said, the evolution of the hit tool is something to watch. He can hammer pitches left inside the zone, though there’s some length to his swing, and he struggles to adjust to pitches out of the zone. He loves to swing, and he’ll get particularly jumpy against spin. Shortening the swing, showing adjustments, and limiting chases will be paramount.

After spending two years in a corner outfield spot, Sorrell should get chances in center this spring. He’s a valuable defender with agility, range, and the ability to make highlight reel plays. As he fills out his frame more, he may lose some speed and be relegated to right field, where he has solid arm strength.

If Sorrell can stay fully healthy in 2026 and clean up some rough edges, he has the tools to be a high-end player in this class.

 

19. Chase Brunson – OF

HT/WT: 6’3/200 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Texas Christian | Hometown: San Clemente, CA | Projected Age: 21

Brunson was taken with Toronto’s 18th-round selection in 2023, but Toronto’s inability to secure his services turned into TCU’s gain. After earning Big 12 All-Freshman honors in 2024, Brunson had a breakout sophomore campaign, slashing .317/.395/.554 with 27 XBHs.

He’s grown into more physicality while on campus and hasn’t seen a dip in his athleticism, flashing good twitch on both sides of the ball. Brunson has seen his power tick up over the past calendar year, delivering a heavy barrel through the zone with an affinity for utilizing the gaps often. It’s a swing that’s built more for stinging line drives presently, though he’s shown the ability to hammer the baseball over the fence to both sides of the field.

His pure contact skills outweigh the power, though.

Brunson rarely misses the fastball and smothers pitches inside the zone, posting a contact rate of 92% in both statistical categories. He rarely strikes out, but he’s in no rush to draw walks. Brunson can struggle with pitches on the inner third, as his swing can get long, and it’s hampered his ability to pull the baseball consistently to date. With that said, it’s a solid hit tool with budding power and speed that he can utilize on balls in the gaps.

Brunson transitioned from catcher to outfielder once on campus, and he’s been a mainstay in center for the Horned Frogs. He’s been a reliable defender to date with good range and actions, though his speed and arm strength may play better in right field.

He’s not quite as flashy/athletic as his teammate, Sawyer Strosnider, but Brunson has the tools to be a Top 50 pick at this point in the cycle.

 

20. Zion Rose – OF

HT/WT: 6’1/210 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Louisville | Hometown: Chicago, IL | Projected Age: 21.1

Once a highly-touted backstop at IMG Academy, Rose has transitioned into an outfielder at Louisville, where he’s been a consistent force for the Cardinals the past two seasons and a key piece to their Omaha run in 2025.

He’s a powderkeg of athleticism and twitch on the diamond, plus he’s a physical player with strength, especially in his lower half. The bat carries a lot of weight in the profile currently, but it’s a darn good one.

Rose is notoriously difficult to strike out, as he’s run a strikeout rate of just 10.7% throughout his collegiate career. Rose found the ability to lift the baseball more in 2025, which allowed his XBH total to jump to thirty-two and his overall HR output to jump to thirteen. He did this while not sacrificing a ton of contact and finding more walks.

There are a lot of moving parts to his swing, but Rose’s athleticism and bat speed allow him to make late swings and adjust his swing plane accordingly. He does run a high chase rate as a result, but the advanced bat-to-ball skills help make up for it. He’ll need to pull the baseball more, as most of his contact is up the middle, but his hit/power combination is great at this stage. He knows how to utilize his plus speed on the bases, too, stealing thirty-one bags in 2025.

Louisville did put Rose in the outfield to give him playing time, and he’s been able to hold down a corner outfield role since. He projects more as a left-fielder, and will need to mash in the future, but he’s more than capable of holding down the fort there.

It’s not out of the question to see a return behind the plate, which would boost his stock if he shows the ability to stay, but his tools/speed work better in the grass. He’ll be a really fun follow to watch in the ACC next spring.