College Top 50 Sophomore Prospects

Baseball America this week is presenting its annual ranking of the top 50 players in each class. Today we spotlight the sophomores.

Click here to see yesterday's installment of the top freshmen.

Arizona State slugger Spencer Torkelson tops the list after hitting .320/.440/.743 with 25 home runs as a freshman and then continuing his impressive year with strong summer performances for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team and in the Cape Cod League. As a righthanded hitter who has only played first base for Arizona State, Torkelson is not a typical premium draft pick. But he played exclusively in right field on the Cape and has enough athleticism to give him a chance to stick there. Scouts will bear down on him next year, but his power and hitting ability figure to play at any position.

Righthanders Kevin Abel, the 2018 Freshman of the Year, and Tanner Burns lead the pitchers on the list. They will move to the front of the rotation at Oregon State and Auburn, respectively, and will look to build trackrecords as frontline starters.

Arkansas shortstop Casey Martin and North Carolina State catcher Patrick Bailey round out the top five. Both had impressive freshmen years and play premium positions, giving them plenty of upside.

Florida leads all schools with four players on the list. Vanderbilt follows with three players. In all, 37 schools are represented.

The rankings are primarily a reflection of draft status, with some consideration given for how players are expected to perform this spring.

* denotes a 2019 draft eligible prospect