The transfer portal has been a divisive addition to the college sports landscape over the last few years. Whether good or bad is a conversation for another day, but it has undoubtedly added intrigue in the form of a pseudo-free agency period each summer. Here are Joe Doyle's top 50 non-draft eligible prospects currently in the transfer portal. This page will update every 24-48 hours.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following rankings by FSS PLUS are based on subjective analysis and industry sources, and do not influence, are not influenced by, or are affiliated with the opinions and reports of Future Stars Series scouting and development staff.
1. Gavin Kilen, SS -- Louisville
A decorated bluechip hailing from Milton, Wisconsin, Kilen is a talented hitter and defender with considerable ceiling. The midwest has become a hotbed for baseball the last five years or so and Kilen continues that trend. Kilen's brand is that of a sound, mature hitter with impact still coming. I's a very real feel to hit with the willingness to use all fields. He hardly ever strikes out and dominates pitches in the strike zone at elite levels. Kilen saw his exit velocities make huge strides in 2024 highlighted by a peak batted-ball event north of 111 mph.
He's growing into average raw power and could be a threat to hit north of 15 homers in 2025. He's a sound glove with above average arm strength and an internal clock. The whole profile is awfully polished with more impact on the horizon.
2. Landon Beidelschies, LHP -- Ohio State
Beidelschies is an extremely talented lefty with one of the better fastballs in the class at this stage. He spots it well high to the arm-side and generates whiffs thanks to late carry through the top rail. Beidelschies saw his whiff rates on the fastball take a considerable jump in 2024 as his command for the heater took a step forward. He's been up to 98 and will work a lather in the 92-95 bucket.
The slider also took a huge step forward in 2024 featuring a 43 percent whiff rate, touching 87 with firm, short shape. Contact quality against that pitch was putrid for opposing hitters. Beidelschies also flashes a changeup and a curveball, both of which project average or better at final maturation.
He pitched 84.2 innings in 2024 punching 91 tickets and issuing just 31 free passes -- good for a 4.15 ERA. He's a finished product who will pitch on Fridays for his new team in 2025.
3. Zach Root, LHP -- East Carolina
East Carolina has turned into a pitching factory the last handful of years and Root is just another exceptional product to come out of that program.
Root has a quick arm with a fastball up to 96 and although it features reasonably generic shape, Root did induce a 22% whiff rate on the pitch in 2024. At his best Root is generating seam-shifted wake on the pitch and producing close to 20 inches of arm-side tail on the pitch. When it gets too vertical, he'll lose effectiveness on the heater. The fastball isn't ever likely to become his primary out-pitch as Root throws one of the better sliders in the amateur class.
It's a super deep bullet slider touching close to 90 mph that completely falls off the table. His slider boasted an obscene 40 percent chase rate in 2024, one of the better marks in the country, complimented by 43 percent whiff rate. His changeup is equally impressive with huge depth and arm-side fading action. Both the cambio and slider have 'plus' upside, and he throws both pitches with heavy frequency.
Root pitched 68.1 innings in 2024, striking out 76 batters and walking just 21. Evaluators believe he could be in store for a massive 2025 campaign if the fastball takes even a marginal step forward.
4. Blake Cyr, 2B/OF -- Miami
COMMIT: Florida
Cyr is a twitchy middle infielder with a short, compact right-handed swing with some sneaky juice. Cyr generates backspin on the baseball and is plenty capable of driving the ball over the fence as is evidenced by his 24 collegiate homers in just 85 games played.
He's got solid average raw power despite his smaller stature, and many evaluators believe he'll develop into an average power hitter as he grinds up the ladder thanks to his innate feel for launch. Cyr absolutely dominates velocity but does struggle at times to identify spin and can be exposed at times against premium sliders.
Cyr gets high marks for his leadership and attitude around his teammates, and is likely destined for second base as a pro. While the .284/.397/.537 line won't blow anyone away, Cyr was heating up before losing the second-half of his 2024 campaign to injury. His freshman .305/.427/.620 line is probably far more indicative of the player programs are bidding for. Cyr's best baseball is ahead of him and he should hit in the middle of the lineup wherever he lands.
5. Myles Patton, LHP -- Long Beach State
A super-athletic southpaw with the look of a pro, Patton is a reasonably low-slow lefty with a quick, loose arm and a full assortment of pitches. He works with tempo and pounds the strikezone, more than willing to mix it up with 'plus' pitchability. It's traits galore with exceptional extension too; more 'stuff' on the way.
Patton has been up to 93 with a four-seam fastball that climbs late through the top rail inducing whiffs and ugly chases above the zone at high clips. Patton has tremendous feel for pitching at the top of the zone too. The slider is his go-to secondary and it's an effective bullet spinner thrown in the low-80s. Patton produced a 44% whiff rate on that pitch as a sophomore and even more impressive chase rates.
He'll likely need to learn to throw it more firm in professional baseball, but his feel for commanding the pitch and working vertical planes stand out. A mid-80s changeup has been effective against right-handed hitters producing similar results to the slider. He has less feel for landing that pitch in the quadrant he's trying to command, but it's still a pitch that flashes at least average upside and should tick higher than that considering Patton's overall ptichability and feel for the baseball.
There's also a nascent cutter and a curveball that is fairly redundant in college baseball with his current repertoire. Patton is the full package from a college baseball perspective and should continue to grow and throw harder as he matures. He's not a finished product, but has the look of a potential second or third round arm that a player development system would target in hopes of unlocking just a little bit more.
