One thing needs to be made clear before we get into this list.
This isn’t a prediction of what these players are going to do. It isn’t a prediction of where they’ll be drafted, and it certainly isn’t a statement that professional baseball is the wrong decision.
This is simply what I would do if I were advising them based strictly on long-term value.
Over the last several weeks, I’ve written about draft philosophy, how draft boards come together, why organizations value players differently, and how club philosophy ultimately drives every decision. There isn’t one right answer. Every front office has its own model, its own risk tolerance, and its own priorities.
This list is different.
These are five players who, in my opinion, would maximize both their long-term value and their long-term development by going to college first. That doesn’t mean I think they’ll do it. It doesn’t mean I think they won’t receive significant signing bonuses. It simply means that if I were sitting across the table advising them, I’d encourage them to bet on themselves.
RJ Cope — LHP, Georgia Premier Academy
I mentioned over the weekend that Cope is one of five players I’m higher on than the industry, but I believe RJ Cope ultimately ends up at Vanderbilt.
He’ll be a sophomore eligible, which completely changes the equation. Cope has the ability to become a top-five overall pick if everything comes together, and he’ll get the shot to show that in the SEC.
I also know he wants to hit. I’m not going to tell him he shouldn’t. That’s something every elite athlete has to answer for himself. But from where I sit, Cope on the mound reminds me of David Price.
It’s the body. The athleticism. The delivery. The presence. The competitiveness.
I’ve written before about how much I like the makeup. I genuinely enjoy the young man, and I think he’s capable of becoming a true front-of-the-rotation starter if he dedicates himself completely to pitching.
Could I be wrong? Absolutely. But that’s my evaluation.
If I’m advising him, Vanderbilt gives him every opportunity to prove it. Spend two years developing against elite competition, establish yourself as one of college baseball’s premier arms, and enter professional baseball as a fast-moving frontline starter with even greater value than today.
Brody Crane — RHP, Neosho High School (Mo).
Crane is another player I’d strongly encourage to get to campus. The USA Baseball 18U gold medalist possesses some of the biggest raw stuff in the draft, reaching 97-99 mph at his best.
His spring wasn’t as consistent as many expected, and because of that, I think portions of the industry have cooled. I’m not sure I would have.
He reminds me of former Cleveland flame thrower Jaret Wright—a power right-hander whose best baseball is still in front of him.
Every draft has one or two players who reach campus, make significant physical and mechanical strides, and eighteen months later, everyone wonders how they weren’t viewed differently the first time around.
I think Crane has a chance to become one of those players.
If he gets to Arkansas, which has had numerous arms drafted high over the past few years — a trend that will continue with this class, too– somebody is eventually going to regret allowing that to happen.
Jorvorskie Lane Jr. — OF, Grapevine High School (Texas)
Lane Jr. has as much upside as nearly any position player in this draft. The athletic bloodlines are obvious. The tools are loud. The ceiling is exceptionally high.
Like many gifted young players, however, the consistency hasn’t always matched the ability. To be clear, this isn’t about who he is as a person. Quite the opposite. Everything I’ve seen, heard, and experienced while around him suggests he’s mature well beyond his years.
This is simply about allowing the baseball player to fully catch up with the athlete.
For me, Arkansas is the perfect environment. Let him play every day in the SEC. Let the game slow down. Let the approach mature. Let the consistency catch up with the tools.
I think he comes out the other side as a polished, professional-ready prospect capable of moving rapidly through a big-league organization
Jack Brenner — C, Fond du Lac High School (Wis.)
Brenner reminds me of Craig Biggio. That’s a lofty comparison, but it’s rooted in the athleticism, versatility, instincts, and competitiveness.
This year’s draft creates an interesting decision for him. He feels like the type of player who could be drafted high enough to make the decision difficult, but not so high that passing on college becomes automatic. It’s the classic “pay me now or pay me later” scenario.
I believe in the bat. I believe in the athleticism. I believe in the versatility.
He’s capable of playing multiple positions, and I think that flexibility only becomes more valuable as his body continues to mature.
He’s committed to Oklahoma, and performing at that level changes the conversation entirely.
Ultimately, I project a 60 bat, a 70 run tool, a 60 defender at multiple positions, a 60 arm, and present 45 power that grows into average. College enhances every one of those traits.
He becomes an analytical darling while simultaneously giving traditional evaluators exactly what they’re looking for.
Spencer Evans — LHP, TNXL Academy (Fla.)
Quite simply, I think Spencer possesses one of the highest ceilings of any left-handed pitcher in this draft. I also think college is the best path.
This isn’t about lacking ability. It’s about putting everything together.
Strength. Physical development. Consistency. Mental maturity.
Pitching every weekend in the SEC has a way of accelerating all of that. He’s committed to LSU, and I believe Baton Rouge is exactly where he needs to be.
If he’s sophomore-eligible under the current rules, two years in that environment could position him to become a top-five overall selection, much the way Kevin Gausman emerged from LSU.
I’ve believed in Spencer for a long time. I recommended him for the USA Baseball trials last summer because I believed he belonged there.
For me, it’s a 65 fastball, 65 breaking ball, 60 changeup, 60 control and command. Now it’s simply about tying all of those pieces together and repeating them every fifth day.
LSU gives him that opportunity.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t a mock draft or a prediction, it’s simply the advice I’d give if these players were sitting across the table, asking what I thought gave them the best chance to maximize both their careers on the field and their earning potential.
Sometimes signing out of high school is absolutely the right decision. Sometimes, betting on yourself is the wiser investment.
In my opinion, these five players have the talent to substantially increase both their draft position and their long-term value by spending a few years on campus. They’ll answer remaining questions, mature physically and mentally, and enter professional baseball with a chance to move through an organization swiftly.
- BOOTH: MLB Draft Continues to Evolve - July 12, 2026
- BOOTH: Final Mock Draft - July 10, 2026
- BOOTH: Rumors, Draft Rooms, and the Chaos Before the No. 1 Pick - July 9, 2026
