Top 50 JUCO Prospects
June 22, 2021
With the JUCO season coming to a close and the 2021 MLB Draft just around the corner, this year's JUCO draft class is as strong as ever.
Ranked No. 1 in our 2021 preseason rankings, RHP Christian McGowan (Eastern Oklahoma State) falls one spot to No. 2, yet still projects to go early during Day Two of the Draft. At his best the Texas Tech commit runs his fastball into the upper-90s, while mostly sitting 93-95. He backs up his heater with a mid-80s slider and a quality, low-80s changeup.
Taking over the No. 1 spot in the JUCO rankings is NW Florida State's Dylan Ross. The big right-hander topped a JUCO Heat Sheet leading 99 mph this spring. He pairs his big heater with a hard, upper-80s splitter and also mixes in a slider of similar velo. An Eastern Kentucky bounce back, Ross is now committed to Georgia.
At No. 3 LHP Ricky Tiedemann (Golden West CC, CA) touches the mid-90s with an advanced feel for a changeup. The former San Diego State recruit is a likely Top 5 round pick.
Another left-hander, Andrew Walling sits at No. 4 overall. The one-time Oregon State Beaver is now a Mississippi State Bulldog commit and is the second arm from Eastern Oklahoma State in the Top 5. Walling runs his fastball into the mid-90s with three strong secondary offerings in his curve, slider and changeup.
Coming in second on the final JUCO Heat Sheet, South Carolina recruit Andrew Baker (Chipola) sits at No. 5 overall in the prospect rankings. The athletic right-hander runs his fastball up to 98 mph with a 79-81 mph curve.