Who are the best starting pitchers in college baseball? I normally approach this question from a scouting perspective — in consultation with scouts — focusing on who will be the best players years from now.
But the aim here is to rank college starting pitchers based on who I would want starting a game in Omaha with the highest stakes, against the best lineups. I do this regularly for MLB’s best pitchers, and this is essentially the college equivalent.
So, this isn’t a prospect list — I lean more on current ability rather than in the future, but obviously there is some overlap. And I’m not ranking purely on statistics; otherwise, St. Joseph’s lefty Colton Book — with his 85-89 mph fastball, 1.70 ERA and 87 strikeouts — would be on here.
These are the 20 collegiate starting pitchers I would want to give the ball in a do-or-die game against one of the top lineups in the country in the Men’s College World Series. Due to the portal (and a number of other reasons), this list is SEC-heavy (seven of the top 10 players), and the pitchers are mostly draft-eligible for the first time this year. But there are some intriguing exceptions. Let’s get to it.
1. Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
Junior, 20 years old, 51.0 IP, 2.47 ERA
Doyle has been a dominating presence in the SEC this season, pepping the top of the zone with his 94-97 mph heater that peaks at 99 mph, used 71% of the time. There are still some long-term questions about the consistency of his secondary stuff, what he looks like deeper in games and his command, but in college, relying on this direct approach is working quite well.
2. Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
Sophomore, 20 years old, 57.1 IP, 3.92 ERA
Anderson is a classic crafty lefty with four pitches and lots of strikes, but he also looks ready to go in the top half of the first round this summer, because his stuff is above average by pro standards. He’s susceptible to a bad start since his fastball works at the top of the zone, but he’s arguably the best bet in college baseball when the stakes are highest.
3. Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma
Junior, 20 years old, 52.0 IP, 2.08 ERA
Witherspoon continues the SEC flavor at the top and comes with the most velocity, sitting 95-98 mph and also peaking at 99 mph. There’s a whiff of Dylan Cease in the delivery and shapes in his arsenal, using three different breaking balls and the occasional changeup.
4. Jaime Arnold, LHP, Florida State
Junior, 21 years old, 41.1 IP, 2.40 ERA
Arnold is the top prospect for the 2025 draft and has performed well this year, but he hasn’t quite dominated like some of the top college prospect arms of the past. One of his issues is that his lower slot creates so much horizontal movement (with both his sinker and sweeper) that he has some trouble hitting his spots reliably and staying in the zone.
5. Pico Kohn, LHP, Mississippi State
Senior, 22 years old, 49.2 IP, 3.26 ERA
Kohn is our first pitcher who isn’t a projected first rounder. He was eligible for last year’s draft, but he was still coming back from Tommy John surgery, so this is his first full healthy season since 2022. He has solid stuff — a 91-93 mph fastball and an 80-84 mph bullet slider — but relies mostly on those two pitches.
6. Cade Obermueller, LHP, Iowa
Junior, 21 years old, 53.2 IP, 2.18 ERA
Obermueller was also eligible for last year’s draft due to his age, and he is the son of former big league righty Wes Obermueller. Cade had some command issues last year, but he has righted the ship this season and should be an early pick. Like Arnold, he’s a lower slot lefty who gets into the mid-90s, and he has a knockout sweeper.
7. Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida
Sophomore, 19 years old, 39.2 IP, 3.63 ERA
Peterson isn’t eligible until the 2026 draft, and he was one of the top prep arms in the 2023 draft to get to campus. Peterson was solid as a freshman, but now his numbers match his big stuff, which has improved since high school: 94-97 mph heater that has hit 99 mph and an 83-87 mph slider that’s his best secondary.
8. Joey Volini, LHP, Florida State
Junior, 22 years old, 52.2 IP, 2.39 ERA
Volini attended the same high school as fellow Noles rotation mate Arnold — Jesuit High School in Tampa, which has also produced Lance McCullers, among others. Volini was a draft-eligible sophomore last year at USF, but he pitched mostly in relief with middling numbers. This year, he’s dealing as starter despite similar 88-92 mph velocity.
9. Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas
Junior, 21 years old, 49.2 IP, 3.62 ERA
Root was a high-profile transfer from East Carolina who was one of the best prospects to hit the portal. He has posted as expected this season and should land in the back half of Round 1 of the MLB draft. Root has lively stuff (92-94 mph, touching 97 mph along with a solid slider, curveball and changeup) and a solid feel.
10. Anthony Eyanson, RHP, LSU
Junior, 20 years old, 47.2 IP, 3.78 ERA
Eyanson was another high-profile transfer (coming from UC San Diego) after a solid showing in the summer where his stuff was a bit livelier in short stints. There’s still plenty of raw stuff here, sitting 92-94 mph, peaking at 96 mph, with strong miss rates on his slider, curveball and splitter. He’s the clear second-best starter on a loaded LSU pitching staff behind Anderson.
The next 10
11. Trey Beard, LHP, Florida Atlantic
12. Joseph Dzierwa, LHP, Michigan State
13. Dax Whitney, RHP, Oregon State
14. Aidan Knaak, RHP, Clemson
15. Marcus Phillips, RHP, Tennessee
16. Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville
17. Cole Gilley, RHP, Indiana
18. Ethan Norby, LHP, East Carolina
19. Logan Lunceford, RHP, Wake Forest
20. Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara