photo credit: Marshall Athletics / courtesy Joey Lorenzini / Instagram/Carson Brumbaugh
The MLB Draft is almost upon us, which means it’s time for Dave Van Horn to hold his breath and hope the pros don’t pick apart the 2026 Arkansas baseball squad.
While the Razorbacks are set to make history with their current players in the draft, they’re also set to lose at least some would-be future players.
Unlike its counterparts on the gridiron and hardwood, the MLB Draft pulls players from the high school, JUCO and college ranks and it happens after many transfers have already announced their destinations.
The two-day event, which begins with the first three rounds at 5 p.m. CT Sunday and continues with Rounds 4-10 at 10:30 a.m. Monday, can be confusing for some casual fans. That’s why Best of Arkansas Sports decided to write extensive previews to break down every player you should know ahead of the draft.
In Part 1 of our series, we explored the current Arkansas baseball players who could hear their name called. Now it’s time for the incoming players…
Arkansas’ Draft-Eligible Transfer Portal Commits
SS Dylan Grego
CF Maika Niu
OF Damian Ruiz
OF Zack Stewart
RHP Jackson Wells
Of the eight known transfer portal commits for Arkansas, five are eligible for the MLB Draft — and four of them could legitimately be picked. The only player seemingly safe is Jackson Wells, the right-hander out of Little Rock.
Dylan Grego, a shortstop out of Ball State, is not currently on any of the prospect lists, but he is coming off a breakout junior season in which he excelled at the plate and in the field. Ball State head coach Rich Maloney told BoAS he’s heard from scouts that his star player could go anywhere between the 6th-12th round, plus he recently posted a photo to his Instagram story from Citizens Bank Park while apparently there for a pre-draft workout with the Phillies, so he’s clearly on MLB teams’ radars.
The other three are outfielders in very different situations.
Arkansas quietly secured a commitment from Maika Niu out of Marshall, likely taking him as an insurance policy if Justin Thomas Jr. turns pro; the former has done nothing but hit since his pledge went public.
This summer, Niu is slashing .338/.404/.650 and leads the prestigious Cape Cod League in OPS (1.054), home runs (7), RBIs (18) and runs (20). Throw in 11 stolen bases and he’s easily the frontrunner to win league MVP.
In the field, the Mechanicsburg, Pa., native has moved from shortstop – where he committed what’s believed to be a DI-leading 33 errors for the Thundering Herd – to center field. It seems to be a great fit for his elite speed, impressive athleticism and strong arm.
Although he barely cracked Baseball America’s top-500 list at No. 499, Niu is one of the outlet’s top eight “sleeper” prospects to watch and could go much higher than that thanks to his production with a wooden bat in the Cape.
Zack Stewart was a draft eligible sophomore last summer and viewed as a borderline second-round prospect after slugging 21 home runs for Missouri State in 2024, but bet on himself by returning to school. Unfortunately, his numbers dipped and he’s not nearly as heralded going into this draft.
Future Stars Series has tabbed him as the 563rd-best prospect and he very well could choose to take the money after likely turning down seven-figures last year, but the NL scout BoAS talked to said he anticipates him making it to Arkansas.
Finally, Damian Ruiz is actually the highest-ranked of the bunch at No. 398 by Baseball America. He’s coming off a huge season at Lamar where he slashed .388/.511/.607 with 7 home runs, 46 RBIs, 14 stolen bases and nearly twice as many walks (50) as strikeouts (27). That was more than enough to earn him Southland Conference Hitter of the Year honors.
One thing working in Arkansas’ favor with him is he’s believed to be just a redshirt sophomore, meaning he could play for the Razorbacks and still have leverage in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Arkansas Baseball’s Trio of JUCO Signees
RHP Denton Biller
RHP Isaac Godard
INF Sherman Johnson II
The JUCO ranks have been good to Arkansas over the years and Dave Van Horn has three more signed for this coming season. None of them appear to be as big of a draft risk as Brent Iredale and Justin Thomas Jr. last year, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see one or two of them get picked.
Two of them are right-handers from familiar schools in Denton Biller out of Johnson County C.C. and Isaac Godard out of McLennan C.C. The latter of those produced Dave Van Horn and, more recently, Jalen Battles, while the former produced Brady Slavens.
Biller was an honorable mention NJCAA All-American. Godard was a second-team All-Conference pick on a team that reached the semifinals of the JUCO World Series and owns a mid-90s fastball.
Sherman Johnson II is a slick-fielding shortstop who also earned second-team All-Conference accolades at McLennan. In addition to making the All-JUCO World Series Team, he was named the Defensive Player of the Tournament. He recently posted a photo to his Instagram story from a pre-draft visit with the Minnesota Twins.
Given what the Razorbacks have coming back and what they’ve added to their infield via the transfer portal, assuming Grego makes it through the draft, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Johnson jump at an opportunity to sign if one presents itself. Something similar unfolded in 2021 with JUCO signee Brenden Dixon, who was drafted in the 20th and final round when it became apparent there was no clear path to playing time in Fayetteville.
Arkansas Baseball High School Signees
SS Landon Schaefer – Fayetteville (Ark.)
FSS: No. 64 | The Athletic: No. 66 | MLB: No. 125 | BA: No. 138 | P1500: No. 138
Slot value range: $529,100-$1.38 million
The son of former Arkansas women’s basketball assistant Todd Schaefer, Landon Schaefer is one of three Fayetteville High graduates signed with the Razorbacks in the 2025 class.
He is also the top-ranked player in the class overall, checking in at No. 71 overall on Perfect Game. While he was also an effective right-handed pitcher for the Purple ‘Dogs, Schaefer will make his living with the bat, where he has 55-grade power on the standard 20-80 scale. Currently a shortstop, there’s some speculation that the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder will eventually evolve into a second or third baseman.
If his projections hold up, Schaefer will become just the 10th high school player from Arkansas taken within the top five rounds since the turn of the century and just the third in the last 13 drafts, following Valley View’s Slade Caldwell (1st round, 2024) and Watson Chapel’s Tink Hence (2nd round, 2020).
(READ NEXT: Schaefer Dishes on Upcoming MLB Draft Decision)
SS/RHP Carson Brumbaugh – Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe
The Athletic: No. 87 | BA: No. 156 | P1500: No. 179 | ESPN: No. 207 | MLB: No. 222 | FSS: No. 262
Slot value range: $206,900-$907,200
Not only was Carson Brumbaugh listed as a two-way player when Arkansas announced his signing, but Perfect Game’s No. 77 overall recruit is also considered a two-way prospect with a future with the bat or his arm.
The Edmond, Okla., native comes from a baseball family. His father, Cliff, played in the big leagues and his older brother, Cayden, transferred from Nebraska to Oklahoma this offseason, so they’ll be SEC foes next season if Carson makes it to campus.
A former Tennessee commit, Brumbaugh flipped to Arkansas last October. He led Edmond Santa Fe to the Oklahoma Class 6A state title as a senior and has been up to 96 mph with a good slider on the mound, but some believe his future is as a shortstop because of his raw power.
RHP McLane Moody – Fort Smith (Ark.) Northside
The Athletic: No. 77 | FSS: No. 234 | BA: No. 354
Slot value range: $150,000-$1.06 million
Another in-state product, McLane Moody has starred at Fort Smith Northside and checks in as the No. 234 overall recruit in the 2025 class on Perfect Game.
While his velocity is currently in the low-90s, Moody’s 6-foot-7 frame has some believing that’ll continue to climb as he gets older. In fact, The Athletic’s Keith Law, who seems to be higher on him than most, wrote that he believes he’ll hit 99 mph by the time he leaves Arkansas if he makes it to campus.
If a pro team takes a chance on him right out of high school, though, it would be a chance for history. The state of Arkansas hasn’t seen two players drafted out of the prep ranks since 2018, when the draft was still 40 rounds.
The last time two were taken within 20 rounds was 2015 and you have to go all the way back to 2001 to find the last time a pair went in the top 10 rounds. That year, Nettleton’s Corey Ragsdale was a second-rounder and Conway’s John Mattox went in the fourth round. That’s a feat Schaefer and Moody could replicate.
LHP Joey Lorenzini – Rocklin (Calif.)
FSS: No. 399
He may be ranked in only one of the prospect lists, but Joey Lorenzini is the No. 218 overall recruit in the Class of 2025, according to Perfect Game.
A 6-foot-5 left-hander who’s only a few years removed from Tommy John surgery, he is another projectable pitcher with the tools scouts look for. However, Lorenzini has indicated to Best of Arkansas Sports that he’s leaning toward playing college ball.
(READ NEXT: Lorenzini Dishes on Pro vs. College Decision)
RHP Jordan Martin – Jefferson City (Mo.)
BA: No. 196 | FSS: No. 442
A two-sport standout who also starred on the hardwood at Jefferson City High in Missouri, Jordan Martin’s future is on the mound.
Standing at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, the right-hander’s fastball sits in the low- to mid-90s and – much like the previous two pitchers – projects to add more velocity in the future. As a senior, he posted a 1.06 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 51 innings, plus hit .419, which earned him Gatorade Player of the Year honors in Missouri.
Perfect Game has tabbed him the 75th-best prospect in the 2025 class, which makes him the Razorbacks’ second-highest ranked signee, and Baseball America’s No. 196 ranking would put him in the early part of the seventh round.
SS Alexander Peck – University School of Nashville (Tenn.)
BA: No. 456
Listed at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, Alexander Peck is the No. 175 overall prospect and No. 4 recruit in Tennessee for the 2025 class, according to Perfect Game.
As a shortstop, he hit .380 with 12 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in just 22 games during his junior year. Stats from his senior year are not available, but he did participate in Prep Baseball Report’s prestigious Super 60 event in February.
Other Arkansas Baseball HS Signees
LHP/UTL Tye Briscoe – Abilene (Texas) Wylie
RHP Mark Brissey – Fayetteville (Ark.)
INF/RHP Luke Cornelison – Springdale (Ark.) Har-Ber
OF/RHP Jaison DeLamar – Fayetteville (Ark.)
INF Walt Jones – Ashdown (Ark.)
RHP Peyton Lee – Maumelle (Ark.)
INF Cayden Mitchell – Arlington (Texas) Mansfield Timberview
UTL Carter Rutenbar – Midlothian (Texas) Heritage
OF Christian Turner – Haughton (La.)
RHP Grant Wren – Melbourne (Ark.)
None of the 10 high school signees listed here are ranked in any of the prospect lists examined by BoAS, but that doesn’t mean they’re bad players with no chance of being drafted.
Six of them are in-state products, highlighted by Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year Mark Brissey. A Batesville native, he played his senior year at Fayetteville High and posted a 1.01 ERA with 80 strikeouts in only 48 innings while also hitting .375.
MLB Draft Prospect Rankings
(NOTE: The “slot value range” listed for Arkansas’ high school signees are the slot values for the pick number at the highest and lowest ranking from the above prospect rankings. Teams are not obligated to pay those amounts, as they’ll negotiate individual signing bonuses with each player. Players taken outside of the top 10 rounds can sign for up to $150,000 with no penalty for the team, so for picks outside of that range, that’s the low value listed.)
What A Successful MLB Draft Looks Like for Arkansas Baseball
Best of Arkansas Sports baseball expert Andrew Hutchinson gives his take on what a successful MLB Draft would look like for the Razorbacks this year, plus makes a prediction on how it’ll actually play out…
In the immediate aftermath of the season, I would have said the biggest draft-related question facing Arkansas involved Aiden Jimenez.
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What about the current Arkansas baseball players who could get picked in the 2025 MLB Draft? We covered them in Part 1 of our series. Check it out here if you missed it:
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More coverage of Arkansas baseball and the 2025 MLB Draft from BoAS…