D1Baseball released its list of the Top 50 first basemen heading into the 2026 college baseball season, and NC State’s Chris McHugh checked in among the nation’s elite.

McHugh was ranked 16th overall, placing him firmly in the upper tier nationally and 5th among ACC first basemen entering his junior season in Raleigh.

| Rank | Player | College |
| 1 | Myles Bailey | Florida State |
| 2 | Kade Lewis | Wake Forest |
| 3 | Mulivai Levu | UCLA |
| 4 | Tague Davis | Louisville |
| 5 | Blake Cavill | Troy |
| 6 | Gavin Grahovac | Texas A&M |
| 7 | Jake Hanley | Indiana |
| 8 | Evan Appelwick | Miami (OH) |
| 9 | Robin Villeneuve | Texas Tech |
| 10 | Armani Raygoza | UTRGV |
| 11 | Landen Johnson | High Point |
| 12 | Grayson Fitzwater | VMI |
| 13 | Kent Schmidt | Georgia Tech |
| 14 | Rob Liddington Jr. | TCU |
| 15 | Matthew Russo | Southern Miss |
| 16 | Chris McHugh | NC State |
| 17 | Bino Watters | Notre Dame |
| 18 | Levi Clark | Tennessee |
| 19 | Zach Yorke | LSU |
| 20 | Todd Clay | Auburn |

A Huge Impact in Year One at NC State

McHugh is coming off a standout debut season with the Wolfpack after transferring in from VCU. In his first year in Raleigh, he quickly established himself as one of the most reliable bats in the ACC.

He earned Second Team All-ACC honors after leading NC State in multiple offensive categories, including:

Batting Average: .365 (7th in the ACC)
Hits: 72
RBIs: 48
Doubles: 12
Home Runs: 7

McHugh also posted an impressive .462 on-base percentage, which ranked 8th in the ACC, showcasing both his plate discipline and consistency.

ACC Presence at First Base

With McHugh ranked as the 5th-best first baseman in the conference, NC State enters the 2026 season in a strong position at the corner infield spot, especially in a league stacked with high-end talent at first base.

Landing McHugh out of the transfer portal proved to be a major win for the Wolfpack, and expectations are high as he enters his junior season as one of the ACC’s most proven offensive performers.