The ACC enters 2026 in a state of transition and ambition, blending established contenders with programs pushing to close the gap at the national level.

With high-end draft talent spread throughout the league and several teams positioned to challenge at the top, the conference again profiles as one of college baseball’s most competitive and storyline-rich landscapes.

Baseball America subscribers can find our complete 2026 ACC preview below, featuring projected order of finish, top 2026 MLB Draft prospects and conference award picks.

Projected ACC Standings

Note: Records are from 2025

Georgia Tech (41-19; 19-11 ACC)

North Carolina (46-15; 18-11)

Florida State (42-16; 17-10)

Virginia (32-18; 16-11)

Louisville (42-24; 15-15)

Clemson (45-18; 18-12)

Miami (35-27; 15-14)

Wake Forest (39-22; 16-14)

NC State (35-21; 17-11)

Duke (41-21; 17-13)

Virginia Tech (31-25; 12-18)

Stanford (27-25; 11-19)

Notre Dame (32-21; 14-16)

Boston College (28-29; 11-19)

Pitt (28-27; 10-20)

Cal (24-31; 9-21)

Top 10 ACC Draft Prospects For 2026

AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia

Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech

Eric Becker, SS, Virginia

Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech

Ryan Lynch, RHP, North Carolina

Gavin Gallaher, 3B, North Carolina

Jarren Advincula, 2B, Georgia Tech

Brett Renfrow, RHP, Virginia Tech

Trey Beard, LHP, Florida State

Alex Hernandez, 2B/OF, Georgia Tech

Want more draft rankings? You can find BA’s Top 200 board here.

ACC Team To Beat: Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech enters the season with one of the more complete rosters in the conference, led by an offense that is both experienced and draft-oriented. Center fielder Drew Burress sits at the center of it as a legitimate National Player of the Year contender after establishing himself as one of the most productive hitters in the country over the past two seasons. The supporting cast is substantial. Catcher Vahn Lackey, first baseman Kent Schmidt, second baseman Alex Hernandez and outfielder Caleb Daniel all return after strong 2025 campaigns, giving the Yellow Jackets depth and flexibility throughout the lineup. Several of those bats are likely to factor into the early draft picture, as well. Georgia Tech also addressed its pitching needs through the transfer portal while bringing back a handful of experienced arms, namely junior starter Tate McKee and senior innings-eating reliever Mason Patel, who posted a 3.34 ERA over 70 innings out of the pen last year. That stability on the mound complements an offense built to carry the group over the course of the season.

ACC Player Of The Year

Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech

Burress has rewritten the profile of a middle-of-the-order center fielder, pairing an atypical physical build with production that stacks up against anyone in the sport. Across his first two collegiate seasons, he owns a .357/.490/.756 line with 44 home runs and 38 doubles while drawing 111 walks against just 79 strikeouts. That blend of strike-zone control and damage has made him the focal point of Georgia Tech’s lineup and a constant problem for opposing pitching staffs. Few hitters in the country combine his level of consistency with true game-changing power. The result is a resume that places him squarely in the national Player of the Year conversation and firmly in very early first-round draft territory.

ACC Pitcher Of The Year

Trey Beard, LHP, Florida State

Beard authored one of the more notable pitching seasons in the country at Florida Atlantic in 2025, posting a 3.14 ERA with 118 strikeouts against 32 walks over 86 innings. He pairs that production with a distinctive look, working from a true over-the-top slot that creates a steep, difficult angle and a 6-foot-9 release height. His low-90s fastball plays above its velocity thanks to natural carry at the top of the zone, and it’s complemented by a mid-70s changeup that fades late as a consistent swing-and-miss pitch. He also mixes a curveball and slider to give hitters multiple shapes. Now at Florida State as a transfer, Beard will test his standout arsenal and strikeout ability against ACC lineups.

ACC Freshman Of The Year

Brock Ketelsen, OF/LHP, Stanford

Ketelsen arrived at Stanford as one of the more compelling two-way freshmen in the country. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound lefthanded hitter impressed during a summer stint in the West Coast League with the Corvallis Knights, with whom he hit .328/.467/.458 and stole 34 bases while showing advanced strike-zone control with 29 walks against 19 strikeouts. Ketelsen also flashed promise on the mound, posting a 1.04 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 8.2 relief innings, but evaluators project him most strongly as an outfielder. Still just 18, he enters college with polish and upside.

Notable ACC Storylines

Coastal Carolina head coach Kevin Schnall authored one of the most remarkable debut seasons in recent memory in 2025, guiding the Chanticleers to the national title series in his first year after taking over for a program-defining predecessor. That run reset expectations for what a first-year coach can accomplish in the modern era. Now, Georgia Tech’s James Ramsey faces a similarly daunting inheritance after replacing Danny Hall, one of the winningest coaches in college baseball history. Ramsey will be tasked with quickly establishing his own footing while maintaining a high standard.

The ACC has made a concerted push to invest in baseball over the last two years. North Carolina and Clemson have expanded their use of technology and player development resources, Virginia invested aggressively to lure former Duke coach Chris Pollard and Florida State made Link Jarrett the highest-paid non-SEC coach in the country. The question is what those commitments translate to competitively. The ACC has yet to reach double-digit NCAA Tournament bids, a bar the SEC has blown past. Whether increased spending can narrow that gap remains one of the league’s defining questions.