April 3, 2026, 2:00 p.m. PT
Coach Eddie Smith and the Washington Huskies have a star on their hands in outfielder Jackson Hotchkiss.
After he was sorely missed during the early part of the season, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound sophomore from Battle Ground, Washington, has returned with authority and quickly made his mark as one of the best hitters in the Big Ten. Although he’s not eligible for most leaderboards since he hasn’t hit the minimum at-bat requirement, Hotchkiss has put together a .409 batting average and 1.338 OPS behind 29 hits and 9 walks, including a team-high 9 home runs and 22 runs scored with 20 runs batted in.
Those numbers have been more than enough to catch the attention of MLB draft analysts, and although Hotchkiss isn’t eligible for the selection process until 2027, that hasn’t stopped Over-Slot’s Joe Doyle from ranking him as a potential first-round pick next year, placing him as the No. 42 overall prospect on his 2027 big board.
As Hotchkiss continues to build on a strong first year, which included a Big Ten Freshman of the Week award as he compiled a .241 batting average with a .792 OPS on 39 hits and 31 walks with 6 home runs, 26 RBIs, and 33 runs scored, he’s on pace to smash those numbers during his abbreviated sophomore campaign.
As the Huskies continue to rebound from their slow start to the year and push back towards .500, his presence at the top of the lineup could help his team surge back toward the top of the conference after a fifth-place finish in the Big Ten last season.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
It also helps that throughout his career, Smith has done an impressive job developing hitters, with the most notable example being former LSU outfielder Dylan Crews, who went on to be selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft by the Washington Nationals.