{"id":698901,"date":"2026-05-14T17:21:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T17:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/698901\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T17:21:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T17:21:14","slug":"cade-townsends-mlb-draft-stock-keeps-building-before-postseason-hottytoddy-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/698901\/","title":{"rendered":"Cade Townsend\u2019s MLB Draft Stock Keeps Building Before Postseason – HottyToddy.com"},"content":{"rendered":"

No. 15 Ole Miss still hopes it has several weeks of baseball left<\/a>, but with the College World Series wrapping a little more than a month from now, it\u2019s hard not to look ahead.<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s version of college baseball, that work starts early, long before the final out of the season.<\/p>\n

A big part of that offseason picture is figuring out which players will be drafted high enough to choose pro ball over returning to Oxford.<\/p>\n

Ole Miss has a handful of names who should hear their names called during the three\u2011day MLB Draft starting July 11, and one of them continues to show up near the top of national projections.<\/p>\n

Right\u2011hander Cade Townsend appeared in multiple first\u2011round mock drafts released Thursday morning.<\/p>\n

RHP Cade Townsend (@OleMissBSB<\/a>) sat 95-96 T97 w\/ riding FB from fast arm. Nasty cutter at 88-91 is the go-to, showed biting 2 pln SL. Low-80s top to bottom CB & CH ~ 1300 RPM to round out mix. Has had a great spring & risen up boards. Soph.\/’26 elig. @PG_Draft<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/TAFbM37f5j<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) April 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

ESPN\u2019s Kiley McDaniel tabbed Townsend<\/a> as the No. 27 overall pick to the New York Mets.<\/p>\n

\u201cA strong finish could help Townsend move up a lot, but he should have a floor around here,\u201d McDaniel wrote about Townsend. \u201cThe Mets should be able to get a few college arms or higher-upside college position players to this pick.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sports Illustrated\u2019s Ryan Phillips has Townsend being drafted much higher<\/a>, at No. 9 overall to the Atlanta Braves.<\/p>\n

\u201cTownsend is in the mix to be the first college pitcher taken,\u201d Phillips wrote. \u201cAt 6\u20191\u2033 and 185 pounds, the righty doesn\u2019t have Flora\u2019s projection, but does possess a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and can hit 98 mph. He balances that with two high-spin offerings in a slider in the mid-to-high 80s and a low-80s curveball. His changeup is a work in progress, but he\u2019s been good this year for the Rebels, as he\u2019s going 5\u20132 with a 3.25 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 77 strikeouts against 14 walks in 55 1\/3 innings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last week, MLB Pipeline\u2019s Jim Callis also had Townsend going to Atlanta in his latest mock draft<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cClubs believe that college pitchers will rise up boards by the time the Draft arrives, and Townsend could move up more than most,\u201d he wrote. \u201cHe can hit 98 mph with his fastball and spin a pair of plus breaking balls as well as a plus cutter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bleacher Report\u2019s Joel Reuter also had Townsend high in his mock draft last week<\/a>, going No. 11 to the Washington Nationals.<\/p>\n

\u201cTownsend flashed intriguing raw stuff in a swingman role last season at Ole Miss, but a 13.1 percent walk rate led to an ugly 6.35 ERA in 34 innings. He has slashed that to a 6.2 percent walk rate this spring and broken through as one of the top pitchers in the nation, posting a 2.42 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 73-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 52 innings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cade Townsend (@cadetownsendmlb<\/a>) has been a revelation for @OleMissBSB<\/a> \ud83d\udd34\ud83d\udd35<\/p>\n

18.2 IP
0.48 ERA
32 K (44.4 K%)
4 BB (5.6 BB%)
.152 BAA<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd17 https:\/\/t.co\/1bA4YZog3H<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ahAfdOuJLF<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 D1Baseball (@d1baseball) March 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Mock drafts will keep shifting as the postseason unfolds, but Townsend\u2019s rise has already been one of the steadier trends of this cycle.<\/p>\n

If he keeps throwing the way he has, the only real question left is how high he climbs before draft night.<\/p>\n