The always lush JUCO crop of talent has made its way to four-year college campuses this fall. It is loaded with big arms and tooled-up position players. It’s also packed with just good ole’ ballplayers and pitchers who can carve. The overall talented level is very, very good from top to bottom and will impact D1 programs throughout the country.

As far as the main producers of this high-level talent, Wabash Valley, McLennan and Walters State lead the way with three each in the Top 25. Beneficiaries are led by Oklahoma State with three of the Top 25 impact position players, while Dallas Baptist and Tennessee places two apiece.

 

1. Alberto Osuna, 1B, Walters State (Tenn.) / North Carolina– The JUCO D1 Player of the Year & a First Team All-American, Osuna batted .459 with 25 HR and 107 RBI in 2021. The PBR No. 8 JUCO prospect for the 2021 Draft, Osuna has the potential to mash like former UNC slugger Aaron Sabato, albeit from the right side instead of the left. The 6-foot, 230-pound strongman has big bat speed and looks to be a middle of the order run producer for the Tar Heels this spring.

Walk it off, Alberto Osuna @WSCCbaseball. Super short swing with tremendous bat speed. Just losing balls to LF @PBR_DraftHQ pic.twitter.com/lgyJw3XDvU

— PBR JUCO (@PBR_JUCO) October 15, 2020

2. Dominic Tamez, C, McLennan (Tex.) / Alabama– An offense first catcher, the 5-foot-11 Tamez will have an immediate impact in Tuscaloosa as the likely starting behind the plate this spring. He’s one of several former Arkansas Razorbacks to make our Top 50 JC transfer list. He batted .400 (4-for-10) as a true freshman in Fayetteville, then raked (.386/.451/.665) at McLennan this spring where they won the 2021 JUCO D1 title.

3. Blake Rambusch, INF, Grayson (Tex.) / Auburn– A solid all around performer who shows good hands with clean actions on the dirt. A JUCO shortstop, Rambusch has also shown the versatility to play either 2B or 3B. At the plate the right handed hitter shows a smooth swing with natural rhythm, good bat speed and some power to the pull side. The 5-foot-10. 175-pound right handed hitter led Grayson in AVG (.444), OBP (.563) and SLG (.637) last spring. He also stole 33 bases in 34 attempts and is expected to hit at the top of the order this spring for the Tigers.

4. Savier Pinales, SS, Wabash Valley (Ill.) / Gonzaga– A Wisconsin prep, Pinales was the leadoff hitter for Wabash Valley last spring where he slashed .491/570/.744 with 17 doubles, nine triples and five HR. A switch-hitter who stands 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, “Savi” also has game changing speed with 64 stolen bases and plus base running instincts. Defensively, Pinales shows plus hands and feet with the ability to throw from all angles. He’s a smooth defender with a quick release and average pro-caliber arm strength that plays up.

 

5. Gabriel Rincones, OF, St Petersburg (Fla.) / Florida Atlantic– The Florida JUCO Player of the Year, Rincones is a 6-foot-4, 225-pound left-handed hitting outfielder who can also play 1B. This past spring at St Petersburg he slashed .415/.523/.636. His hit tool is far and away his biggest asset, and he also has plus raw power. Drafted in 19th round this past July by San Diego, he didn’t sign and headed to Boca Raton where he’s likely to hit third or fourth in the lineup for the Owls this spring.

6. Spencer Rich, OF, Daytona State (Fla.) / Clemson– An All-State FL JUCO talent, Rich batted .438 with 10 HR and 20 stolen bases last season for Daytona State. Under scouted, especially early in the spring, he could have signed in the draft, but opted for Clemson. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound right-handed hitter has tools that play, including a 6.50 sixty, near average arm strength and raw power that shows up as production during games. He’s expected to hit near the top of the Tigers order and likely to play left field if Will Taylor (CF) recovers in time from a recent football injury.

7. Noah Turley, 1B/OF, Yavapai (Ariz.) / Arizona– A Utah prep, Turley is a premium athlete with big-time juice. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds he’s an imposing figure in the batter’s box. Last season at Yavapai the right-handed slugger belted 22 HR in 163 at-bats to go along with a .417 average. Turley also pitches, but control is an issue of his fastball that can reach into the mid-90s. He was originally slated to pitch in college, but his bat took off and he will now be counted on to man 1B and hit in the middle of the order for the Wildcats. Turley has drawn recent comparisons to former Wildcat Bobby Dalbec for his big-time power with high strikeout totals.

8. Curtis Washington Jr., OF, Wabash Valley (Ill.) / Purdue– After batting .353 in 37-at-bats as a freshman at Arkansas in 2018, Washington took his talents to Wabash in 2021 and produced a .412/.511/.692 slash with 46 stolen bases. Strong, lean and athletic at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, he throws above average from the outfield and is also a plus defender. He’s expected to start in the OF and hit towards the top of the lineup for the Boilers this spring.

 

9. Seth Stephenson, SS, Temple (Tex.) / Tennessee– Relatively raw in other areas, Stephenson’s electric speed makes him an instant impact on defense and the base paths. He’s a twitchy, explosive athlete with some pop and barrel control. Last season at Temple, the 5-foot-9, 160-pound burner stole 31 bases while batting .383 with nine HR. Stephenson will contend for a starting spot at SS or 2B, both open spots for the Vols after losing Liam Spence and Max Ferguson to the draft this past July.

10. Miguel Santos, 2B, McLennan (Tex.) / Dallas Baptist– With a plus hit tool and good pop Santos helped lead McLennan to the 2021 JUCO D1 National Championship. The right-handed hitter posted a .344 batting average with 14 HR, 22 doubles, 55 RBI and a .626 SLG. He’s also a good defender and will likely start at the keystone for the Patriots this spring.

11. Crew Robinson, 2B, College of Southern Idaho / UC-San Diego– Although the 6-foot-1 lefty hitter struggled during a 29 at-bat (.138 average) late season appearance in the Cape this summer, Robinson raked last spring at Southern Idaho, putting together a .400/.490.776 slash with 14 HR. His tools are all average to above, with his hit tool being best. He projects to land a starting spot at either 2B or 3B this spring for the Tritons.

12. Matthew Ellis, 1B/DH, Walters State (Tenn.) / Indiana– A middle of the order slugger who teamed with Alberto Osuna last spring at Walters State, the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder bashed .348 with 17 HR and 62 RBI. For the Hoosiers the right-handed bat has continued to rake this fall and will see some time behind the plate, some at 1B and other time at DH.

 

13. Caleb McNeely, SS, Walters State (Tenn.) / Louisiana– A superior athlete who is strong and fast with next level tools, McNeeley should see significant action on the dirt this spring for the Ragin’ Cajuns. Last season at Walters State, the right handed batter hit .364 with 18 HR and 14 stolen bases to help lead the Senators to the JUCO D1 World Series.

 

14. Banks Tolley, OF, Meridian (Miss.) / Ole Miss– Originally a collegiate soccer player, Banks is toolsy with a plus arm and plus to better speed. Standing 6-foot, 185 pounds he also has real power at the plate. Last spring at Meridian he hit over .400 with 14 HR.

15. McKay Barney, CF, South Mountain (Ariz.) / Washington– Expected to leadoff this spring for the Huskies, the lefty slasher began his collegiate career at BYU before transferring to South Mountain where he slashed .325/.438/.457 with 18 stolen bases last spring. Barney is an elite outfielder who can run a sixty in the 6.6s. He stole 30 bases and hit .319 with a .426 OBP in 226 at-bats in the Northwoods League last summer.

16. Hylan Hall, CF, Wabash Valley (Ill.) / Washington State– Beginning his collegiate career at Miami (Fla.), Hall is an super athletic, tooled-up, physical specimen. Standing 6-foot-2, 200 pounds he has all five tools. He’s a power runner with good acceleration and runs the sixty in the low 6.6s. He will also show an above average arm with solid carry from the outfield. He moves easy to the ball while showing sure hands and confidence in his defensive actions. However, his tools haven’t fully developed in the batter’s box. His swing can get out of sync with his upper body getting ahead of his lower half, causing him to pull off the ball. Last season at Wabash Valley he batted .348 with 35 strikeouts vs 20 walks in 155 at-bats. This summer in the MLB Draft League, Hall put together a five hit game (video below). Based on tools alone, Hall is easily a top five round prospect, but will need to consistently produce at the plate this spring.

 

17. Lyle Miller-Green, 1B, Chipola (Fla.) / Oklahoma State– Miller-Green started his college career at George Mason and then transferred to Chipola (Fla.) for the 2021 season. He was then a breakout star on the Cape this summer, ranking second in the league with eight homers. Many of Miller-Green’s were no-doubters, including one moonshot over the left-center scoreboard and into the trees at Chatham. At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, Miller-Green has an Alec Bohm look to him and the ball comes off his bat like a shot with EVs up to 113+ mph already this fall. He has real right-handed power, but something of a feast-or-famine approach, as evidenced by his 49 strikeouts and just three doubles in 125 at-bats this summer. He’s also an average runner with an average arm that plays at an outfield corner, though he also handles himself well at first base.

18. Dawson Parry, INF, Miles (Mont.) / South Dakota State– The JUCO D2 Player of the Year, Parry has plus hit ability with some power and projects to hit in the middle of the Jackrabbits’ lineup. Last season at Miles, the right-handed hitter slugged .495 with 26 HR and 97 RBI over 200 at-bats.

19. Garrett Martin, OF McLennan (Tex.) / Oklahoma State– With an ever-improving approach at the plate that has tightened up his plate discipline and lessened his holes, Martin has a good chance to hit for both average and power for the Cowboys. Last spring the right handed hitter batted .355 with 20 HR for the JUCO D1 National Champion Highlanders. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder then took his talents to the Cape where he posted a .262 average and two HR in 13 games for Chatham. Martin profiles to left field as a professional, yet should see the most time in right field for Cowboys.

 

20. Logan Chambers, OF, Crowder (Mo.) / Tennessee– Although the 5-foot-10, 190-pound outfielder does not have any standout run/throw/defend tools, he has very good feel with the bat. Last spring for the Roughriders the left-handed hitter slugged 36 doubles, 16 HR and 76 RBI to go along with a team-leading .404 batting average. He also stole 14 bases in 15 attempts.

 

21. Chase Adkison, C, San Jacinto (Tex.) / Oklahoma State– A 4-2-4 transfer from now defunct Boise State to San Jacinto to Stillwater, Adkison is an athletic catcher with good physicality. Behind the dish he shows good feet with average arm strength and a quick release. He also shows a polished approach at the plate, batting .296 with seven home runs and 12 stolen bases last spring for the Gators.

22. Zac Vooletich, INF, Navarro (Tex.) / Texas Tech– At 5-foot-9 Vooletich is athletic, but a bit undersized. He plays hard and he can run. With a flat swing he finds the barrel and wills his way to impacting the game. He’s also a typical Red Raider in the sense that he doesn’t have a true position, but can handle himself at nearly any position on the diamond. Last season at Navarro, the right-handed hitter batted .369 with six HR and 27 stolen bases.

23. Brayden Jobert, 1B/OF, Delgado (La.) / LSU– A bat first prospect, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound the lefty slugger belted 16 HR with 71 RBI and a .374 average for Delgado last spring. Jobert projects to hit in the middle of the lineup and play a combination of first base, left field and DH for the Tigers.

24. Jalen Jones, SS/CF, Southwestern (Ill.) / Eastern Kentucky– A 4-2-4 transfer from Western Carolina to SWIC to EKU, Jones possesses a well-rounded toolset with strong hit ability and defensive versatility. He will likely start on the dirt, but he also has the ability to play center field. Last season at SWIC the athletic right-handed hitter slashed .408/.491/.728 with 12 HR and 27 stolen bases.

 

25. Tyler Small, INF, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M / Dallas Baptist– The 5-foot-10 left handed hitter posted a .364 batting average at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. He also led the team in home runs (8), RBI (45), and slugging percentage (.686). The Canadian-born infielder has plus bat to ball skills and is a solid defender.