Editor’s note: The following article was published first on d1baseball.com. Right now, you can get 30% off any sub at D1 with code: SUMMER30
There’s no doubt that last year’s NCAA Transfer Portal had more “high-profile” players enter, but there’s also no doubt this year’s portal was heavier in numbers.
Overall, 2,845 players entered the NCAA Division I Transfer Portal for baseball. Ranking the best transfers out of that group is a difficult and tedious process, but we separated hitters and pitchers for this exercise.
Let’s take a look:
15. Deven Sheerin, RHP (Mount St. Mary’s to LSU)
The Tigers have yet another solid arm at their disposal entering the 2025 campaign in Sheerin. Sheerin is a 6-foot-5, 220-pounder, who has big-time overall stuff. He appeared in 18 games (two starts) for The Mount this past season with 109 strikeouts and 32 walks in 70 innings of work. He also limited teams to a .197 OBA. Sheerin is anywhere from 92-95 mph with his fastball, which he throws 39 percent of the time, while the slider, which averages 83.2 mph per Synergy was used almost 30% of the time last season with spin rates around 40%. At the very least, Sheerin should give the Tigers an impressive weapon out of the bullpen.
14. Evan Chrest, RHP (Jacksonville to Florida State)
There’s no doubt that Chrest struggled for the Dolphins last season, tallying a 6.96 ERA in 63.1 innings of work, along with 67 strikeouts and 22 walks — teams hit him at a ridiculously high .326 clip. However, the upside with the 6-foot, 180-pounder, under the direction of FSU pitching coach Micah Posey is massive. Chrest has a fastball in the low-to-mid 90s that’s effective, while he also possesses a low-80s slider and changeup that he can throw in any count.
13. Jared Spencer, LHP (Indiana State to Texas)
I got my first look at the talented left-handed pitcher at the Fort Worth Super Regional two seasons ago, where he was up to 96-97 mph with his fastball from the left side. He was hurt weeks later. Spencer is a great-looking 6-foot-3, 195-pounder, who had a 4.08 ERA in 53 innings of work last season, along with 72 strikeouts and 33 walks. Staying healthy will be a huge key for Spencer as he heads to Austin. Stuff-wise, it’s a fastball up to 95-96 mph along with an 83-85 mph slider that generated whiffs more than 40% of the time last season.
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12. Tommy LaPour, RHP (Wichita State to TCU)
Snagging a top-flight Wichita State arm out of the portal worked brilliantly for the Frogs last season with the addition of two-way standout Payton Tolle. Kirk Saarloos hopes lightning strikes yet again with the addition of the 6-foot-4, 230-pound righty. LaPour started 16 games for the Shockers last season with a 4.25 ERA in 78.1 innings — he also struck out 69 and walked 37. LaPour will sit anywhere from 91-94 and up to 95 mph with his fastball, while the slider in the 80-82 mph range generated more than 40% whiffs last season.
11. Zac Cowan, RHP (Wofford to LSU)
I’m fascinated to see how the ultra-successful Cowan does in the SEC in 2025. Cowan is a 5-foot-11, 180-pounder who is coming off a strong 2024 campaign with a 3.60 ERA in 110 innings, along with 124 strikeouts and only 29 walks. Command is his forte. With that said, he’s a little unorthodox as a potential SEC starter with his changeup being his most-used pitch in the upper-70s. Cowan also attacks hitters with an upper-80s fastball that can get up to 90-91 if he reaches back. Cowan is very consistent. Now, we’ll see if he can miss bats in the SEC as well.
10. Grant Cunningham, RHP (Washington to Texas A&M)
The Aggies cleaned up in the portal as usual, and picked up a solid addition to their bullpen in Washington hard-throwing right-handed pitcher Grant Cunningham. Cunningham appeared in 20 games for the Huskies last season, tallying a 2.86 ERA in 50.1 innings of work, along with 56 strikeouts and 16 walks. Cunningham will sit in the low-to-mid 90s with his fastball. There’s more in the tank there as well. He threw predominantly fastballs out of the pen for UW last season.
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9. Alton Davis, RHP (Alabama to Georgia)
Davis has a world of upside and should be a powerful asset for the Bulldogs in 2025. Davis is a 6-foot-5, 185-pounder who had some bright spots during his two years with Alabama. Last season, he tallied a 5.61 ERA in 33.2 innings of work along with 38 strikeouts and 17 walks. Davis should miss more bats with a fastball that was up to 96-97 mph with Team USA this past summer, along with a nasty curveball at 77-78 mph. Davis also attacks with a slider, while an upper-80s changeup is a developing weapon as he heads to Athens.
8. Liam Doyle, LHP (Ole Miss to Tennessee)
After having just a so-so year for the Rebels last season, Doyle heads to Knoxville to pitch on the weekend for one of the nation’s best pitching coaches in Frank Anderson. Doyle, a 6-foot, 220-pound left-handed pitcher, misses bats as evidenced by his 84 strikeouts in 55 innings of work last season, while his ERA was well over five. Doyle will sit anywhere from 91-93 and up to 94-95 mph with his fastball, while the low-80s slider is a quality offering as well. He also will attack hitters with a slider and cutter that is used approximately the same amount.
7. Tanner Franklin, RHP (Kennesaw State to Tennessee)
The Volunteers had great success with a transfer pitcher from this area a few years ago with the addition of right-handed pitcher Chase Dollander. Though Dollander was primarily a starter when he transferred, Franklin heads to Knoxville with a reliever background after tallying a 5.60 ERA in 27.1 innings of work for the Owls last season. This past summer, Franklin was very impressive with the Chatham Anglers, sitting anywhere from 92-96 mph with his fastball with solid spin rates around 2500-2600 rpm. He has two distinct breaking balls with an 84-86 mph slider and a sharp 80-81 mph curveball with spin rates in the 2800-2900 range.
6. Chandler Dorsey, RHP (South Florida to LSU)
Dorsey is coming off a solid season with the Bulls, where he tallied a 3.42 ERA in 22 appearances and 26.1 innings of work last season. He also struck out 32 and walked 12 while teams hit him at a .186 clip. Dorsey was one of the nation’s rising summer arms after putting on a show at times over the past few months. He was consistently in the mid-90s with his fastball to go with a putaway slider in the low-80s. At the least, Dorsey should be a strong asset for the LSU bullpen.
5. Landon Beidelschies, LHP (Ohio State to Arkansas)
The Razorbacks picked up one of the more talented portal arms in the country in the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder. Beidelschies should be in the mix for a rotation spot for the Hogs after starting 15 games with a 4.15 ERA in 84.2 innings of work last season. He also struck out 91 and walked 31, while teams hit him at a .231 clip. Beidelschies typically sits in the low-90s with his fastball, but can reach back and get to 94-95 mph at times. He also has a quality low-80s slider with excellent overall makeup.
4. Myles Patton, LHP (Long Beach State to Texas A&M)
Patton should step right in as a weekend starter for the Aggies in the spring. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder started 11 games with a 3.26 ERA in 66.1 innings of work last season. He also struck out 85 and walked 24, while teams hit him at a .214 clip. Patton will sit in the upper-80s, low-90s with his fastball, which is thrown 57% of the time, per Synergy. The slider in the low-80s generated around a 45% whiff rate last season, while the little-used cutter has a whiff rate over 50%.
3. Cade Fisher, LHP (Florida to Auburn)
The Fisher sweepstakes in the portal captivated our attention a great deal this past summer, and for good reason. There’s a ton of upside present with Fisher in Auburn if he can establish a bit more consistency. Fisher started nine games and appeared in 26 for the Gators last season, tallying a 7.13 ERA in 59.1 innings of work, along with 76 strikeouts and 29 walks. Fisher is a 6-foot-4, 210-pounder who was anywhere from 90-93 mph with his fastball this past summer, along with a 75-79 mph sweeping breaking ball. A change of scenery and Butch Thompson could hold the key to unlocking the unbridled potential of the talented junior lefty.
2. Zach Root, LHP (East Carolina to Arkansas)
One of the top prospects in the 2025 draft class, Root is yet another big-time boost for the Hogs pitching staff. Root is a 6-foot-1, 186-pounder who started 12 games and appeared in 13 for ECU last season with a 3.56 ERA in 68.1 innings of work. he also struck out 76 and walked 21, while he would’ve logged more innings if not for a nagging injury. Root sits in the 91-94 mph range with his fastball, which he throws 47% of the time, while the low-80s changeup and 78-81 mph slider each generate whiff rates of more than 45%.
1. Anthony Eyanson, RHP (UC San Diego to LSU)
Eyanson earned a spot on our summer breakout prospect list for good reason. The 6-foot-2 athletic righty is coming off a solid season with the Tritons, where he tallied a 3.07 ERA in 82 innings of work, along with 85 strikeouts and 24 walks. He also limited teams to a .190 average this past summer. Stuff-wise, Eyanson takes an electric arm to Baton Rogue, where he sits 94-96 and up to 97 mph with his fastball, along with a 12-6 hammer curveball in the upper-70s. He also has a power slurve at 83-84 mph that he utilizes.
The rest of the rankings: (16-25), (26-35), (36-45), (46-55), (56-65), (66-75), and (76-85).
