SEC Baseball Power Rankings 2025: Way-too-early SEC Top 7 College Baseball Pitchers Projections
The preparations for the 2025 college baseball season have already begun with teams, including in the SEC, retooling their lineups to become competitive before the new season opens in February 2025.
The Southeastern Conference is no exception, with the 16 SEC squads competing in the uber-competitive conference shoring up their pitching staff and adding a few more hurlers from the transfer portal going into the 2025 college baseball season.
Some of these pitchers had chips on their shoulders, as they had something to prove and promises to fulfill while aspiring to progress to the next level. Here are seven pitchers in the SEC who may pick up the pace and step up in the upcoming baseball season.
Way-too-early top seven SEC College Baseball Pitchers Projections
#7 Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
Much has been spoken about Tennessee transfer Liam Doyle and how he could help the Volunteers make another run to the national championship. The transfer out of Ole Miss and Coastal Carolina played 39 games, including 18 starts, and went 6-5 with a 5.50 ERA.
Doyle is a strikeout pitcher in his first two seasons, picking up 153 Ks in 111.1 innings. He has surrendered 41 walks and his WHIP is 1.186. Adding Doyle to the Volunteers lineup shows how Tony Vitello and his coaching staff are serious about keeping the team strong next season.
#6 Kyrin LeBlanc, RHP, Texas A&M
The Texas A&M-Texas rivalry on the diamond has picked up with the Aggies snaring flame-throwing pitcher Kyrin LeBlanc over Jim Schlossnagle's Texas.
LeBlanc, who initially announced his commitment to play for Texas, made a sudden change of heart, deciding to take his talents to Texas A&M.
LeBlanc played junior college ball at Cisco College, where he showcased his 102-mph fastball. The right-hander will take a step forward this coming season, as he will pitch for the Aggies, who came a run close to stealing Game 3 against Tennessee in the College World Series final.
The hiring of new pitching coach Jason Kelly should benefit LeBlanc in improving his control and spin rate as he enters better competition in SEC baseball.
#5 Max Grubbs, RHP, Texas
Max Grubbs will play for his third season with the Longhorns after an excellent sophomore stint, where he went 6-4 with a 3.67 ERA. He played 18 games (12 starts) with Texas and pitched 73 2/3 effective innings.
Grubbs produced 50 strikeouts in the past season and surrendered only 18 walks. The six-foot-one pitcher limited foes to a batting average of .270 and surrendered eight home runs. He had a fielding percentage of .952 on five putouts and 15 assists against one error.
The Texas pitcher stayed for another year and is expected to provide a veteran presence on Jim Schlossnagle's bench in the 2025 season.
#4 Ryan Verdugo, RHP, Kentucky
Kentucky acquired Ryan Verdugo after three seasons with Cal State Bakersfield. He had a good season in terms of pitching. The six-foot-two pitcher went 3-6 in 14 starts with a 2.72 ERA in 89 1/3 innings.
Verdugo struck out 93 batters, surrendered 40 walks and allowed batters to hit .208 in 2024. The Wildcats picked up an excellent right-hander who could boost their chances of winning next season.
#3 Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas
Arkansas may have picked up one of the best pitchers from the transfer portal in former East Carolina star Zach Root. One of the Pirates' aces this past season, Root played 68 1/3 innings and went 6-2 with a 3.56 ERA.
The left-hander struck out 76 batters and 21 walks and recorded a .228 batting average against this past season. Root will take the place of Hagen Smith as Dave Van Horn's ace for the Razorbacks.
#2 Nate Snead, RHP, Tennessee
Nate Snead stepped up big time for the national champions in their record-setting year.
The transfer out of Wichita State went 10-2 for Tennessee with a 3.11 ERA. He's dependable in clutch situations, recording six saves, including the save in the College World Series Finals Game 2 against Texas A&M.
Snead struck out 61 batters and surrendered 26 walks this past season. He had a WHIP of 1.288 in 75 1/3 innings. Tennessee coach Tony Vitello is glad to have Snead back in the fold.
#1 William Schmidt, RHP, LSU
LSU helped Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes become the top pitcher in the 2023 NCAA baseball tournament. Now, they have the opportunity to guide another generational talent in the college baseball scene in William Schmidt.
The Baton Rouge native bypassed the MLB draft to play for the hometown purple and gold in the 2025 season.
The six-foot-four Schmidt is expected to bring his much-hyped pitching repertoire to the Tigers' benefit as they bid for another College World Series stint and a national championship. The MLB analysis of Schmidt says:
“Schmidt can spin his curveball at upwards of 3,000 rpm, and it’s an low-80s hammer that breaks so much that it often fools umpires as well as hitters.
"He has good command of a fastball that has gained 3 mph this spring, now sitting in the mid-90s and maxing out at 99 mph with carry and arm-side run. He rarely has needed a third pitch but shows some feel for a low-80s changeup with some sink."
Schmidt, who was rated as the No. 5 overall prospect and the state's top-ranked prospect, guided Catholic High Bears to the No. 1 baseball program in the country, as per MaxPreps.