Top 10 ACC college baseball players of all time ft. Buster Posey
The ACC is an elite spot for finding standout collegiate baseball prospects. The conference has produced numerous MLB stars and is set to continue the tradition in 2024.
Ahead of the upcoming draft, here's a closer look at some of the players that put the ACC on the map during their eras.
Top 10 ACC college baseball players of all time
#10. Zack Collins, Centerfielder, Miami (2014-16)
Zack Collins was as decisive as they came during his three-year collegiate career with Miami. Collins hit 42 home runs and 183 RBIs and was a regular threat during the College World Series in Omaha.
The Miami star earned All-American honors in his junior season after posting a 1.212 OPS.
#9. Dustin Ackley, Second baseman, North Carolina (2007-09)
Dustin Ackley is arguably one of the finest hitters to grace the ACC. Ackley broke numerous University of North Carolina records during his time at the famed program.
Ackley's résumé is impressive. He was named NCAA Freshman of the Year and ACC Player of the Year and became the first UNC player to be named an All-American three times. He was later selected with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2009 MLB draft.
#8. B.J. Surhoff, Utility Player, North Carolina (1983-85)
Much before Ackley came in, there was B.J. Surhoff, a two-time First-Team All-American who led UNC to back-to-back ACC Championships during his collegiate days.
Surhoff had an impressive collegiate baseball career and was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1985 draft.
#7. Trea Turner, Shortstop, NC State (2012-14)
Trea Turner made hitting look easy during his time at NC State. Turner was a three-year star at the program, putting up a stat line of .342/.435/.507 and 113 stolen bases. He earned back-to-back All-American honors during the peak of his powers.
#6. J.D. Drew, Right fielder, Florida State (1995-97)
J.D. Drew was the first player in the history of collegiate baseball to rack up 30 home runs plus 30 steals in the same season. He is also one of three players to record 100 hits, 100 runs and 100 RBIs in a single season. He's undoubtedly one of the greatest ACC players of all time.
#5. Jason Varitek, Catcher, Georgia Tech (1991-94)
Some view Jason Varitek as the greatest Georgia Tech player of all time. The versatile player hit over .400 and was named an All-American in his final three seasons. He scored numerous collegiate awards and was picked No. 14 overall in the 1994 draft. He's the only player in the history of Georgia Tech to have his number retired.
#4. Bryan Garcia, Pitcher, Miami (2014-16)
Bryan Garcia was in a class of his own in Miami. Garcia put up a 1.75 ERA with 15 saves as a freshman, a 2.56 ERA with 10 saves his sophomore year and a 1.89 ERA with 18 saves as a junior. He was a main character in two College World Series runs by Miami during that timeframe.
#3. Nomar Garciaparra, Shortstop, Georgia Tech (1992-94)
Nomar Garciaparra dominated the Atlantic Coast Conference for three years as a member of Georgia Tech. Garciaparra earned two first-team All-American nods and batted .427 in his final season. He nearly singlehandedly led his team to a College World Series title. He eventually had an impressive career in the MLB with the Boston Red Sox.
#2. Brendan McKay, Utility Player, Louisville (2015-17)
Brendan McKay is easily one of the greatest ACC players of all time. McKay's impact in Louisville remains significant almost a decade after he departed for the big leagues.
McKay racked up three first-team All-America honors as a true two-way player. He amassed a collegiate stat line of .328/.430/.536 with 28 home runs and 132 RBIs at the plate. He also went 32-10, 2.23 with a 391-111 K-BB mark in 315.1 innings from the mound. He was subsequently selected No. 4 overall following his junior year in 2017. In 2019, NCAA.com had him as the ACC Player of the past decade.
#1. Buster Posey, Utility Player, Florida State (2006-08)
Buster Posey played everywhere for the Florida State Seminoles, and he excelled everywhere as well. Posey's entire collegiate baseball career was a classic, but he attained his final form in his junior season.
Posey put up a stat line of .463 in his junior season, scoring 26 home runs, 93 RBIs and a 1.445 OPS. He cleaned up the awards, winning the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, the Johnny Bench Award, and Collegiate Baseball’s Player of the Year Award. He was subsequently crowned the greatest ACC player of all time by ACC.com.
Posey later got selected with the No. 5 overall pick by the San Francisco Giants in the 2008 MLB draft.