Top 10 SEC college baseball players of all time ft. Alex Bregman
Over the years, teams competing in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) have produced some of the best talents in college baseball. While some became household names in the MLB, others went under the radar.
Here is a look at 10 players from the SEC who left an unforgettable impact on NCAA baseball.
Top 10 all-time college baseball players from the SEC
#10. Jac Caglianone, Florida
Although Jac Caglianone has yet to find out which team will make him start his MLB dream, his sensational performances as a two-way player make him too good to be ignored on this list. In fact, he has been compared to Shohei Ohtani, who is taking the MLB by storm as a two-way phenom himself.
This season, Caglianone broke his own single-season program record for home runs, with his 35 home runs also being the second-highest tally in the country. He also recorded 72 RBIs with the country's third-best batting average of .419.
On the mound, he went 5-2 while recording 86 strikeouts with an ERA of 4.76, exemplifying his credentials as a lethal two-way player. Although he redshirted in his freshman season with the Gators, Caglianone still became one of the best players in Florida Gators' history.
In three seasons, he recorded 75 home runs and 189 RBIs with an average of .355. In two seasons as a pitcher, he went 12-6 while recording 170 strikeouts with an ERA of 4.55.
#9. Alex Faedo, Florida
Faedo was a key figure in the Gators' 2017 season, which ended in them winning their maiden College World Series. That year, he finished 9-2 while recording 157 strikeouts with an ERA of 2.26 and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series.
In three seasons with the Gators, Faedo finished 28-6 while recording 349 strikeouts with an ERA of 2.80 in 289.2 innings pitched.
#8. Will Clark, Mississippi State
Clark excelled for the Bulldogs as their first baseman. The left-handed hitter recorded 61 home runs and 199 RBIs with an average of .391 while representing the Bulldogs from 1983 to 1985.
Nicknamed "Will the Thrill", the San Francisco Giants made Clark the No. 2 overall pick of the 1985 MLB draft after he won the Golden Spikes Award that same year. He was also a part of the 1984 Summer Olympics USA team which won a silver medal.
#7. Ben McDonald, LSU
McDonald was a two-sport athlete when he joined LSU before choosing to build his lasting legacy in baseball. In three seasons with the Tigers, he went 29-14 while recording a mammoth 373 strikeouts with an ERA of 3.24. He was also instrumental in Team USA's gold medal win in the 1988 Summer Olympics.
After winning the Golden Spikes Award in 1989, the Baltimore Orioles made McDonald the No. 1 overall pick of the 1989 MLB draft. He went 78-70 in the MLB with an ERA of 3.91, while recording 894 strikeouts and 24 shutouts. However, shoulder and arm injuries forced him to end his career in 1997.
#6. Aaron Nola, LSU
Nola was one of the country's most lethal pitchers during his time with the Tigers. In three seasons, he went 30-6 while recording 344 strikeouts with an ERA of 2.09 in 332 innings pitched.
Nola was named the 2014 National Pitcher of the Year while earning All-American honors and finishing as a Golden Spikes finalist. The Philadelphia Phillies made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 MLB draft.
#5. Rafael Palmeiro, Mississippi State
Palmeiro was Will Clark's teammate, with the duo nicknamed "Thunder and Lightning" for their serious threats at the plate. After recording 29 home runs and 94 RBIs with an average of .415 in 1984, he became the first player to win the coveted SEC Triple Crown honor.
The Chicago Cubs made him a first-round pick in the 1985 draft and Palmeiro did not look back. He is one of only four players to record over 500 home runs and over 3,000 hits in MLB history.
#4. Dansby Swanson, Vanderbilt
Swanson flourished under Tim Corbin at Vanderbilt. He helped the Commodores to consecutive College World Series appearances, ultimately winning the title in 2014. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2014 College World Series for his efforts at the plate.
In his junior season, Swanson recorded 15 home runs and 64 RBIs at an average of .335. The Arizona Diamondbacks made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, trading him to the Atlanta Braves in the winter. He played a big hand in the Braves' 2021 World Series victory before moving to the Chicago Cubs on a seven-year, $177 million deal in 2022.
#3. Fred Lynn, University of Southern California
Lynn became the first player to win the Rookie of the Year and American League MVP awards in the same season, achieving the feat in 1975. He was part of a Trojans team that won three consecutive NCAA Tournaments from 1971 to 1973.
In three seasons with the Trojans, Lynn recorded 28 home runs and 111 RBIs with an average of .320. After the Boston Red Sox drafted him in 1973, he played in the major leagues for 17 seasons with five different teams.
#2. Todd Walker, LSU
The second baseman was phenomenal for the Tigers. In three seasons, he finished as their all-time leader in RBIs (246), hits (310), runs (234) and total bases (557). Walker was crucial to the Tigers' 1993 national championship victory, where he was named the Most Outstanding Player of that year's College World Series.
He earned All-SEC honors thrice while finishing as a Golden Spikes finalist in 1994. On April 14, 2017, the Tigers retired the No. 12 jersey in his honor.
#1. Alex Bregman, LSU
Bregman made a memorable impression when representing the Tigers in NCAA Baseball. The shortstop recorded 21 home runs, 148 RBI and stole 66 bases at an average of .337 in 196 games for the Tigers.
He is one of four players from LSU to make ESPN's all-time greatest college baseball team. The Houston Astros made Bregman the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft and he did not disappoint. He helped the Astros win two World Series titles, with the most recent one coming in 2022.