Top 5 college baseball teams with most active MLB players ft. Louisville
College baseball is different. Unlike football and basketball, there's no one (or few) collegiate factories that make a ton of pro baseball players. Baseball players can and do come from just about anywhere. That said, in a ranking, there are a few schools that lead the pack in producing major-league talent.
Because MLB rosters are constantly shifting and evolving, ranking the top schools for producing MLB talent is a challenge. This ranking goes off the Opening Day MLB rosters, which are as representative as any during the season. Here are the top five schools for producing MLB talent.
5 college baseball teams with the most active MLB players
Tied at #5. Arkansas, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Virginia (7 each)
The competitive nature of the quest to be the baseball feeder school is apparent with four teams tied for fifth place. Three SEC squads in Arkansas, MSU and Texas A&M have each produced seven big leaguers, as has ACC power Virginia.
Among the notables from these groups are Arkansas OF Andrew Benintendi and Mississippi State OF Hunter Renfro. Six of the seven Texas A&M players are pitchers. Surprisingly, there are no MLB superstars in either group.
Tied at #2. Florida (8)
Given their geography and excellent recent tradition, it's not shocking that the Florida Gators are on this list. With eight College World Series appearances in the last decade and a half, Florida has obviously had some baseball movers and shakers on their recent rosters.
Among the former Gators now notable in MLB is rookie Wyatt Langford, who has sped to the big leagues from the 2023 draft class. 2021 Rookie of the Year Jonathan India is also a former Gator as is New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso, who set a new rookie home run mark with 53 homers in 2019.
Tied at #2. Vanderbilt (8)
The Commodores fit the same profile as Florida, an SEC power that has built up a bunch of recent successes. Vandy had never been to the College World Series before 2011, but then went five times in a dozen years, with a pair of national titles. They've also put together an impressive collection of college baseball talent in Nashville.
The notable Commodore MLB standouts include shortstop Dansby Swanson. The top pick of the 2015 draft, Swanson has settled into a solid career, being an All-Star and Gold Glove winner in each of the past two seasons. Mike Yastrzemski, grandson of Carl Yastrzemski, is another Vandy standout and has played well with the San Fransisco Giants. Young outfielder JJ Bleday is another good one.
Tied at #2. Arizona State (8)
The Sun Devils haven't won a national title since 1981 or reached the College World Series since 2010. It hasn't stopped them from pumping out top-flight MLB prospects. The mind fairly boggles at how many MLB players a higher-performing college baseball version of ASU could produce.
The most notable MLB player from Arizona State has to be Detroit Tiger first baseman, Spencer Torkelson. Torkelson was the top pick in the 2020 MLB draft from ASU. While his low batting average and high strikeout rate remain a concern, he ripped 31 homers last season for Detroit. Also, Sun Devil Merrill Kelly has been a solid starter and won a game for Arizona in last year's World Series.
#1. Louisville (9)
The top college baseball program for producing MLB roster players is Louisville from the ACC. The Cardinals have never won a title, but have reached the College World Series five times since 2007. Meanwhile, Louisville has done the best job of any college baseball team at pumping out MLB players.
A pair of catchers are among the most interesting Cardinals. Dodgers backstop Will Smith made his first All-Star team last year and has ripped 19, 24 and 25 homers over the last three seasons. Pirates catcher Henry Davis, who was the top pick of the 2021 draft, is struggling to catch on, but is still very young. Two-time 100-RBI man Adam Duvall is still playing in Atlanta, as well.
Which college baseball teams surprised you on this list? Are there any up-and-coming schools that'll soon be here? Weigh in below with your comments!