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D1 baseball staff | December 4, 2024

College baseball's top 50 impact JUCO transfer hitters

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Every year hundreds of talented JUCO players transfer to NCAA Division I four-year colleges around the country looking to make an impact. Last season, no JUCO transfer had a greater impact than Gage Miller (Alabama), who made an immediate and profound difference for the Crimson Tide. The everyday third baseman batted in the middle of the Crimson Tide’s lineup, slashing .381/.474/.702 with 18 home runs. He was selected in the third round, 92nd overall by the Marlins.

Other impact hitters and top-five round picks included Florida State OF/C Marco Dinges (4th round; Brewers) and Coastal Carolina INF Sam Antonacci (5th round; White Sox).

As we move into the 2025 college spring season, here are 50 impact JUCO transfers that we’ll be closely watching. Some could become high-round draft picks like those mentioned above, and others will simply impact their club as everyday regulars. Our rankings are not solely based on prospect status but are a combination of their anticipated role and their current projected draft value.

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1. Cade Climie, 3B, Houston (Blinn JUCO, TX): The 6-foot-2, 225-pound right-handed slugger was named the NJCAA World Series MVP as Blinn won the JUCO Natty in Grand Junction. He batted .394 with 20 home runs and 76 RBIs last spring and hasn’t stopped hitting. Climie also stood out this past summer in the MLB Draft League, batting .352 in 19 games for State College. Now in Houston, Climie opened even more pro scouting eyes with a loud fall in the batter’s box for the Cougars.

2. Brent Iredale, 3B, Arkansas (New Mexico JUCO): The Aussie batted .441 with 25 home runs, 78 RBIs and stole 24 bases last spring for the Thunderbirds. He continued to rake this fall in Fayetteville and is currently projected to start at the hot corner for the Razorbacks this spring. Iredale could become this season’s version of Gage Miller.

Brent Iredale smiles at Arkansas

3. Chris Arroyo, 1B, Virginia (Pasco-Hernando CC, FL): A two-way talent, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound slugger is penciled in to start at first base and hit in the middle of the Hoos’ lineup. Arroyo is also a leading candidate for the Sunday starter’s role on the mound. He began his collegiate career at Florida, where he focused solely on pitching and tossed just 5.1 innings during his freshman season in 2023. This past spring at Pasco-Hernando CC, Arroyo missed 12 games due to an injury, but still banged 19 home runs to go along with a .403 batting average. Arroyo’s top tool is his 70-grade raw power to go along with above-average hit ability.

Remainder of the top 50:

Rank Player Position College Junior College
4 Ryan Wideman OF Western Kentucky Georgia Highlands
5 Dawson Willis SS Oklahoma LSU Eunice
6 Bryce Fowler OF Alabama Pearl River (Miss.)
7 Brandon Cain OF Oklahoma Gulf Coast (Miss.)
8 Derek Cerda OF Kansas Western Oklahoma State
9 Hollis Porter 1B Maryland Pearl River (Miss.)
10 Andrew Walters SS/3B Cal Baptist Mt San Antonio (Calif.)
11 Cayden Gaskin 2B South Carolina NW Florida State College
12 Justin Thomas, Jr. OF Arkansas Florida SouthWestern
13 Chase Williams OF Florida State Northwest Florida State
14 Brayden Smith OF Oklahoma State Iowa Western
15 Blaydon Plain OF/1B Florida State Pensacola State (Fla.)
16 Gehrig Goldbeck SS Missouri Kansas City (Kan.)
17 Max Soliz, Jr. C Kansas Chattahoochee Valley (Tenn.)
18 Jake Munroe 3B Louisville John Logan (Ill.)
19 Richard Bonomolo OF Alabama Wabash Valley (Ill.)
20 Jonathan Hernandez OF ASU Central Arizona
21 Cody Gunderson C/1B Charlotte Hutchinson (Kan.)
22 Eli Gipson OF Indiana State Northwest Shoals (Ala.)
23 Jason Jelic C/DH Xavier Wake Tech (N.C.)
24 Kooper Schulte SS Iowa Southeastern (Iowa)
25 Robby Bolin OF Nebraska Barton County (Kan.)
26 Jaxon Sorenson 3B Liberty Iowa Western CC
27 Brady Ballinger INF Kansas Southern Nevada
28 Brayden Fraasman OF NC State Lincoln Trail (Ill.)
29 Kyle Hvidsten UTL Western Kentucky Iowa Western
30 Gavin Balius OF Ball State Mott (Mich.)
31 Nate Earley 1B Louisville Florida SouthWestern
32 Aidan Dougherty UTL UConn Linn-Benton
33 AJ Singer INF Oregon State Iowa Western
34 Sean Darnell INF Troy Wallace Dothan CC
35 Will Johannes C/1B Illinois Madison College (Wis.)
36 Miles Risley OF Iowa Kikrwood (Ia.)
37 Josh Wakefield OF Grand Canyon Iowa Western
38 Roger Vergara 2B East Carolina St. John's River State
39 Caden Dulin INF Pittsburgh Rowan CC South Jersey
40 Rom Kellis OF/C North Carolina Florence-Darlington (S.C.)
41 Colby Thorndyke 1B Coastal Carolina Brunswick (N.C.)
42 Cole Smith 3B Bradley Southeastern (Ia.)
43 Weston Fulk 1B Indiana State LSU-Eunice
44 Alex Conover OF Oklahoma State Cowley (Kan.)
45 Landen Johnson 1B High Point Wabash Valley (Ill.)
46 Emil Estrella OF Indiana State Bossier Parish (La.)
47 Easton Swofford 2B Liberty Crowder (Mo.)
48 Thomas Marsala OF Western Kentucky Hines (Miss.)
49 Greg LaChance SS Illinois Jefferson County (Mo.)
50 Avery Moore OF Purdue Southeastern (Ia.)



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