Collegiate Corner: The Big Zaborowski

College baseball is in full swing. Conference play is underway, games are hitting ESPN’s family of networks, and I can be found perusing ballpark exteriors sampling various hot dogs and sausages until my stomach turns into a hodgepodge of partially-cooked Southern meats. There’s almost too much baseball to take in this time of year when the heart of the college slate meets the excitement of the start of the MLB season. But look no further than the Houston Astros’ Opening Day roster, which features 2024 draftee Cam Smith starting in the outfield on a regular basis. Smith played just two seasons at Florida State before becoming a first-round draft choice by Houston last summer, and is now positioned to be a regular fantasy contributor throughout the remainder of the campaign. We’ll see the same in 2026, 2027 and 2028. There is no question. College baseball is developing elite prospects faster and better than ever before and for this reason, a plethora of top-level players are making it to campus and getting their names called in their early twenties. We’ll dive into a handful of players that could fit that bill in this week’s collegiate corner.

Ryland Zaborowski – The first-year Georgia Bulldog spent his first three college seasons at Grand Canyon (2021) and Miami-Ohio (2023-24), connecting for 32 home runs and 31 doubles while fanning at a 22.7% clip in 135 career games. In his first 27 contests at Georgia this year, Zaborowski has hit 14 homers (second in NCAA) and driven in 48 runs (t-second in NCAA) backed by a robust .448/.579/1.012 slash line. He has drawn more walks (21) than strikeouts (17), equating to an 18.4 BB% and 14.9 K%. Although those percentages are likely to change across the next seven weeks of SEC, Zaborowski has put himself firmly in the mix for SEC Player of the Year. True seniors typically are not drafted highly in the first round unless they have overwhelming tools in the field or on the bases, which will cap Zaborowski’s draft stock. Even so, he’s the type of bat-first prospect to keep an eye on for fantasy in first-year player drafts and deeper formats.

Ryland Zaborowski with a MOON SHOT!!pic.twitter.com/lvDu7bCoti

— The Bulldawg Report (@ReportBulldawg) February 22, 2025

Justin Lebron – Fantasy managers will have to wait a year for Lebron, who is beginning to separate himself as the No. 1 college prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft. Profiling as a true shortstop, Lebron leads the country with 52 RBI and has already connected for 13 home runs in just 30 games. After slashing .338/.429/.546 as a true freshman in 2024, Lebron is batting an even more impressive .342/.449/.759 this season. The Alabama shortstop has struck out at a 20.4% clip for his career while walking at a 9.5% rate, so there are aspects of his offensive profile that can still use development. Lebron has already turned the Crimson Tide around in a matter of seasons, and he could do the same for an MLB organization or even your dynasty roster as a top-of-the-board name in two years.

Patrick Forbes – The Louisville right-handed pitcher was left off of MLB Pipeline’s top-100 for the 2025 MLB Draft but ranked as Baseball America’s No. 18 college prospect entering the season. Despite coming into the year with only 38 1/3 innings pitched from 2023-24, Forbes has been one of the nation’s premier pitchers through March. in his first seven starts, Forbes has posted a 3.89 ERA, .218 batting average against, and 65-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 37.0 frames. He ranks second in the country in K/9 (15.8), fourth in total strikeouts, and boasts a 5.9 K-to-BB ratio. His strong beginning to 2025 comes on the heels of 13 2/3 innings of 3.29 ERA ball with 22 strikeouts on the Cape, as he has showcased a mid-to-high nineties heater topping out at 97-99 MPH. He pairs the 60-grade fastball with a 60-slider, although his fringey changeup will need to continue to develop to make him a true threat at the next level.

https://twitter.com/TylerJennings24/status/1890794019497615816

Jace Laviolette – College baseball’s Preseason Player of the Year and top-projected draft selection is not having a bad season per se, but Laviolette is unlikely to have his name called at No. 1 given his current stat line. Through 28 games, the Texas A&M centerfielder is slashing .296/.454/.643 with nine homers, seven doubles, and four stolen bases. He has walked 28 times to 26 strikeouts for a 21.5% walk rate and 20.0% strikeout clip, which is a respectable profile for a power hitter of his magnitude. Still, his 2025 campaign has been a far cry from the .729 slugging percentage he showcased with 29 bombs one year ago. As the Preseason No. 1 Aggies attempt to fight their way back into postseason contention at 14-414 overall and 1-8 in the SEC, Laviolette will need to put his name back in the conversation for the first overall pick if Texas A&M is to salvage their campaign.

Kade Anderson – LSU’s ace hurler was included in MLB Pipeline’s top-100 for the 2025 MLB Draft, coming in at No. 44 overall in the class. The sophomore-eligible southpaw has made good on that billing thus far, pitching to a 5-0 record, 3.52 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 14.3 K/9, and 2.3 BB/9 over 38 1/3 innings. Anderon ranks 10th in the nation with 14.3 K/9 while sitting 28th with a 6.1 K-to-BB. The lefty utilizes a pair of 55-grade offerings in a fastball and curve, but his plus-slider stands out as his best overall pitch featuring an elite-spin rate. He will sit 91-94 while ramping up to 96-97 at times, which he pairs with a mid-80s sinking changeup that is fringey-to-average at present. Currently positioned as a second-round pick, Anderson has the ability to pitch himself into the first round if he continues to dominate throughout SEC play.

KADE. ANDERSON. ?@KadeAnderson15 | ? D1 Baseball

— LSU Baseball (Mirror) (@lsubaseball-mirror.bsky.social) 2025-03-07T18:17:31.631Z