SEC Starting Pitcher Power Rankings
WEEK 3
Week 3 delivered again.
Between neutral-site tournaments, real road environments, and multiple matchups against legitimate teams, this weekend gave us what early-season baseball is supposed to give us: context. I spent a stupid amount of time on this list — easily 15–20 hours — and watched well over 25 pitchers this weekend (and closer to 40 if you include bouncing around innings and key sequences). That’s the point of these rankings: not just box scores, but how it actually looked, how it played, and what it projects to.
Reminder on the framework — the “algorithm” behind the list:
40% Performance: What you did on the field, against who, and what it meant for your team.
40% Stuff / Profile: Physical ability, command, pitch quality, mix/usage, and how it plays at the next level.
20% Intangibles / Friday Night Traits: Presence, competitiveness, resilience, and projection — including the upside of what you can become by May.
Two notable arms are temporarily unranked due to injury/early exit: Austin Nye (Vanderbilt) and Aidan King (Florida). Both would otherwise be in the Top 25.
Alright — Week 3.
1) Ruger Riojas — Texas
(Last Week: #2)
Riojas is absolutely electric. Friday night against a Coastal Carolina team that played in the finals last year, he went 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K — on 71 pitches. That’s not just “good.” That’s surgical.
I went back and watched every pitch. The way he tunnels, the pace he works with, and the way Max Weiner has these guys throwing right now… Riojas looks like he could pitch in the big leagues today. He reminds me of Freddy Peralta — the carry on the fastball, the angle, the confidence, the way he sequences.
And the swing-and-miss is outrageous: 22 whiffs on 71 pitches. That’s a cheat code.
2) LJ Mercurius — Oklahoma
(Last Week: #3)
This was hard not to make him No. 1.
Complete game (7-inning run-rule) against Gonzaga: 1 H, 1 R (unearned), 1 BB, 9 K. At one point he just settled in and went into absolute flow — I’m pretty sure he retired something like the last 19. The ball explodes out of his hand. Mid-90s, rides at the top, and the changeup is a true swing-and-miss weapon. The breaking ball plays because hitters are guessing.
He’s No. 2 because Coastal is a tougher task than Gonzaga — but make no mistake: Mercurius is dominating and looked like a big league ready arm on Saturday.
3) Jake Marciano — Auburn
(Last Week: #1)
Marciano drops from No. 1, but he’s still one of my favorite arms in the league.
5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K against Nebraska — and Auburn lost. Part of being a Friday night guy is getting you into the sixth and seventh when the game’s tight and protecting the bullpen. That’s the only “ding” here.
But the headline remains: 29 strikeouts and zero walks. In 16 innings. That’s ridiculous. He continues to command the zone, mix three above-average pitches, and keep hitters uncomfortable. His stuff plays because he can put it where he wants.
4) Dylan Volantis — Texas
(Last Week: #4)
Volantis continues to look like a true ace on Sundays.
He didn’t get through five this weekend, and the command wavered a bit (three walks), but he’s on a strict count and still punched eight. The talent is obvious. Texas has two legitimate “aces,” and Volantis is a major reason why.
5) Colin Fisher — Arkansas
(Last Week: #5)
Fisher stays right here and keeps stacking clean outings. Still no earned runs. He’s now 2-0 with 26 K to 3 BB in 18 innings.
Not overpowering in the traditional sense — but he fills up the zone, mixes, and gets outs. He’s the definition of a “rotation stabilizer,” and if Arkansas has a postseason run, he’s going to be a big part of it.
6) Jaxon Jelkin — Kentucky
(Last Week: #6)
Jelkin keeps looking like a Friday ace.
7.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K against St. John’s — and he’s 3-0 with a 0.55 ERA and a 0.62 WHIP. He’s one of the cleanest deliveries in the league and he’s starting to feel like a legitimate first-round upside arm to me.
He passes the eye test and the metrics test. Big leaguer vibe.
7) Liam Peterson — Florida
(Last Week: #10)
This is a competition bump.
Peterson went into Miami and pitched like a true ace: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. He dominated early and then got touched up a bit the third time through — which happens on the road against a real lineup.
His season line (3.77 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) doesn’t scream “top 10,” but the stuff and the road performance does. When he’s on, he looks every part of a first-rounder.
8) William Schmidt — LSU
(Last Week: #22)
Massive jump.
Schmidt went 7.1 IP with 0 BB and 9 K — and most importantly, he looked under control the whole time. He’s now 3-0 with a 1.65 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and a 25:4 K:BB.
He’s trending into “real starter” territory. The upside is very loud and exciting.
9) Tegan Kuhns — Tennessee
(Last Week: #18)
I’m not dinging him for UCLA.
6 IP, 5 H, 5 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 10 K. Two homers, but the stuff was electric and the command was mostly there. He held velocity, mixed four pitches, and punched ten without walking anyone against the best team in the country.
He looks like a top-30 pick to me. He reminds me a little of Bronson Arroyo in rhythm and deception — but with more electricity.
10) Cam Johnson — Oklahoma
(Last Week: #7)
This is a “nitpick drop,” not a concern.
He gave up nine hits, and Gonzaga competed, but he walked nobody again and struck out seven. The way he repeats his delivery at 6’5”/6’6”, the way the ball explodes at 96–97, and the way he attacks lefties… it’s unfair.
I really feel he could get left handed hitters out in the big leagues, right now with the way he attacks them.
If he tightens some things against RHH and keeps refining command, he’s a top-20 pick. I’m judging him on a big-league scale because when I was analyzing him again, I kept saying to myself: “When he really matures (in the major leagues) and he has real, major league command, he could pitch in the bigs for ten years with his size and repeatability.”
11) Ryan McPherson — Mississippi State
(Last Week: #8)
Seven innings, four hits, one earned, three walks, five Ks. Efficient at 90 pitches. He’s now 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP.
The stuff is real — high 90s, power secondaries, and he competes. I’m excited to see him in true SEC play because the ceiling is high.
12) Shane Sdao — Texas A&M
(Last Week: #15)
Two straight gems and now 13 consecutive scoreless innings between those two.
6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K this weekend. Low 90s with a really good slider, not crazy overpowering, but he’s a true Friday presence because he throws strikes and controls the game.
17:1 K:BB in 18 innings. That’s Friday night starter DNA.
13) Cade Townsend — Ole Miss
(Last Week: #14)
Townsend is one of my favorite arms in the league right now.
Bounce-back outing for his team after a tough Friday night L: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K. He’s now at a 0.66 ERA with 25 K to 2 BB in 13 innings.
His stuff is electric. He’s the type of arm that jumps off the screen and looks like he’s going to pitch in the big leagues someday.
14) Cooper Moore — LSU
(Last Week: #23)
Moore keeps climbing because he keeps proving it.
7.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K. Nine strikeouts on cutters/sliders/changeups — he’s beating hitters east-west with the secondaries and using the fastball as a connector. That’s mature pitching.
2.33 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 3-0. LSU’s Saturday spot is in good hands.
15) Joey Volchko — Georgia
(Last Week: #17)
Volchko drops slightly because he didn’t look as sharp as I wanted against Oakland.
Five innings, eight hits, three earned. Still 3-0 and still the Friday night guy for a team that can really score — but the command hasn’t been as crisp as I expected early.
16) Tomas Valinciunas — Mississippi State
(Last Week: #11)
5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K.
He’s now at a 1.08 ERA with 20 K to 4 BB in 16 innings. Mid-90s lefty, power stuff, and Mississippi State’s 1–2 punch is as good as anyone’s right now.
17) Alec Petrovic — Auburn
(Last Week: #33)
Big mover.
He continues to be clean, efficient, and swing-and-miss enough. He’s now 21:2 K:BB as Auburn’s Sunday guy, sitting at a 2.40 ERA and 0.87 WHIP.
Auburn’s rotation depth is real.
18) Casan Evans — LSU
(Last Week: #31)
I liked this outing more than the line suggests.
5.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K — and there was basically no hard contact. Two of the walks were strikes. The ump squeezed him. The double was a floater down the line.
I watched every pitch. The stuff was the best I’ve seen. He was up to 98 early and held 95–96 late. That’s a huge sign for the reliever-to-starter transition.
If I had to nitpick: I think pitch calling / sequencing could be optimized. But the trajectory is right on course.
19) Zane Adams — Alabama
(Last Week: #13)
He got hit around this weekend, but I’m not moving off the profile.
4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K — but he still has a 19:1 K:BB on the year. Lefty, good size, elite control, draft-year arm.
He’s a top-50 pick type of starter in my book.
20) Hunter Dietz — Arkansas
(Last Week: #38)
This is what Arkansas needed.
After the Friday loss, Dietz came out and shoved: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K. He has nasty stuff, and when he’s in rhythm he looks like a difference maker.
Big jump because the moment mattered
21) Landon Mack — Tennessee
(Last Week: #20)
Five innings, seven hits, two runs, one walk, five Ks against Arizona State.
The line is fine, but what keeps him here is the season body of work: 25:5 K:BB, 2.04 ERA. His stuff is loud and he’s going to keep climbing as long as he keeps missing bats.
22) Josh Gunther — South Carolina
(Last Week: #35)
A true statement outing.
7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K at Clemson. That’s not “nice.” That’s dominating a real team in a real environment.
He’s still sitting at a 4.20 ERA overall, but that performance matters. Huge rise.
23) Gabe Gaeckle — Arkansas
(Last Week: #12)
This is a Friday night presence conversation now.
5.1 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K — and Arkansas lost a game they shouldn’t lose. I need more dog out of him. Not screaming, not theatrics — just presence. It comes and goes, and Friday night in the SEC is unforgiving when it does.
The stuff is real. The mindset has to match.
24) Hunter Elliott — Ole Miss
(Last Week: #28)
The strikeouts are there. The command is still shaky.
5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 K. He’s now at a 3.68 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. Three walks in five innings is why he can’t work deeper, even when he’s missing bats.
Still a key piece — but I need to see cleaner innings.
25) Nate Harris — Kentucky
(Last Week: Unranked)
Harris earns his way in.
Six innings, one earned, four hits, one walk, nine Ks. He’s now at a 1.80 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP with 21 K to 3 BB in 15 innings.
Kentucky’s Sunday spot is stable and gives them a really good chance to win.
Currently Unranked (Injury Watch)
Austin Nye (Vanderbilt): Only pitched one inning, velocity down. No clear report yet. If healthy, he’s a Top 25 arm.
Aidan King (Florida): Left early (looked like a blister). Early reports suggest nothing major, but I’m waiting for confirmation before ranking him again.
Best of the Rest — 26 to 46 (List Only)
Caden Aoki — Georgia
Cord Rager — Oklahoma
Tyler Fay — Alabama
Javyn Pimentel — Missouri
Evan Blanco — Tennessee
Connor Fennell — Vanderbilt
Nate Taylor — Vanderbilt
Ben Cleaver — Kentucky
Dylan Vigue — Georgia
Myles Upchurch — Alabama
Jackson Sanders — Auburn
Weston Moss — Texas A&M
Wil Libbert — Ole Miss
Luke Harrison — Texas
Cooper Walls — Florida
Aiden Sims — Texas A&M
Amp Phillips — South Carolina
Josh McDevitt — Missouri
Brady Kehlenbrink — Missouri
Duke Stone — Mississippi State
Brandon Stone — South Carolina