We’re deep into the back half of SEC play now, and the bodies of work are nearly complete. Every start from here carries postseason implications — for seeding, for programs, and for draft stock. After another loaded weekend across the conference, the list has some real movement.
Let’s get into it.
SEC Starting Pitcher Power Rankings — Week 8
1. Dylan Volantis — Texas (↑ from No. 2)
Season: 7-0, 62.2 IP, 44 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 19 BB, 92 K, 1.87 ERA
Past week: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 12 K
Dylan Volantis takes the top spot this week, and the numbers make the argument for me. He is 7-0. His ERA sits at 1.87. And this week he was historic — six innings, just three hits, no runs, two walks, 12 strikeouts. The SEC Pitcher of the Week honor followed, and it was deserved. He’s been the most dominant arm in the conference over the past month, and right now, there’s a case that he is the best starting pitcher in college baseball. Texas moved him to Friday night, and he has not let anyone down. That stuff — the cutter, the curve, the late-moving sinker — is legitimate, and the results are backing it up every single week.
2. Aidan King — Florida (↓ from No. 1)
Season: 7-2, 67.2 IP, 44 H, 21 R, 13 ER, 15 BB, 71 K, 1.73 ERA
Past week: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
King drops to No. 2 this week, and that’s not an indictment — it’s just the reality of what Volantis did. King still has the best ERA in this entire ranking at 1.73, still has a 7-2 record, and still went seven innings this past weekend with 10 strikeouts. The one earned run allowed across seven innings is a quality start by any definition. King is who he is — the most consistent arm in the conference all season, the North Star for this Florida staff. He hasn’t gone anywhere. Volantis just had an all-time week.
3. Andreas Alvarez — Auburn (↑ from No. 2)
Season: 8-2, 59.2 IP, 47 H, 22 R, 17 ER, 18 BB, 80 K, 2.56 ERA
Past week: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 11 K
Alvarez holds at No. 3, and the season body of work demands it. He’s 8-2. His ERA is 2.56. He’s got 80 strikeouts. This week wasn’t his sharpest — four earned runs in seven innings — but he walked nobody and struck out 11. You’d take that start every week from your Friday night arm, especially against an offense like Texas A&M’s. Auburn’s rotation continues to be the best in the league top to bottom, and Alvarez is the headliner. He’s had one bad week this year, otherwise everything else has been elite.
4. Hunter Dietz — Arkansas (↑ from No. 5)
Season: 6-2, 65.2 IP, 53 H, 29 R, 25 ER, 23 BB, 101 K, 3.43 ERA
Past week: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 9 K
Hunter Dietz is the first pitcher in the SEC to reach 100 strikeouts this season. Let that land for a second. 101 punchouts on the year, and he added nine more this week across six solid innings with only one earned run. The walk total this week is a touch high for my taste, but the stuff was working and the results were there. He’s been one of the most important Friday night arms in the conference all year, and the strikeout milestone this week is a significant moment for Arkansas baseball. He moves up to No. 4.
5. Ruger Riojas — Texas (↑ from No. 11)
Season: 5-2, 60.2 IP, 55 H, 25 R, 25 ER, 12 BB, 96 K, 3.71 ERA
Past week: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
Riojas bounces back in a big way after his rough outing last week. Five innings, three hits, one run, zero walks, seven strikeouts. That’s the Ruger Riojas we’ve been watching all year — pounding the zone, missing bats, limiting damage. He now has 96 strikeouts (second only to Dietz) on the year and is showing no signs of slowing down. After getting knocked around a little last weekend against Vanderbilt, this was exactly the response you want to see from a Saturday arm at a program like Texas. He jumps back up to No. 5.
6. Cade Townsend — Ole Miss (↑ from No. 8)
Season: 5-1, 52.0 IP, 37 H, 17 R, 14 ER, 13 BB, 73 K, 2.42 ERA
Past week: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Cade Townsend continues to be one of the hottest name on draft boards, and rightfully so. After last week, he’s back to looking like the Cade Townsend we expect — a 2.42 ERA, 73 strikeouts, and now his record improves to 5-1. He’s still one of the most important arms in Ole Miss’s postseason picture, and this week reminded everyone that the rough outing last week was the exception, not the pattern. Do not be surprised of Townsend moves into the Friday spot after Hunter Elliot has struggles for a couple weeks now.
7. Tomas Valincius — Mississippi State (↑ from No. 9)
Season: 7-2, 68.1 IP, 54 H, 24 R, 18 ER, 16 BB, 92 K, 2.37 ERA
Past week: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Valincius holds at No. 7, and the overall season body of work keeps him in the top ten regardless of what happened this week. He’s 7-2 with a 2.37 ERA and 92 strikeouts — one of the best stat lines in the conference. Three earned runs in five innings is not ideal, but he didn’t lose the zone completely and the rest of his season speaks for itself. Mississippi State needs him healthy and locked in heading into the final stretch, and I have no reason to think he won’t get back on track next weekend.
8. Alex Petrovic — Auburn (↓ from No. 6)
Season: 7-2, 66.0 IP, 47 H, 24 R, 23 ER, 14 BB, 67 K, 3.14 ERA
Past week: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Petrovic holds in the top ten on the strength of his season total. He’s 7-2 in 66 innings — that kind of durability and win production from a Sunday arm is genuinely rare in the SEC. This week wasn’t his best, and the ERA creeps up slightly, but zero walks in 5.2 innings keeps him from falling further. The Auburn rotation is built to absorb one average Sunday start. They did it, and they’re still the best staff in the league.
9. Jaxon Jelkin — Kentucky (↑ from No. 17)
Season: 7-2, 71.2 IP, 61 H, 38 R, 30 ER, 16 BB, 80 K, 3.77 ERA
Past week: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 11 K
71.2 innings is the most of any arm in this ranking, and his record improves to 7-2. He’s been one of the most durable starters in the SEC all year, and that workhorse profile means a lot for Kentucky heading into the stretch run. The ERA sits at 3.77, which is a touch higher than you’d like, but the wins and the innings tell the real story of how valuable he’s been. This weekend’s complete game with 11 K’s is a statement piece, and jumps him back in the top 10.
10. Jake Marciano — Auburn (Ranking unchanged)
Season: 4-3, 67.2 IP, 48 H, 22 R, 17 ER, 12 BB, 87 K, 2.26 ERA
Past week: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Marciano’s continued his dominant year with a quality start against one of the best offense’s around the country. The important number is that ERA: 2.26, one of the lowest in this entire ranking. He’s got 87 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 67.2 innings. That strikeout-to-walk ratio is exceptional. His record dropped to 4-3, but with an ERA like that, the wins will come. Auburn’s full rotation belongs in this conversation, and Marciano continues to be the most efficient arm of the three.
11. Taylor Rabe — Ole Miss (↑ from No. 13)
Season: 3-2, 40.1 IP, 39 H, 19 R, 19 ER, 5 BB, 47 K, 4.24 ERA
Past week: — 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Taylor Rabe continues to take the ball on Sunday’s for Ole Miss and give them a chance to win. While he has some of the most impressive stuff of any pitcher on their staff, Rabe started in relief this year and is still developing into that starter role, but is doing an incredible job. Ole Miss wound up losing the series on an eventual walk off homer (at Arkansas) after taking a lead into the 9th on Rabe’s start.
12. Joey Volchko — Georgia (↑ from No. 16)
Season: 7-2, 62.0 IP, 54 H, 27 R, 25 ER, 32 BB, 76 K, 3.63 ERA
Past week: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
This is the Joey Volchko we’ve been waiting for. Six innings, no runs, only two walks, nine strikeouts — and he’s now 7-2 on the year. The ERA drops to 3.63, and the walk rate is finally trending in the right direction. He still has 32 walks in 62 innings, which is the lingering concern, but this week showed that when he’s throwing strikes and letting that elite swing-and-miss stuff work, he’s as good as anyone in the conference. The talent has never been in question. The command has been the issue all year. This week, both were clicking.
13. Tegan Kuhns — Tennessee (↓ from No. 3)
Season: 3-4, 65.0 IP, 60 H, 27 R, 25 ER, 12 BB, 80 K, 3.46 ERA
Past week: 6.0 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Kuhns comes back down to earth after back-to-back dominant starts, and it hurts his ranking significantly. Six innings, 10 hits, six earned runs — after the shutout against Alabama last week, this was a hard step back. The ERA climbs to 3.46 and his record sits at 3-4, which doesn’t reflect how good he’s been over stretches this season. The walk rate remains elite — only one this week even in a rough outing — but the contact was excessive. He’ll bounce back. He’s got the stuff. This was one bad start in an otherwise strong stretch.
14. Zane Adams — Alabama (↑ from No. 18)
Season: 5-3, 65.1 IP, 66 H, 30 R, 27 ER, 20 BB, 69 K, 3.72 ERA
Past week: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Zane Adams makes a strong jump this week with a quality bounce-back start. Six innings, zero runs, one walk — after a tough outing against Tennessee, this was the response you want. His ERA drops slightly to 3.72, and the zero walks shows the command was sharper. He’s a steady presence in that Alabama rotation, and this week reminded everyone why. 65 innings on the year at a 3.72 ERA is a solid, dependable season.
15. Dylan Vigue — Georgia (↑ from No. 19)
Season: 4-1, 46.0 IP, 30 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 25 BB, 56 K, 2.35 ERA
Past week: — 3.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Wes Johnson has clearly been managing his usage carefully, and the innings total reflects that. He still leads the SEC in opponent batting average when he takes the mound and if Georgia is saving him for a postseason push, this makes sense strategically. Since he only threw three innings, he stays here on his body of work, but we need to see him on the mound more to rank him any higher.
16. Aiden Sims — Texas A&M (↓ from No. 7)
Season: 8-1, 65.0 IP, 50 H, 30 R, 26 ER, 18 BB, 68 K, 3.60 ERA
Past week: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Sims has a tough week and drops significantly on this list. Five innings, five runs, and he was limited in his go-deep ability when A&M needed him. The ERA climbs to 3.60, though he’s still 8-1 — which tells you how good he’s been the rest of the year. One walk is a positive, but the hit rate was the problem. A&M can’t afford inconsistency from the mound this late in the season, and this week was a step back for a guy who had been one of the most reliable arms in the conference.
17. Caden Aoki — Georgia (New to rankings)
Season: 7-0, 54.0 IP, 48 H, 22 R, 20 ER, 19 BB, 71 K, 3.33 ERA
Past week: — 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Caden Aoki makes his first appearance in this ranking, and the 7-0 record demands attention. He’s the only undefeated pitcher with more than 10 appearances in the SEC, and a 3.33 ERA in 54 innings is a legitimate body of work. The walk rate is something to monitor — 19 in 54 innings — but the results have been there every time he takes the mound. Georgia’s weekend rotation has been quietly one of the more interesting stories in the conference, and Aoki is a big part of why moving forward.
18. Tyler Fay — Alabama (↑ from No. 20)
Season: 7-3, 71.1 IP, 62 H, 39 R, 38 ER, 17 BB, 78 K, 4.79 ERA
Past week: 6.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Tyler Fay is the iron man of this ranking — 71.1 innings is the most of any Alabama arm, and he has taken the ball every week without complaint. This week wasn’t perfect — four earned runs in six-plus innings — but one walk and seven strikeouts show the stuff is still there even when the results aren’t spotless. The ERA at 4.79 is the highest in this top 25, but the durability and the win total (7-3) keep him in the conversation. Alabama needs him to keep eating innings, and he keeps doing it.
19. Liam Peterson — Florida (↓ from No. 12)
Season: 1-4, 59.2 IP, 56 H, 32 R, 28 ER, 33 BB, 81 K, 4.22 ERA
Past week: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
Peterson adds five strikeouts to reach 81 on the year, but another tough outing keeps him from climbing this list. Four earned runs in under five innings, and five more walks push his season total to 33 — the most of any arm in this ranking. The swing-and-miss is real. The command is the ongoing problem. When he’s locked in, he’s one of the most electric arms Florida has. The consistency just hasn’t been there, and at this point in the season, that’s what separates the arms near the top from the ones in the middle of the pack.
20. William Schmidt — LSU (New to rankings)
Season: 5-4, 60.0 IP, 50 H, 29 R, 26 ER, 26 BB, 79 K, 3.90 ERA
Past week: — 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
William Schmidt makes his first appearance on this listing a couple weeks, and 60 innings in the SEC with a 3.90 ERA is a legitimate body of work. He’s 5-4 with 79 strikeouts — solid production from the LSU rotation. The walk rate is something to watch at 26 in 60 innings, but the strikeout total and the innings durability earn him a spot. LSU has needed consistency from their starting pitching all year, and Schmidt has provided it more often than not.
21. Evan Blanco — Tennessee (↓ from No. 14)
Season: 5-3, 66.0 IP, 54 H, 36 R, 32 ER, 21 BB, 80 K, 4.36 ERA
Past week: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Blanco has a really tough week and drops significantly after his strong outing last weekend. Six earned runs in five innings is a difficult line, and the ERA climbs to 4.36. He’s been a streaky arm all year — big week, rough week, big week — and this was one of the rough ones. The 80 strikeouts on the season and the 5-3 record show what he’s capable of, but Tennessee can’t have him giving up six in five if they want to be dangerous in the postseason. He’ll need a strong finish to close the year.
22. Cole Gibler — Arkansas (↓ from No. 15)
Season: 4-2, 48.2 IP, 41 H, 23 R, 21 ER, 19 BB, 46 K, 3.88 ERA
Past week: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Gibler comes back to earth after his hot start to being a starting pitcher in Arkansas’ rotation. Seven earned runs in five-plus innings is a tough line, though nine strikeouts shows the stuff was still generating misses even when the contact was hard. The ERA climbs to 3.88, and his place in the Arkansas rotation is still secure — but this week was a reminder that he’s capable of both extremes. The zero walks are the one consistent bright spot in an otherwise difficult outing.
23. Josh McDevitt — Missouri (↓ from No. 22)
Season: 3-5, 65.2 IP, 45 H, 35 R, 28 ER, 33 BB, 84 K, 3.84 ERA
Past week: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
McDevitt had another solid week — six-plus innings, four hits, one run, zero walks, six strikeouts. That’s the McDevitt that showed up and struck out 11 against Arkansas a few weeks ago. The record drops to 3-5, which isn’t great, but with 84 strikeouts in 65.2 innings and a 3.84 ERA, the overall season is still a legitimate one. Missouri doesn’t have much to hang it’s hat on this year, but McDevitt has been a solid piece for them.
24. Luke Harrison — Texas (New to rankings)
Season: 5-2, 60.0 IP, 53 H, 34 R, 29 ER, 26 BB, 70 K, 4.35 ERA
Past week: — 5.0 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
Luke Harrison makes his first appearance on this list. He’s 5-2 with 70 strikeouts in 60 innings for a Texas team that’s been one of the best programs in the conference all year. The ERA at 4.35 is on the higher end, and the walk rate of 26 in 60 innings needs tightening — but the production and the wins keep him in the conversation. Texas has used him as the Sunday arm behind Volantis and Riojas, and in that context, his numbers are very solid and he cracks the list after putting together a solid outing. When you look at the numbers, it might not look sexy, but he gave up all five runs in the first inning, and his offense chipped away while he threw up zero’s for the next four innings.
25. Myles Upchurch — Alabama (New to rankings)
Season: 6-3, 51.2 IP, 35 H, 22 R, 21 ER, 33 BB, 57 K, 3.66 ERA
Past week: — 5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Myles Upchurch’s week wasn’t great, but his overall season continues to quietly impress. A 6-3 record and 3.66 ERA from an Alabama arm who is a true freshman is a real story. The 33 walks in 51.2 innings is the major concern — that walk rate is the highest in this top 25 — but when he’s spotting his fastball and working his off-speed, he’s been a genuine piece for Alabama’s weekend rotation.
Storylines / Notes
Dylan Volantis Is in a Different Conversation
No-hit through six innings, 12 strikeouts, SEC Pitcher of the Week — Volantis is pitching as well as anyone in college baseball right now. Texas made the right call moving him to Friday, and he has rewarded that decision every single week. The draft conversation around him should be significantly different than it was in March.
Hunter Dietz Hits 101
First arm in the SEC to crack triple digits in strikeouts this season. For a guy who missed most of his freshman and sophomore years with elbow issues, what he’s doing right now for Arkansas is remarkable. The draft scouts are watching. They should be.
Auburn’s Rotation Is Still the Best in the League
Alvarez, Petrovic, Marciano — all three in the top 10. All three with sub-3.15 ERAs. That’s a postseason rotation. If Auburn is getting what they need from their offense, this staff can beat anyone in the country.
Tennessee’s Swing
Kuhns coming back to earth after two dominant starts is a concern for a Vols team that needed him to keep that level going. Blanco also had a rough week. Tennessee needs both of them and Landon Mack to find their rhythm again heading into the final stretch.
Final Thoughts
The top of this list is starting to feel permanent. Volantis and King are in a tier of their own. Alvarez and Dietz aren’t far behind. Below them, there’s enough movement week to week to keep every weekend interesting.
We’re running out of regular season starts. The arms that have built their case are locked in. The ones still fighting for positioning are running out of weekends to make their argument.
This is what the back half of the SEC looks like.
And it is not for the faint of heart.