2024 College Baseball Transfer Portal Rankings: Top Players Available (2024)

1. Gavin Kilen, SS, Louisville

New school: Undecided

It was a bit of a surprise when Kilen decided to transfer at the end of the season. He has been an everyday player for the Cardinals since stepping onto campus as a freshman and started at shortstop this spring. Kilen enjoyed the most productive season of his college career to the tune of a .330/.361/.591 slash line with 23 doubles, nine home runs and 41 RBIs. Kilen has a hitterish look in the box with a compact swing and quick hands. He also has plus feel for the barrel. Expect him to land somewhere big.

2. Easton Winfield, OF, Louisiana-Monroe

New school: Undecided

Given today’s nature of college baseball, Winfield entering the portal was unsurprising. He put together a fantastic freshman season hitting .332/.414/.546 with eight doubles, 10 home runs and 40 RBIs and was a mainstay in the Warhawks’ lineup. Winfield has a strong, explosive operation with plus hand speed, present impact and above-average power to the pull side. He also consistently turned in plus run times. His skill set enables him to impact the game in a myriad of ways. Like Kilen, I have a feeling Winfield will end up at a major program.

3. Deven Sheerin, RHP, Mount St. Mary’s

New school: Undecided

Sheerin is the pitching version of Easton Winfield. He was under-recruited in high school, ended up at a smaller program and made a big name for himself as a freshman. Sheerin this spring pitched his way to a 4.76 ERA with an impressive 109 strikeouts to 32 walks across 70 innings. He has a workhorse frame at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, and possesses a thunderous fastball-slider combination. Sheerin’s fastball has been up to 97 with carry through the zone and worked a 35% miss rate. His mid-80s power slider routinely flashed sharp, two-plane tilt and generated a 40% miss rate. He is a bulldog on the mound and should pitch in the weekend rotation for a Power 5 school come 2025.

4. Landon Beidelschies, LHP, Ohio State

New school: Undecided

Beidelschies was another name I was somewhat surprised to see hit the portal. After pitching out of the bullpen as a freshman, Beidelschies this spring headlined the Buckeyes’ rotation and worked a 4.15 ERA with 91 strikeouts to 31 walks in 84.2 innings. His fastball sits 92-95, but has been up to 98 and is most effective in the top half of the zone. Beidelschies supplements his heater with an above-average gyro slider and a changeup that is an effective third pitch against righthanded hitters. He has not committed yet, but it would not shock me to see him end up at an ACC or SEC school.

5. Blake Cyr, 2B, Miami

New school: Florida

Cyr entered the portal after an up-and-down 2024 in which he dealt with his fair share of injuries. While he played just 25 games and likely wasn’t 100% for most—if not all—of them, Cyr was still a rather productive hitter and had 10 extra-base hits and 21 RBIs. However as a freshman, he lit the world on fire and posted a .305/.427/.620 slash line with 12 doubles, 17 home runs and 63 RBIs. Cyr plays with an infectious energy and swagger, has a tantalizing toolset—especially offensively—packed into his 5-foot-11 frame and will be a high-impact player next spring for the Gators.

6. Myles Patton, LHP, Long Beach State

New school: Undecided

I’ve followed Patton closely since he tore up the California Collegiate League last summer to the tune of a 1.11 ERA with 48 strikeouts to just 10 walks across 32.1 total innings. He carried that success over to this spring and pitched his way to a 3.26 ERA with 85 strikeouts against 26 walks in 66.1 innings. Patton’s low-90s four-seamer plays up given its life through the zone. He also mixes in an above-average slider and a budding changeup.

There is a lot to like about Patton. He is an advanced strike-thrower with sneaky stuff and is an athletic lefthander who moves well on the mound. Patton is highly sought after in the portal and will be a major get for whoever lands him.

7. Ryan Black, 2B, Texas-Arlington

New school: Georgia

Making his way to Athens by way of Texas-Arlington, Black was a big-time pickup for the Bulldogs. Don’t let his somewhat modest season fool you, the 6-foot-1 infielder has tools and will be a name to follow closely throughout the 2025 draft cycle. Black has a strong swing with above-average bat speed and quickness in his hands, and flashes some pop to the pull side. He has an advanced approach with polished swing decisions, but his calling card is his contact ability. Black this spring boasted a ridiculous 95% in-zone contact rate, including 96% against fastballs. I’m excited to watch him take his game to the next level in Athens.

8. Zach Root, LHP, East Carolina

New school: Undecided

Since ECU’s season concluded, there has been a mass exodus from Greenville. Root is perhaps the most notable name of his teammates to enter the portal, especially since it was expected he would slide into the Friday starter role next season in the wake of Trey Yesavage’s departure to the draft. Root as a freshman gained some rotation experience, but that is where he pitched exclusively this season. He had a 3.56 ERA to go along with 76 strikeouts to just 21 walks across 68.1 innings.

Root’s calling cards are his secondary offerings. His changeup is a plus pitch that gets solid separation off his fastball and flashes ample fade and late tumble, while his above-average slider—especially against lefthanded hitters—is long and sweepy with a bit of depth. He could be a big-time program’s “major splash” of this year’s transfer cycle.

9. Bristol Carter, OF, East Carolina

New school: Undecided

Carter arrived on campus as a highly regarded player and earned the starting centerfielder job coming out of fall camp. He had plenty of success in year one and finished the year hitting .346/.406/.440 with 10 extra-base hits and 31 RBIs in 56 games. In the box, Carter takes a direct path to contact and has no shortage of bat speed with present barrel skills. He is a dynamic athlete who is a plus runner. His routes in the outfield at times lack polish he can really go and get it in centerfield. Carter figures to hit in the top-third of the order next spring at an ACC or SEC school.

10. Tommy LaPour, RHP, Wichita State

New school: Undecided

LaPour is a little bit in the mold of Sheerin in that he is a strong-bodied righthander with serious arm talent. His fastball has been up to 97 and plays well in the top half of the zone, where it is most effective—and generates the most swing-and-miss—given its riding life. LaPour’s slider flashed plus with both depth and sweep, and has the makings of a potential out pitch down the road. I am really excited to see how his changeup progresses wherever he ends up. It is a little firm right now, but he throws it with conviction and it flashed plus at times this season with fade to the arm side and late tumble.