With extra eligibility all over the country due to the fallout from COVID-19, college baseball’s transfer portal is a more interesting case study now than it has been in years past. A change of scenery for a player, new voices in his ear, or a new role on a different team can unlock a player’s talent where he can finally see the success that the player and his original team expected out of high school. By diving into the play-by-play and Trackman data at our disposal at 6-4-3 Charts, Luke and Greg each ranked their top-20 players that were in the transfer portal. Ranking were based on a combination of track record from previous seasons at various competition levels, as well as projectability from information in 6-4-3 Charts’ Trackman data visualization suite. From the portal of over 100 players, Luke and Greg had 11 of the same players in their top-20 rankings, and those are the top 11 below with their ranking representing the average slot between both of their lists. For 12-20, Luke and Greg traded off nominating their favorite players that the other did not nominate.

Transfer Portal Player Rankings

  1. Griffin Doersching – Northern Kentucky ⇒ Oklahoma St. 

Doersching is a masher who controls the strike zone and limits whiffs. He was also highlighted in our 2021 D1 Baseball All-American Snubs piece earlier this month where Luke noted that Doersching “had the division’s fourth highest wRAA (38.7), the fourth highest ISO, 20 HR, the second highest walk rate (23.7%), and a top-15 K-BB%. Doersching also boasted the third highest wOBA”. Per 643’s database, Doersching had the highest max exit velocity of all hitters in the transfer portal at just over 113 mph, and this ranked in the 98th percentile of all maximum exit velocities of the 2,088 hitters that have at least ten batted balls. Big-12 pitchers now have a new bat to worry about. (Luke)

  1. Jacob Berry – Arizona ⇒ LSU

Berry follows Head Coach Jay Johnson from the 2021 World Series Arizona Wildcats team to a transitioning LSU team in the tough SEC. A first-team all-American DH in 2021, Berry is a proven Power 5 performer that led the Wildcats in HR’s, RBI’s and Triples. Putting Berry in the lineup with highly regarded OF Dylan Crews, 1B Tre Morgan and fellow portal transfer Tyler McManus (Samford), the Tigers project to do some damage with the bats in 2022. (Greg)

  1. John Thrasher – Hartford ⇒ Kentucky 

As he takes his talents to Lexington, Thrasher has the most intriguing combo of pop and speed in the transfer portal. His 1.150 OPS was second to only Doersching in the portal. Combine this with a solid walk rate and high contact rate, and Thrasher can make an offensive impact while also having the ability to man center field. He also stole 35 bases in 38 attempts in just 36 games. The competition contrast between the America East Conference and the SEC will undoubtedly be stark, so it remains to be seen if Thrasher can display the same five-tool potential on a daily basis that he did in 2021. (Luke)

  1. Michael Turner – Kent St. ⇒ Arkansas

When Freshman catcher Justin Miknis emerged at Kent St. last season, Turner lost opportunities behind the plate who had a great season himself. When Turner did get opportunities, he excelled. He slashed .337/.439/.640 with .496 wOBA and 11.2 wRAA in just 107 plate appearances. His K-BB% was also -3.8%, and Doersching was the only hitter that was better than Turner in this regard (-7.6%) within the transfer portal. Doersching and Turner were also the only two hitters to have more walks than strikeouts among this group. The power production combined with the top-end plate discipline from the catching position is what makes Turner’s profile so intriguing. The question now will be if he can translate the success he had in the Mid-American conference to the SEC while managing coach Hobbs’ pitching staff. (Luke)

  1. Jack Washburn – Oregon State ⇒ Ole Miss

Washburn goes from a deep OSU bullpen to Ole Miss after pitching for the USA Collegiate National Team over the Summer. Washburn has flashed good stuff across the board. His FB gets big ride and good extension averaging 92 MPH, though he touched 96 during this summer. His secondary includes a slurvy breaking ball at 79-81 MPH that has plus spin, and a low spin CH that induces good depth. All told, his repertoire includes three swing and miss pitches when things are clicking. His innings regressed as his control wavered in the second half of OSU’s 2021 season. Washburn, the son of former MLB pitcher Jarod Washburn, moves from the Pac-12 to the SEC after his pandemic honored Freshman year.  His experiences combined with the stuff and bloodlines, has the potential for impact in Ole Miss’s pen. (Greg) 

  1. Sonny DiChiara – Samford ⇒ Auburn

DiChiara is one of two really talented and accomplished hitters that Samford is losing to the transfer portal heading into the 2022 season. He slugged almost .600 with 18 homers while also pushing just under a 20% walk rate. Auburn got good production from Junior Tyler Miller at first base last season, but lost him to the Boston Red Sox in the ninth round of July’s draft. DiChiara essentially provided Samford what Miller provided Auburn from an offensive standpoint. However, as is a theme through most of these projections, handling the step up in competition — the superior pitching of the SEC — for the former will be the ultimate test to determine if the production from Auburn’s new first baseman will be a one to one trade from Miller. DiChiara did show a better ability to get one base consistently as his .439 OBP outpaced Miller by 85 points. (Luke)

  1. Micah Dallas – Texas Tech ⇒ Texas A&M

Dallas has had a good go of it so far in his college career, filling a number of roles for the Red Raiders. He has been the Friday night starter, long reliever, and closer at different points along the way. He is now part of an Aggies revamped staff and shifts from the Big-12 to the daunting SEC. Dallas is the most proven arm in the portal , displaying the best FIP of pitchers with significant innings. He has amassed 158.1 IP, with 2.8 BB/9, 10.6 K/9 in three years in Lubbock. He profiles as a sinker/slider guy. The FB averages 91MPH with competitive tail and sink, it’s a backed-up slider with more deception than tilt at 82 MPH, and the CH has enough bottom to limit LHH’s. The delivery has some violence to it, but this helps his deception. He is a good competitor and the kind of arm that can really solidify a college staff.  (Greg)

  1. Adam Mazur – South Dakota St. ⇒ Iowa

Mazur will make his way to the Big 10 after 16 starts at South Dakota St. that did not have the best results. However what he did show in his first full season was the ability to strike hitters out, as he did so at a 26% clip in 2021. Without available Trackman data for him, it’s hard to know what specifically Iowa’s staff sees, but he has three years of eligibility remaining and a projectable frame. (Luke)

  1. Dylan Rock – Texas – San Antonio ⇒ Texas A&M

Rock brings experience and offensive production to College Station after amassing more than 700 PA at UTSA. He has the seventh best OPS (.948) and the sixth best OB% (.432) in the portal of hitters with more than 100 PA’s. He has shown power throughout his career, has the sixth best max exit velocity (107.6 mph), and hits more balls in the air than any other hitter in the portal. His impressive 1.4 K/BB rate indicates a good propensity to control the zone, and he stole 11 bags in 14 attempts in 2021.  Rock adds experience and good depth to the Aggies lineup. (Greg)

  1. Jake Gitter – Northern Colorado ⇒ Coastal Carolina

Gitter was having a great year at Northern Colorado before a season-ending injury ended it prematurely. He’s moving on to the Sun Belt as Coastal Carolina is getting a talented left-handed hitter. He had an impressive .490 wOBA through those 114 plate appearances that he had pre-injury, the fifth highest of any player in the portal. The knock on Gitter is his strikeout rate that sat at 27.2% and now that he’ll face better pitching as he moves across the country, his offensive profile will be challenged. He did draw 31 walks (15.8%), so that creates a K-BB% you can live with. He played the outfield at Northern Colorado but is now listed as a utility player for the Chanticleers, so what his exact role is will be interesting to see. If he can find that same power stroke for Coastal that he had in 2021 (second highest ISO among transfer portal hitters at .330), Gitter can join Nick Lucky in their lineup as a lefty power bat. (Luke)

  1. John Gaddis – Texas A&M – Corpus Christi ⇒ Ole Miss

John Gaddis Is a soft tossing LHP that has shown a knack for missing bats and barrels through his three years at A&M Corpus-Christi. He ranks second in FIP, first in K%, first in K/BB of all pitchers in the portal with 50+IP. He is putting off medical school to pitch for Ole Miss in 2022. The statistical darling gives the Rebels staff a different look option and a competitor with an obvious feel to pitch. Don’t waste your time checking the radar gun or any ball tracking metrics, it is all about guile and feel for Gaddis. (Greg)

  1. Brett Walker – Oregon ⇒ TCU

Walker features a fastball that generates a ton of vertical break with highly efficient raw spin. He also features a hybrid slider and a gravity-ball, low-spin curveball that lacks the depth that would allow it to complement his fastball very well given their shapes. If TCU can tweak that curveball to allow for more downward break and potentially some positive spin-mirroring effects, Walker should see an uptick in whiffs. What I also like is the lack of velocity overlap throughout his arsenal. Command-wise, another improvement Walker should look to make strides with his fastball location, particularly executing it at the top of the zone to take advantage of the pitch’s ride. (Luke)

  1. Eric Reyzelman – San Francisco ⇒ LSU

Reyzelman comes to Baton Rouge after his pandemic-honored Freshman year at USF. His numbers indicate the makings of stuff: 35IP, 30H, 10K/9, but lacking in control (7.7 BB/9). Things really took off for him during the summer at the Cape: 23IP, 18H, 13.7K/9, and 2.3BB/9. This was a year removed from Tommy John surgery. His FB was up to 97 and profiles as a sinker with heavy arm side life. His secondary pitches are a CB and CH. His delivery has a deep arm swing and a low ¾ slot, which causes deception, but can be tough to repeat.  At LSU, Reyzelman will have well regarded pitching coach Jason Kelly to guide him and learn from. (Greg)

  1. Caleb Bolden – Arkansas ⇒ TCU

Bolden gets impact run on both his Fastball and Changeup from his three-quarters arm slot. His Slider’s spin axis almost perfectly mirrors his Fastball’s, and he gets over two feet of horizontal break differential between the two offerings. TCU likely sees a lot of potential in this arsenal’s pitch characteristics, and it will also be interesting to see what kind of role he has on the Horned Frog’s pitching staff. He made ten starts for Arkansas that were often on a short leash. The fact that Bolden has shown the ability to succeed in the SEC gives you a lot of confidence to plug and play him as a potential weekend starter heading into 2022. (Luke)

  1. Adam Tulloch – West Virginia ⇒ Arizona State

Tulloch comes to the desert from West Virginia where his control was an issue in 2021 (7.5 BB/9) but his swing and miss stuff was apparent (12.5 K/9) in 37.1 IP. His performance during the summer in the Cape gives the Sun Devils real hope that they have an arm that can make an impact in 2022. He improved his BB/9 to 2.5 and his K/9 to 13.3 in 29 IP. The well built lefty’s Fastball touched 96 this summer, with good extension and effective ride. His primary secondary pitch is a slurve (78 mph) with average spin and usable break efficiency. He was also drafted by the Dodgers in the 17th round of the 2021 MLB draft, but is opting to try and improve his stock in Tempe. He has the makings of a Power 5 difference maker if he can maintain his control of the zone. (Greg)

  1. RJ Yeager – Mercer ⇒ Mississippi St.

Yeager is another small school performer who put up big numbers before attracting the interest of an SEC school. In this case, it’s the defending national champions. Yeager did a little bit of everything at Mercer, he slugged .564 with 17 doubles and 13 homers but also added ten steals and a solid .969 fielding percentage at shortstop. A year ago, Mississippi St. found their second baseman from the transfer portal in Scotty Dubrule from Jacksonville University who played a fantastic second base and walked more than he struck out. Second is back open after his graduation and it looks like Yeager could either slide in there, or get some reps at short after Lane Forsythe had a .595 OPS as their full time shortstop in 2021. (Luke)

  1. Tyler McManus – Samford ⇒ LSU

McManus comes to Baton Rouge as an offensive oriented Catcher. He caught 26 of his 54 games for Samford in 2021 (the rest at 1B and DH). The Tigers will need him to catch to effectively get his bat in the lineup in 2022, with Jacob Berry penciled in at DH and Tre Morgan at 1B.  McManus ranks sixth in OPS (1.044), fifth in HR (11) and eight in ISO (.266) of players in the portal with 100+ PA. His 21.4 KO% at Samford in 2021 gives some pause on how much production will translate, but with his 10.9% walk rate and the depth of LSU’s lineup, it seems McManus will get plenty of good pitches to hit. (Greg)

  1. Nate Rombach – Texas Tech ⇒ Dallas Baptist

Rombach is another physically imposing catcher who was stuck behind another good player last year in Braxton Fulford. With Fulford getting drafted in the sixth round in July’s draft by the Colorado Rockies, Rombach seemingly had a path to take over the catching duties in Lubbock. Instead, he’ll make the trip East to Dallas Baptist, who is a powerhouse in their own right, with three seasons of eligibility remaining. In 229 plate appearances at Texas Tech, hit 15 homers. In 2021, he slugged .521. He had a high strikeout clip (32.4%), but he was able to soften that blow a bit with a 17.2% walk rate. Hey may also be due for some positive BABIP regression that would help his overall batting average. Adding him to an already powerful Dallas Baptist lineup provides him some protection to do damage. (Luke)

  1. Troy Claunch – Oregon St. ⇒ Texas A&M

Strategic move by the Aggies to get Claunch out of the portal. His 2021 offensive numbers aren’t sexy but rather steady: .379 OBP and 11 extra base hits in 232 PA. Claunch, known for his defense, was recruited to OSU by Nate Yeskie who is now the pitching coach at A&M. Yeskie kept tabs on Claunch in 2021 while at PAC-12 rival Arizona, and seems to know the importance of having an experienced, defensive oriented catcher while putting together an effective pitching staff. A&M has been active in the portal and with the additions of Micah Dallas, Trey Dillard, and Jacob Palisch to the staff, their chances of success will only be enhanced by having the fingers and glove of Claunch. (Greg)

  1. Victor Mederos – Miami (FL.) ⇒ Oklahoma St.

With only about a single outing’s worth of pitch-level Trackman data available to us for Mederos, we only have a slight signal of the profile of his pitches. What we do see is a 92 mph Fastball with above average ride and run and a couple of breaking balls that he spins very well with great movement separation from his heater. Building on this profile to have it manifest into more whiffs is what Oklahoma State is seeking to create. Mederos’ 6.18 FIP was towards the bottom of pitchers in consideration, but the intriguing pitch metrics likely played a role in Oklahoma St. adding him to their staff. He’ll still have three seasons of eligibility to grow after a change of scenery. (Luke)

 

Both recently joining the 6-4-3 Charts team, Greg worked in scouting and player development for the Seattle Mariners for more than 20 years while Luke has worked with Pitcher List, SB Nation and the Coe College baseball team as a data analyst and writer for the past four years.