Past winners of the Golden Spikes Award include Stephen Strasburg, Kris Bryant and Adley Rutschman, while recent honorees Dylan Crews and Charlie Condon turned their accolades into top‑of‑the‑first‑round MLB Draft selections. Last year’s recipient, Wehiwa Aloy, was taken No. 31 overall by the Baltimore Orioles and has risen to a top‑10 prospect in that organization.
Preseason Watch List Unveiled
USA Baseball announced on Friday the 2026 Golden Spikes Award preseason watch list, a roster of 55 high‑school and college players chosen by the GSA Advisory Board for their 2025 performances. The list is dynamic and will evolve as the season progresses, giving players a chance to earn a spot through continued excellence.
Overlap with MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Draft Rankings
Forty of the watch‑list athletes as well appear on MLB Pipeline’s Draft Top 100 list released in December. The No. 1 prospect, Roch Cholowsky of UCLA, joins six other GSA semifinalists from the previous year. Additional semifinalists Drew Burress (Georgia Tech), Daniel Cuvet (Miami), Justin Lebron (Alabama) and Kade Lewis (Wake Forest) are also among the Top 100. Yale’s Jack Ohman and Texas’s Dylan Volantis are the two semifinalists who did not make the Draft rankings.
Streaming Opportunities and Notable Players
Yale’s Jack Ohman will open the season at the Andre Dawson Classic, with all games streamed free on MLB.com, MLB.tv and the MLB app. Yale’s matchup against Jackson State on Feb. 21 will also be broadcast on MLB Network.
Drew Burress marks his sixth consecutive appearance on a watch list, a streak that began with the 2024 Midseason Watch List. Fellow repeaters include Daniel Cuvet, Justin Lebron, Jason DeCaro (North Carolina), Henry Ford (Tennessee), Gabe Gaeckle (Arkansas), A.J. Gracia (Virginia) and Zion Rose (Louisville). Returning players from the 2025 midseason list are Trey Beard (Florida State), Aidan Knaak (Clemson) and Liam Peterson (Florida).
High‑School Standouts and Non‑Division I Contenders
Every top‑10 Draft prospect is on the watch list, including high‑school shortstops Grady Emerson and Jacob Lombard, as well as prep left‑handers Carson Bolemon and Gio Rojas. These four join Alex Fernandez and Bryce Harper as the only non‑Division I players ever to claim the award. All five were members of USA Baseball’s 2025 U‑18 National Team that captured gold at the World Baseball Softball Confederation tournament in Japan.
Outfielder Harrison Feinberg will debut his season with Northeastern at the MLB Desert Invitational, with live streams available via MLB.com, MLB.tv and the MLB app.
Quotes and Program Highlights
“We could not be more excited to kick off the amateur baseball season with the announcement of the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List,” said Paul Seiler, Executive Director/CEO of USA Baseball. “The athletes on this year’s initial watch list represent a tremendous amount of talent and character. We are looking forward to watching their journeys unfold during what is sure to be a thrilling and competitive season of amateur baseball.”
Georgia Tech stands out as the only program with three representatives—Drew Burress, Jarren Advincula and Vahn Lackey—while a dozen other schools have two players each.
Fan Participation
Fans will again have a voice in the outcome. After semifinalists are announced in May, supporters can vote for their favorites at GoldenSpikesAward.com, influencing the final selection.
Complete 2026 Watch List
The full roster of 55 candidates, paired with their MLB Pipeline Draft rankings, includes:
- Jarren Advincula, INF, Georgia Tech (No. 35)
- Brady Ballinger, INF, Kansas (No. 59)
- Trey Beard, LHP, Florida State (No. 64)
- Eric Becker, INF, Virginia (No. 21)
- Tyler Bell, INF, Kentucky (No. 22)
- Carson Bolemon, LHP/INF, Southside Christian (HS) (No. 7)
- Coleman Borthwick, RHP/INF, South Walton (HS) (No. 23)
- Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech (No. 5)
- Roch Cholowsky, INF, UCLA (No. 1)
- Jason DeCaro, RHP, North Carolina (No. 87)
- Grady Emerson, INF, Fort Worth Christian (HS) (No. 2)
- Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara (No. 14)
- Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina (No. 9)
- Henry Ford, INF/OF, Tennessee (No. 58)
- Gabe Gaeckle, RHP, Arkansas (No. 24)
- A.J. Gracia, OF, Virginia (No. 15)
- Chris Hacopian, INF, Texas A&M (No. 16)
- Ryder Helfrick, C, Arkansas (No. 29)
- Vahn Lackey, C/INF, Georgia Tech (No. 12)
- Tommy LaPour, RHP, TCU (No. 61)
- Justin Lebron, INF, Alabama (No. 3)
- Mulivai Levu, INF, UCLA (No. 94)
- Kade Lewis, INF, Wake Forest (No. 74)
- Jacob Lombard, INF, Gulliver Schools (HS) (No. 4)
- Maddox Molony, INF, Oregon (No. 49)
- Lucas Moore, OF, Louisville (No. 82)
- Blake Morningstar, RHP, Wake Forest (No. 86)
- Ethan Norby, LHP, East Carolina (No. 70)
- Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida (No. 13)
- Ace Reese, INF, Mississippi State (No. 18)
- Chris Rembert, INF/OF, Auburn (No. 25)
- Gio Rojas, LHP/UTL, Stoneman Douglas (HS) (No. 8)
- Zion Rose, OF, Louisville (No. 27)
- Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU (No. 10)
- Andrew Williamson, OF, UCF (No. 89)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Golden Spikes Award?
The Golden Spikes Award is bestowed annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States.
How many players are on the 2026 preseason watch list?
The 2026 preseason watch list includes 55 players from high school and college.
How can fans influence the award?
After semifinalists are named in May, fans can vote for their favorite players at GoldenSpikesAward.com, helping to determine the finalists and eventual winner.
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