Preseason All ACC Team

With the season only a month away, its time to take a look at some of the players that will most likely be the highlights of our coverage when watching ACC Baseball. These players are the best of the best, with a couple of them being highlighted soon as our Preseason ACC Player and Pitcher of the Year.

Catcher: Adrian Del Castillo, Miami

Had the shortened season not happened last year, Castillo would be a much larger name to follow, but even as that is, he is still heading into the season as the best catching prospect. With elite level hitting skills that are hard to find in a catcher, he is a nightmare for opposing pitching to face. Not only did he bat over .330 both years in college, but his strikeout to walk ratio is 32-43 over that time. Look for him to really come into his own as perhaps not only the best hitter in the ACC, but even in the country.

First Base: Bobby Seymour, Wake Forest

The 2019 ACC Player of the Year I am sure did not expect to be back at Wake Forest for his fourth year, but with a shortened season and draft, the ACC better look out. At an imposing 6'4 250lbs, Seymour is a power hitter that can spray the ball to all parts of the field. Even with a "down" year in 2020 from the shortened season, in 2019 Seymour batted .377 with an absurd .485 batting average with runners in scoring position and an even crazier 45 two out RBIs. Look for him to continue his sophomore production into a huge senior season.

Second Base: Cody Morissette, Boston College

Although he may have started at third base for Boston College last year, the slighter frame and surplus of third base talent in the ACC leads to his inclusion at second base. Batting a ridiculous .448 and a .655 slugging in a shortened season seems to be no short season fluke. The typical pretty left handed swing and great barrel skills points to another big jump as a junior. Showing the power bat that he flashed in 2020 could be key to being one of the top infielders in the country.

Third Base: Zach Gelof, Virginia

I debated on putting Alex Binelas here but as he was injured in the short season it was hard to include him. Gelof is going into his third season as a starter for the Cavaliers, there is nothing but high expectations for the junior. Batting over .310 both years and leading the ACC in the shortened season in slugging (.746), total bases, and runs scored, Gelof is one of the top third basemen in the country. Playing at a premium position in the infield, his hitting carries his weight on this list. If more production comes out of his glove at the hot corner and the bat stays consistent, he may be the one leading UVA back to Omaha.

Shortstop: Jose Torres, North Carolina State

A draft eligible sophomore, Torres has been a well known prospect since his high school days. As the starting shortstop for top 10 team NCSU, he lived up the expectations. Batting .333 and slugging .533, Torres also only made 2 errors in the shortened season. While he needs to clean up his plate approach (3 walks to 20 strikeouts in 17 games), it was only his first year playing in college. Others like Nic Kent could have gone here out of consistency, but I'm betting on a huge sophomore season for Torres as a leader of one of the top teams in the country.

Outfield: Levi Usher, Louisville

Usher may not only just be the fastest player in the ACC, but maybe in the country. Clocking in with a 6.24 60 yard dash time, Usher can flat out fly. After batting .409 at Kirkwood CC as a freshman, he picked up right where he left off at Louisville, batting .411 with an OPS north of 1.000 in his shortened ACC season. Even only with limited ACC action, Usher profiles an a high end player. His athleticism and raw skill are off the charts and if he keeps this up he will be a real threat in the heart of the Cardinals lineup.

Outfield: Chris Newell, Virginia

Virginia's recent history of first round outfielders (Haseley, McCarthy, Papi) may have its best one yet in the youngest and lone true sophomore of this preseason team. The National Freshman of the Year in 2020 started all 18 games for Virginia in center field and batted .407 with a .545 OBP and 4 home runs. Along with being an good base stealer, being 8-8 on the year, Newell is a premier defender with loads of athleticism. Being so young on an extremely experienced Virginia team will only set him up as a name to watch this year and going forward to 2022.

Outfield: Robby Martin, Florida State

After a Freshman All American season at FSU in which he batted .315, Martin picked up where he left off in 2020, batting .324 with a .429 OBP. A true leader of this FSU team that is trying to pick up where legendary coach Mike Martin left off, Martin having a big season will jump them back into prominence. While he did start 4 games as a DH in 2020, Martin a solid defender, not committing an error in the shortened season. With his age and experience, the much needed power numbers should increase this season, setting him up for a fantastic year.

Designated Hitter: Alex Toral, Miami

After starting all of Miami's games at first base as a sophomore and leading the ACC in home runs (third in the country), it is hard to not see the power potential for Toral. After batting .293 as a sophomore, his average stayed about the same in 2020 but with a .435 OBP. His power to all fields and smooth lefty stroke make him a top power bat in the country. Over a full season it will be great to see if he can get his strikeout numbers down from 68 strikeouts in 2019. If his barrel control improves and the power stays, him at the heart of the Miami lineup will be scary.

Utility: Davis Sharpe, Clemson

A true top level two way player in college baseball is hard to come by, but Sharpe is just that. Over 18.1 innings pitched in 2020, he held a 3.93 ERA while also batting .311 with a 1.058 OPS. With 4 home runs and 4 starts in 2020, he led Clemson in the shortened season in both of those categories. His fastball velocity has improved from the high 80s to sitting at 92 in 2020 while also increasing his batting average steadily. His continuous improvement over his time at Clemson only points upwards as a true leader on the mound and at the plate.

Starting Pitcher: Ryan Cusick, Wake Forest

At 6'6 225lbs, Cusick is built like a workhorse you want to see out of a Friday ACC arm. With a premier fastball up to 99 with extremely high spin rate, it is no shock that he struck out 43 batters in 22.1 innings last season. The right hander has a very good slider and with a developing changeup make him a dangerous threat heading into the 2021 season. He has developed tremendously since his freshman season where he sported a 6.44 ERA and in the short season cut it in half to 3.22. Command has been his biggest issue over his career but if that shores up, expect him to be at the top of the ACC.

Starting Pitcher: Cooper Stinson, Duke

Another hulkingly large righty presence at 6'6 245lbs, Stinson led the ACC in ERA in the shortened season at 0.42. He also held opponents to a .200 BA with a 24-4 strikeout to walk ratio. While he will not overpower batters with a 90-93mph fastball, it has heavy life on it and with his size it creates for an uncomfortable at bat. He pairs it with a top level slider that has been elite through his time in school. He managed to fix some of his largest issues with command in the 2020 season, but his mechanics need to improve in order to stay consistent. If he continues his 2020 performance into the new year, Duke may be a tough team to beat.

Starting Pitcher: Andrew Abbot, UVA

After spending most of his time at UVA as a reliever, Abbot came out this fall as a starter. In 13.1 innings last spring, he struck out a crazy 28 batters while keeping a 1.35 ERA and holding opponents to a .180 BA. Dealing from a low left handed 3/4 arm slot and sitting 91-95mph with his fastball, he also shows a curveball that is one of the best in the ACC (from his arm slot it looks like a slider). This two pitch combo will be his bread and butter moving into the starter role, and he was used as a long reliever in most cases so he should be well suited to make this transition.

Relief Pitcher: Michael Kirian, Louisville

Our third pitcher on this list that is 6'6, Kirian is built like a stopper out of the pen. With a fastball in the low 90s range that gets up to 95, he has held up a 1.69 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 32 innings in 2019 and a 0.00 ERA in 2020 (only 6.1 innings). Good command of his fastball from a high 3/4 lefty slot makes for good downhill action from his fastball due to his height. He will be the go to for Louisville out of the pen as he has been for the past two seasons and will surely tally up the saves and stats to back him up on his position here.