After a strong sophomore season with an abundance of memorable moments, Clemson center fielder Cam Cannarella will enter the 2025 season as the No. 2-ranked prospect in collegiate baseball, according to MLB.com and MLB Pipeline.
The only player ranked higher than Cannarella is outfielder Jace Laviolette from Texas A&M.
Those who saw Cannarella play last season are likely not surprised by this ranking, as he made significant impacts in major moments of nearly every game. This past season, Cannarella had a .337 batting average while slugging 11 home runs with 60 RBIs. He was one of the key players in helping the Tigers advance to their first super regional since 2010.
Cannarella spoke on his clutch ability in his end-of-season wrap-up press conference.
“In high school, I was one of the leaders on the team, and I started varsity my 10th grade year and started being a leader then.
“I just like to compete every day, and I got here, and I just wanted to help Clemson baseball make it to a regional, hopefully go to Omaha soon, and go from there.”
The Clemson center fielder’s clutch gene was on display all postseason, as he did everything in his power to keep the Tigers from elimination in the Clemson Super Regional. Down three runs in the ninth inning of an elimination game with two runners on, Cannarella stepped up to the plate and did what he did best: bombed a game-tying homer.
Later on in the contest, the star made “one of the best catches ever seen in college baseball,” according to CBS Sports. He tracked down a fly ball against the wall and made the catch over his shoulder to keep Clemson in the game once again, earning him comparison to the great Willie Mays play commonly referred to as “The Catch.”
His performance in game two of the Clemson Super Regional made national headlines, as ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt show and other outlets heavily covered his performance.
“He’s just the single greatest clutch performer I’ve ever been around in sport,” head coach Erik Bakich said about Cannarella.
“He’s just got an ‘it’ factor that we’re so fortunate to have him on our team, and any professional organization after next year is going to love having this kid on their team because he’s just going to make them win. And he makes us win.”
If it was possible to make Cannarella’s 2024 campaign even more impressive, it’s important to note that he was suffering from a torn labrum for nearly the entire season. After the Tigers were eliminated in the Super Regional round, Cannarella received surgery in July in order to repair the damage done to his throwing arm.
The Tigers will open their 2025 campaign on Friday, Feb. 14, when they participate in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Clemson will start the three-day event and their season at 11 a.m. when they take on Oklahoma State.
