Ahead of its third season under head coach Erik Bakich, the Clemson baseball team has landed on several preseason rankings from various baseball outlets.
This past Monday, D1Baseball ranked Clemson at No. 15 in its NCAA Top 25 Preseason Rankings, marking the lowest preseason ranking Clemson has received for the upcoming season and the only ranking outside of the top 10.
Other polls were more favorable, with the USA Today Coaches Poll placing the Tigers at No. 9. Perfect Game and RPI both ranked the team at No. 8. All of these align closer with D1Baseball’s final 2024 rankings, where Clemson came in at No. 9.
In the 2023-24 season, the Tigers’ campaign highlighted their talent and resilience. In 2024, Clemson recorded an ACC-best eight regular-season series wins, securing its first division title since 2018. Clemson then went on to win the regionals for the first time since 2010 before coming up short in the super regional against Florida. However, the Tigers put up a valiant fight, with Cam Cannarella hitting a three-run game-tying homer in the ninth and making a heroic over-the-shoulder catch in the 10th to extend the game.
Cannarella’s efforts earned him All-ACC honors, All-American recognition and a top 10 prospect ranking. Cannarella’s teammates, Blake Wright and Aiden Knaak, also received All-American honors. Additionally, Knaak was named to Perfect Game’s Top 25 Sophomores list and won NCBWA National Freshman Pitcher of the Year. These accomplishments all led to the Tigers finishing at No. 9 in D1Baseball’s final 2024 rankings.
So, what could have led to Clemson’s drop in D1Baseball’s preseason rankings? There are three main ranking factors: the incoming recruit class, roster changes from the transfer portal and the departure of key players to graduation or the draft.
Incoming recruit class
The Tigers finished No. 13 in Perfect Game’s recruit class rankings. However, this ranking was before one of Clemson’s top 100 recruits, Chase Harlan, signed with the Dodgers. Only left-handed pitcher Talan Bell remained as the only top 100 incoming freshman at Clemson.
Bell ranked No. 33 on the Perfect Game’s Top 100 Freshman list and is the sixth-best left-handed pitcher in his class. Additionally, Perfect Game highlighted Bell’s talent, noting that he has the “best command in the class.” While Clemson’s newest recruit class is not disappointing by any means, it is underwhelming compared to higher-ranked teams, such as LSU and Tennessee.
Transfer portal
Another factor influencing Clemson’s preseason rankings is its performance in the transfer portal. While the Tigers brought in several promising players, they lost three key contributors, all ranked in the top 100 transfers.
Of the incoming transfers to Clemson, only Luke Gaffney cracked the top 100, earning recognition as the 15th-best hitter in the portal. Last year, Gaffney had a standout season at Purdue, where he slashed .359/.449/.646 and was named the Big 10 Freshman of the Year.
Outfielder Dominic Listi, infielder Josh Paino and infielder Collin Priest all transferred to the Tigers, as well as right-handers Michael Gillen, Luke Kissenberth and lefty Hudson Lee, who could provide the Tigers with bullpen depth.
Graduation and draft
Besides losing players to the transfer portal, Clemson was also significantly impacted by departures to the MLB draft, losing several key players instrumental to their success last season. Blake Wright and Austin Gordon were both drafted in the fourth round. Wright was the 106th pick by the Rockies, and shortly after, the Angels selected Gordon with the 110th pick.
Wright will be a significant loss to the Tigers, posting career stats of .303/.360/.536. Austin Gordon also played a considerable role for Clemson, as he moved into the closing position toward the end of 2024, recording 11 saves.
Additionally, Will Taylor was drafted in the fifth round to the Pirates and Tristan Smith to the Reds. Taylor was injured for the majority of 2024 but slashed .362/.489/.523 in the 2023 season. Smith also had a measurable impact on the Tigers, putting up a 4.50 career ERA.
Clemson undoubtedly lost a significant amount of talent since last season, which raises the question: Can the new players step up and fill those shoes, or will the Tigers experience a slight drop-off as D1Baseball predicted?
Clemson opens its season at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown on Feb. 14 in Arlington, Texas, where the team will face Oklahoma State.
