The college baseball transfer portal officially closes on July 2, and with teams facing a new 34-man roster cap for the 2026 season, this offseason has become one of the most complex in recent memory. NIL uncertainty has only added to the chaos, leaving programs across the country scrambling to find impact pieces without overspending.
In a landscape where undervalued talent is more important than ever, Baseball America college writers Jacob Rudner and Peter Flaherty have highlighted 10 underrated transfers who could provide major returns next year. Players are listed alphabetically.
Michael DiMartini, OF
- Previous School: Dayton
- New School: Duke
After logging just six at-bats as a freshman at Penn State in 2023, DiMartini entered the transfer portal and eventually committed to Dayton. Though his time as a “Fly Boy” was only one season, DiMartini certainly made his mark. He posted a gaudy .403/.465/.685 slash line with 11 doubles, seven triples, 14 home runs and 37 stolen bases.
DiMartini has a strong, athletic frame and his toolset enables him to impact the game in a myriad of ways. In the box, he has a crouched stance and an ear-high handset. DiMartini has plenty of hand speed and uses the middle of the field well, though he has also shown the ability to drive the baseball to the opposite field.
He posted a maximum exit velocity of 113 mph and was all over pitches in his “go zone,” but I’ll be curious to see how DiMartini’s hit tool translates in the ACC. He made contact at just a 64% overall clip and also showed the tendency to expand the strike zone. However, when he made contact, DiMartini was consistently on the barrel. Dimartini’s speed translates well in the outfield and on the bases, and it’s a tool he knows how to use. (PF)
Kaden Echeman, RHP
- Previous School: Northern Kentucky
- New School: Kentucky
Echeman is trending towards being drafted and subsequently signing, but for now, he fits in the “underrated transfer” bucket. After missing all of 2024 with an injury, Echeman this spring anchored Northern Kentucky’s rotation and pitched to a career-best 4.34 ERA with a career-high 87 strikeouts to 23 walks across 56 innings. Echeman has carried the momentum he built during the spring into this summer, as across three starts (12 innings) on the Cape, he’s posted a 2.25 ERA with 19 strikeouts to five walks.
An undersized righthander, Echeman stands at a modest 6-feet, 190 pounds with some…