Gavin Kelly named No. 1 collegiate prospect for the 2027 draft
Gavin Kelly is not just a household name for West Virginia fans; he’s become one around the nation. Playing catcher and second base, while handling the bat at such a high level, Kelly was named the No. 1 collegiate prospect in Baseball America’s 2027 MLB Draft Prospects.
Getting To WVU
Emerging from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kelly played high school ball at Pittsburgh Central Catholic. With three years on the varsity team, it was easy to see the potential he held. He never had a season hitting below .360 and recorded 20 or more hits each year. His junior season was when he broke out with a batting average of .534 with 31 hits and 10 doubles in 58 at-bats.
In his senior year, he slowed down – for his standards – with a .490 batting average on 25 hits in 51 at-bats. This ended his high school career with a .461 average, 77 hits, 20 doubles and eight triples. This is all while striking out just 17 times in 215 plate appearances for a .575 on-base clip.
His high school numbers, along with a national showcase, earned him the No. 1 catcher and No. 7 overall player in Pennsylvania. Also making the nation’s top 300 overall prospects at No. 267, per Perfect Game. This made him the second-highest commit in WVU’s 2024 class, behind second-round draft pick Griffin Burkholder.
Mountaineers Meet Kelly
To begin Kelly’s tenure with the Mountaineers, he probably did not see as much playing time as he would have liked. Through WVU’s first nine games, he appeared in just four, starting three. He totaled two hits in 10 at-bats, but when March came, he became a staple in the lineup.
At the end of the season, he totaled 45 starts and played in 50 of WVU’s 60 games. He was selected to the All-Big 12 Freshman team after hitting .299 with two home runs and 37 RBI. Kelly was second on the team with 16 stolen bases, adding six doubles, two triples and scoring 38 runs.
He performed very well in WVU’s playoff campaign. He accumulated two hits, scoring three runs against Cincinnati in the Big 12 Tournament. Then, in the Clemson Regional, he tallied three RBI and two runs scored in the final against Kentucky. But what might have caught the national attention was his 3-for-4 day with a home run against the future national champions, LSU, highlighting his big moment hitting.
This same season, he debuted his diversity in the field. While his work at the plate made him a must in the lineup, he ranged between multiple positions with 27 games at second base, 18 behind the plate and five in left field.
New League, Same Results
His breakout freshman campaign earned him an invite to the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he played for the Bourne Braves. Kelly made a major impact as he hit .277 and saw a .364 on-base rate. He played games at catcher, second base and all three outfield positions, adding to his defensive repertoire.
But when it mattered the most, he delivered in the postseason. En route to the Braves’ championship run, Kelly totaled a .375 batting average, drove in 12 runs and hit his only home run of the summer as the team’s leadoff hitter.
Capping It Off
As a whole, 2025 was nice for Kelly’s draft stock, but this season, he took it up another level. To end the regular season, he is hitting .387, ranking No. 17 in the nation. He leads the Mountaineers with 12 home runs, 47 RBI, 1.167 OPS, 133 total bases, .686 slugging percentage and a.481 on-base percentage.
Kelly spent 28 of his 49 starts behind the plate, with the other 21 at second base. He made just five errors on the year and threw out 10 runners in 27 tries. His cannon of an arm as a backstop and professional-level hitting earned him First Team All-Big 12 Catcher.
More Hardware, Elite Comparison
He still has more hardware up for grabs as he was named a semifinalist for the National Player of the Year and for the Golden Spike Award.
But maybe his most impressive honoree this season came on May 8, when he earned an invite to the Team USA Collegiate Training Camp. Kelly is just one of five sophomores selected to compete for a spot on the World Collegiate Baseball Championship roster for the United States. The last Mountaineer to do so was JJ Wetherholt in 2023, later going No. 7 overall in the MLB Draft.
Through Kelly’s accomplishments based on his high-end play, he is destined to draw comparisons. One name that he has repeatedly stood beside is 12-year MLB man, Buster Posey. After being selected No. 5 overall in the 2008 MLB Draft, Posey went on to win an MVP, Rookie of the Year, five Silver Sluggers, a batting title and a Gold Glove.
WVU manager Steve Sabins thinks that is who his sophomore sensation looks like.
“Kelly to be able to catch and play second, that’s a unicorn. That guy doesn’t exist. That’s Buster Posey, Team USA selection and future big leaguer,” Sabins said.
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