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Who should be leading in the SEC Freshman of the Year Discussion?

by: Evan Vieth05/08/26

2026 may be the most talented freshman class we’ve ever seen hit campus.

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It’s by design: the mixture of a shortened draft, more incentive to stay in college and more data showing the benefits of the collegiate path has drawn more and more stars who, 10 years ago, would’ve never made it to campus.

In the 2022-23 recruiting classes, the Texas Longhorns saw one top-100 prospect, Will Gasparino, make it to campus.

In 2024-25, it’s seen seven, headlined by this year’s trio of elite freshmen in Anthony Pack, Sam Cozart and Brett Crossland.

Crossland has been a tremendous boost to this Texas bullpen, but Pack and Cozart are the true superstars. Cozart, a 6’5 behemoth who looks about 20 years older than he actually is, is the undisputed best closer in the conference.

Pack, sporting the baby face much more appropriate to his age, has been one of the SEC’s best corner outfielders; second in the conference in average, third in on-base.

The level of talent around the SEC, in general, is only multiplying. Teams like Mississippi State and Texas A&M boast multiple elite freshmen, and teams like Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, and LSU have stars of their own.

It’s created a raging debate in the SEC baseball-verse:

Who is the Freshman of the Year in the SEC?

This list is a good start, but it leaves off some pretty important names. Texas A&M’s Jorian Wilson, Alabama’s Myles Upchurch, both standout LSU freshmen. A player like Nottingham probably shouldn’t be here at all.

Let’s go over the hitters first (All stats used are in conference play):

Things get… complicated.

Wilson has the best raw statistics, but he’s played far fewer conference games and ABs.

Similarly, Parker is 18 ABs behind Pack, but has an OPS 100 points higher than Pack with just three fewer total bases,

Serna has the most total bases, but he loses some love given LSU’s status in the conference.

From this group, the two standouts are clearly Pack, Wilson and Parker. Pack has by far the best average and the best OBP, and nearly tops in volume.

Parker’s been an unreal part of a really good MS State lineup, and outpaces Wilson in ABs, but Wilson is 50 points ahead in OPS and has more total bases. It’s hard to truly differentiate who is better.

What about the arms?

Let’s be honest, it’s not even close.

The SEC doesn’t have any truly notable starting freshman pitchers outside of Upchurch, who has been good but is more of an above-average No. 3 than anything dominant like Cozart. There’s really no argument for either Bauer or Upchurch, and definitely not Appenzeller, to be ahead of Cozart in the SEC freshman of the year race. Crossland also looks solid.

As it stands, this is a four-man race between Cozart, Pack, Parker and Wilson

Thankfully, you don’t have to name a winner just yet, which is why these next two weeks are crucial for every single player listed.

Parker and Wilson weren’t mainstays in their lineup until the middle of the SEC season, so adding another 24-30 ABs on the same level of efficiency could solidify this award.

For Cozart, it’s just about innings pitched and staying dominant. If he can add another 6 1/3 innings at a similar rate to get to 30 over SEC play, he has a real argument to win this award.

But as it stands, Pack probably is in the lead because of volume production. He gets on base at a near .500 clip. Gets a base hit in 4/10 ABs. He’s also fifth in the SEC in stolen bases, with a perfect 9-0 efficiency. If he has a late-season power stroke, this award is over.

Follow these four names closely as the season ends, and remember the list of players brought up today when following the SEC over the next few years. This crop will be one of the most talented draft classes we’ve seen when 2028 rolls around.

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