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Colleges Performance Analysis Recruiting

Does USC Have The Best Collegiate Baseball Program?

Are you a baseball player who has some talent and wants to go to a top college baseball program that will give you a good chance to make it to the league?  Or are you an agent who wants to know which colleges produce the most Major League talent?  Either way, there is an article that hopes to guide you in the right direction when it comes to scouting the most successful programs (in terms of having its players make the MLB). [Top 10: MLB Colleges]

Here is an abbreviated version…because I know all of you want to hurry up and start the Sunday barbecue:

  1. University of Southern California – 275 MLB draft picks, 94 MLB players.
  2. University of Texas – 278 MLB draft picks, 94 MLB players.
  3. Arizona State – 356 MLB draft picks, 90 MLB players.
  4. Stanford University – 231 MLB draft picks, 71 MLB players.
  5. UCLA – 207 MLB draft picks, 62 MLB players.
  6. University of Arizona – 190 MLB draft picks, 58 MLB players.
  7. Florida State University – 189 MLB draft picks, 55 MLB players.
  8. Cal State Fullerton – 219 MLB draft picks, 42 MLB players.
  9. University of Miami – 207 MLB draft picks, 37 MLB players.
  10. University of Nebraska – 216 MLB draft picks, 29 MLB players.

Personal Notes:

  • It seems like the West Coast schools are top heavy on this list.  I am not arguing that these schools are not premier schools for baseball talent; however, the East Coast may be unfairly ignored in this study.
  • Where is Cal State Fullerton or Rice?  Those 2 programs are usually the first 2 that I think about when talking about producing great talent.  Cal State should be above #8 and Rice is not even listed.
  • I think that Stanford at #4 may be a little high.

What are your thoughts?

-Darren Heitner 

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

14 replies on “Does USC Have The Best Collegiate Baseball Program?”

Interesting post but how long was this study done for?

USC has won the most national championships in NCAA history so this really doesn’t surprise me at all. Cal State Fullerton and Rice strike me to be more recent additions to the college baseball world.

I actually looked through the study and could not find the length. I don’t find AskMen articles to be all that informative, but every so often they are thought provoking.

By Post Author

Rice isn’t listed because it only became an elite program after Wayne Graham took over in 1992. Since then, it’s been a powerhouse both in the CWS and in terms of players getting drafted. Before 1992, though, Rice baseball was much like other Rice athletics (“They have a team? In Division I?).

CS-Fullerton actually has been historically pretty good, they’ve won a title in every decade since the 70s which not many schools on this list can claim. Nebraska, I think, would probably be on the next tier of schools here. They have only recently moved into the upper eschelon of college baseball and still only have 2 CWS appearances to their credit, despite being only about 45 minutes from Omaha. Stanford has had a down couple of years, but they recently had a run of something like 6-7 straight trips to the CWS, although they never won the whole thing.

The west and southwest is overrepresented because those schools have historically dominated college baseball. The ACC hasn’t produced a national title since the 50s, and while the SEC has stormed to the fore in the last 20 years or so, they still only have 2 schools that have ever won a title, with 5 of the 6 total for the conference won by LSU in the 90s. I know that this site would be looking primarily at the transition to the pro ranks, but if you’re looking at this purely at the NCAA level, this is probably a fairly accurate list. Put LSU in at the 4 or 5 slot, bump everyone else down, and you’re good to go.

One thing that jumps out at me is that Oregon State is not on the list, and they’re not even close to being on the list (not that I expected them to be). In fact, I remember seeing a stat that the University of Oregon (which dropped its baseball program 30 years ago) has had more MLB players than Oregon State. Don’t know if it’s still true.

I think it goes to show just how truly out of nowhere the Beavers came to become back-to-back champs, with a great shot at a three-peat, especially since they’re competing in-conference with five of the top six schools on that list.

I agree to some degree that USC has and will continue to have great talent. However, during the last Two seasons A small tough Oregon State Team has come up big and defeated teams that have great talent…Not to mention the fact that They have won two concsecative College World Serries. AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE WHERE WAS USC in those matchups? I am not comparing Records all I am saying is look out for the underdog Because the underdog can bite and bite hard.

I’m no genius, but doesn’t Texas have more draft picks than USC, but the same amount of MLB players? Shouldn’t they be #1.

Would be much more interesting to see the data sample over the last 20 or 25 years as opposed to all-time. I would bet that on such a list, Miami would be higher and Clemson would be in the picture.

I went to ASU, pitched 25 innings, played with Lo Duca, Vina and Mike Kelly (Bonds would work out with us in 88/89)

I wasn’t drafted, Jim Gott elbow surgery.

Nebraska is surprising, but that Chamberlin kid with the Yankees throws gas.

I was also a little surprised that Texas was listed under USC even though they boast a better resume. Maybe USC has a better future outlook? However, it’s hard to say that Texas doesn’t have a chance to win it all every year.

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