The Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team is taking shape after the conclusion of MLB Draft last Monday and there is a lot to be excited about for the 2026 season with veteran starters returning along with a highly rated transfer portal class.

Coach Dave Van Horn has been adamant the last two transfer cycles about finding the right fit for the locker room and not overpaying potential starters just to make a splash. Players coming to Fayetteville to prepare for the next level, not to make NIL money for a year or two.

WHAT ELSE IS NEEDED

After Stanford right-handed pitcher Joey Volchko spurned LSU and Arkansas for the Georgia Bulldogs and Wes Johnson, it appears the coaching staff is looking at adding one or two more arms. There are not a lot of highly ranked players left in the portal that are comparable to Zach Root or Landon Beidelschies from last season.

James DeCremer was brought in from Oregon State last Monday after Jackson Wells signed a free-agent contract with Houston. DeCremer started three games this past season for the Beavers but is seen more as a reliever at this point.

ALOY REPLACEMENT

Wehiwa Aloy is off to minor league ball after signing his professional contract with Baltimore last week for a little over 3 million dollars. Ball State transfer Dylan Grego was seen as the heir apparent at shortstop, but he is likely to sign with the Padres after being selected in the 13th round last week. There have been more over-slot signings in the 11-20 rounds this year than previous years. Players selected in rounds 11-15 end up signing contracts at a 94 percent clip.

It was great that Landon Schaefer decided to turn down a million dollars and come to college for three years. I do not see him being the starting shortstop next season. It would be out of Van Horn’s comfort zone to put a freshman in that spot. Now, if he comes in and wins the job, he will be the guy. He has the talent and will hit at the next level. There are other options, however.

Nolan Souza’s rehab could hold the key to the magic lockbox. If he is able to return to full strength and make all the throws, he is the leading candidate. His athleticism would be put on full display at the most important position on the infield.

T.J. Pompey has experience at shortstop with Texas Tech, but his 2025 season was cut short with an injury. He is 6-4 with fluid motions and scouts love his potential on the left side of the infield. He will get the hardest look at shortstop should Souza not be ready to man the position.

PROJECTED INFIELD

It would be nice if a traditional first baseman can step up and be the everyday man at that position. Arkansas has rotated guys over there that can hit but aren’t true first basemen. Reese Robinett had a good defensive season through the last half of the regular season and postseason. He came to life at the CWS, but he needs to be more consistent at the plate. It would have been great if he got 150 at bats this summer somewhere.

Cam Kozeal has been playing first base for the Bourne Braves after spending time with the Collegiate National Team. Right now, let’s pencil him in at first base. It doesn’t mean he will play their in pro ball, but he has to be on the field to jeep his bat in the lineup.

Assuming Souza is healthy enough to play shortstop, that will shift Pompey over to third base. His frame and strength can play at the hot corner. It is different in terms of footwork, but he can manage it. Carson Brumbaugh is an intriguing freshman prospect that could factor into who plays third base. He came up as a prep shortstop, but he is close to 200 pounds now, and he will likely shift over to third base at Arkansas. He developed a tendency to overswing at times this spring and got pull-happy with his approach. If he can get back to using the entire field, he can hit in college. Brumbaugh could be used out of the bullpen with his 94-96 mph fastball.

Landon Schaefer could be your starting second baseman in 2026. He is the highest rated position player to make it to campus since Cayden Wallace. If Robinett comes back and claims first base, Kozeal will shift back to second. Schaefer has power to all parts of the field, and he has a good glove. He has competed at the highest level of travel ball so the speed of the game should not be a surprise. There is a learning curve for every freshman, however.

PROJECTED OUTFIELD

The coaching staff will be replacing every starter for the second year in a row. The transfer portal has been good to the Razorbacks. Marshall transfer Maika Niu has been a pleasant surprise in the Cape Cod League and is the favorite to replace Justin Thomas Jr. in center field.

The corner outfield spots are up for grabs. Damian Ruiz is a good hitter that can develop power under Nate Thompson. He will likely be the starting left fielder after playing right field at Lamar.

Zack Stewart at Kuhio Aloy are the candidates in right field. Stewart saw his batting average and thus, his draft stock tumble after an average junior year at Missouri State. He has a sweet left-handed swing with power to the gaps. He tends to have more swing-and-miss in the strike zone than he should have.

Aloy won the Cape Cod League home run derby this past weekend. Hitting the ball hard and hitting it far is nothing new for Aloy. Playing a position and making reads on fly balls is what he needs to do everyday if he wants to play professional baseball. MLB teams do not draft designated hitters. The odd man out in the outfield is likely the designated hitter.

Another name to watch is Brenton Clark. Clark has hit well in the California Collegiate League. He is hitting .359 with 13 RBI in 31 games this summer. He played in the CCL All-Star game last week and impressed scouts with his bat-to-ball skills. Clark had a great fall last year and was expected to factor into the rotation. He didn’t hit in the preseason and ended up redshirting. He wants to be at Arkansas, but if he doesn’t get a shot, he could leave at semester for junior college so he can get some at bats before moving back to a Division I school.

THE ROCK

The one position that will not be up for grabs is catcher. Ryder Helfrick will be back for his third year overall, his second as a starter. He got better defensively as the season went along. He made the Collegiate National Team and is expected to be one of the first college backstops to hear his name called in the 2026 MLB Draft. He is the foundation around which the lineup will be built for 2026.