USA Baseball Announces 2026 Golden Spikes Award Semifinalists

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today announced the 25 semifinalists for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award, moving one step closer to identifying the top amateur baseball player in the nation. The 48th Golden Spikes Award will be presented on June 29 on MLB Network at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Twenty different schools are represented in this year’s semifinalist group, including four schools that placed two or more players on the list: Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Texas, and Texas A&M.

“We are thrilled to honor the twenty-five best players in the country as Golden Spikes Award semifinalists,” said USA Baseball CEO/Executive Director Paul Seiler. “It has been an excellent season of amateur baseball, and these athletes are extremely deserving of this honor. We anticipate an exciting race throughout the remainder of the season and look forward to naming the forty-eighth winner of the Golden Spikes Award on MLB Network next month.”

Georgia Tech’s Drew Burress has been named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist for the third consecutive year, becoming just the third player to accomplish the feat behind Anthony Rendon (2009, 2010, and 2011) and Brendan McKay (2015, 2016, and 2017). Burress, along with Jarren Advincula and Vahn Lackey, represent the Yellow Jackets on this year’s list, marking just the eighth time a school has had three players named semifinalists.

UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky and Texas’ Dylan Volantis have been named Golden Spikes Award semifinalists for the second consecutive year after being named to the list in 2025. Cholowsky and Volantis, along with eight other semifinalists, have consistently showcased top talent the entire season and appeared on both the preseason and midseason watch lists: Advincula, Jason DeCaro (North Carolina), Evan Dempsey (FGCU), Grady Emerson (Fort Worth Christian School), Jackson Flora (UC Santa Barbara), Ryder Helfrick (Arkansas), Lackey, and Caden Sorrell (Texas A&M).  In total, 20 of the 25 semifinalists were featured on at least one watch list this year.

Emerson, who has been projected as one of this year’s top picks in the MLB Draft, is the only non-Division I player to appear on the list. He is the first high school player since Bobby Witt Jr. in 2019 to be named a semifinalist.

Overall, six different conferences are represented among the 25 semifinalists. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) features 10 players, followed by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with six and the Big 12 with four. Additionally, the Big Ten has two athletes and the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) and Big West have one player apiece.

Arkansas’ Wehiwa Aloy is the most recent winner of the Golden Spikes Award, earning the prestigious honor after a prolific season in 2025. He joins an elite group of recent winners including Charlie Condon (2024), Dylan Crews (2023), Ivan Melendez (2022), Kevin Kopps (2021), Adley Rutschman (2019), Andrew Vaughn (2018), Brendan McKay (2017), Kyle Lewis (2016), Andrew Benintendi (2015), A.J. Reed (2014), Kris Bryant (2013), Mike Zunino (2012), Trevor Bauer (2011), Bryce Harper (2010), Stephen Strasburg (2009), Buster Posey (2008), and David Price (2007).

Fan voting will again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award in 2026. Following today’s semifinalist announcement, baseball fans can vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com to help determine the finalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 10, and fan voting will once again open at GoldenSpikesAward.com to help determine the winner before closing on June 28.

The 2026 Golden Spikes Award timeline is as follows:

• May 14: Golden Spikes Award semifinalists announced, and fan voting begins

• June 9: Golden Spikes Award semifinalists fan voting ends

• June 10: Golden Spikes Award finalists announced, and fan voting begins

• June 28: Golden Spikes Award finalists fan voting ends

• June 29: Golden Spikes Award winner announced

To stay up to date on the 2026 Golden Spikes Award, visit GoldenSpikesAward.com and follow @USAGoldenSpikes on Instagram and Twitter/X.

Name – Position – Year – School – Conference

Jarren Advincula – INF – Junior – Georgia Tech – ACC

Drew Burress – OF – Junior – Georgia Tech – ACC

Lorenzo Carrier – OF – R-Senior – Pittsburgh – ACC

Roch Cholowsky – INF – Junior – UCLA – Big Ten

Tague Davis – INF – Sophomore – Louisville – ACC

Jason DeCaro – RHP – Junior – North Carolina – ACC

Evan Dempsey – RHP/OF – Junior – FGCU – ASUN

Hunter Dietz – LHP – R-Sophomore – Arkansas – SEC

Mason Edwards – LHP – Junior – Southern Cal – Big Ten

Grady Emerson – INF – Senior (HS) – Fort Worth Christian (HS)

Jackson Flora – RHP – Junior – UC Santa Barbara – Big West

Gavin Grahovac – INF – Junior – Texas A&M – SEC

Landon Hairston – INF – Sophomore – Arizona State – Big 12

Ryder Helfrick – C – Junior – Arkansas – SEC

Daniel Jackson – C – Junior – Georgia – SEC

Gavin Kelly – C/INF – Sophomore – West Virginia – Big 12

Dee Kennedy – INF – Junior – Kansas State – Big 12

Aidan King – RHP – Sophomore – Florida – SEC

Vahn Lackey – C/INF – Junior – Georgia Tech – ACC

Kollin Ritchie – OF – Junior – Oklahoma State – Big 12

Aiden Robbins – OF – Junior – Texas – SEC

Caden Sorrell – OF – Junior – Texas A&M – SEC

Cade Townsend – RHP – Sophomore – Ole Miss – SEC

Tomas Valincius – LHP – Sophomore – Mississippi State – SEC

Dylan Volantis – LHP – Sophomore – Texas – SEC