Stanford Baseball Has Two Rising Stars to Keep an Eye On

It's time to start associating the name Brock with some elite level athletes. First there were guys like Brock Lesnar taking center stage in both the UFC and WWE, cementing themselves as legendary sports figures.

Then there came guys like Brock Purdy, who defied the odds and became one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL despite being the last pick of the draft. And now, Stanford has a pair of Brocks that will remind people just how much of a household name it is.

Earlier this week, Baseball America released its Preseason Freshman of the Year Watchlist and two Stanford freshmen made the cut. OF/LHP Brock Ketelsen and utilityman Brock Sell. Ketelsen, the top prospect in the 2025 West Coast League, is expected to see a lot of action both in the field and on the mound, bringing a strong bat to the lineup.

Sell, on Baseball America's Top 500 MLB Draft prospects ahead of the '25 draft, can play pretty much anywhere in the field and figures to be a strong depth piece for a Stanford team that has struggled the last couple of seasons.

2026 is the first year that Baseball America has named preseason collegiate national award winners and award watch lists.

The Freshman of the Year race is less about resume and what a player accomplished in high school and more about projections for the upcoming season, in terms of immediate impact and how quickly those players can cement themselves as elite players in the world of college baseball.

The players on the list such as Sell and Ketelsen represent guys who are seen as early standouts heading into their debut seasons, while also offering a snapshot of freshmen poised to be impact players from the start, while also having a lot of upside for the future. But, prep career track records as well as feedback from professional evaluators were used to help make the list.

Ketelsen, a star at Valley Christian in San Jose, was pivotal in helping the school win a section championship in 2023 and two straight league titles in 2023 and '24. Enjoying his best season in 2025, Ketelsen was considered a highly touted prospect ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft, but opted instead to fulfill his commitment at Stanford in order to build up his stock.

Sell, a star at Tokay High School in Lodi, was ranked as the No. 65 prospect ahead of the '25 draft according to MLB.com, but will look to hone in on his skills at Stanford and evolve into a potential first round draft pick.

Making the College World Series three straight years from 2021-23, the Cardinal have struggled over the last couple of seasons, finishing 22-33 in their final season in the Pac-12 before going 27-25 with an 11-19 record in conference play in their debut ACC campaign.

But with a good offseason that saw the roster revamp itself, the Cardinal could be a team to watch this spring in their quest to return to Omaha.

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