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Softball On SI Unveils 2026 Player of the Year Favorites

Nicole Reitz|
Megan Grant has had a historic season with the UCLA Bruins.
Megan Grant has had a historic season with the UCLA Bruins. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Who have been the best players of the 2026 college season? Between sluggers, two-way stars, and defensive weapons, it’s anyone’s shot at taking Player of the Year honors. 

These five players have put up extreme numbers in all areas of the field and could potentially be in the running toward adding the biggest accolade to their resume yet. 

Megan Grant, UCLA Bruins

The senior is having her best year yet at the plate and has etched her name in several historic categories. 

To start the season, Megan Grant became just the second player in program history to hit three homers in a game. Now with 29 on the season, she’s just behind Oklahoma’s Kendall Wells for league-best, is first in on-base percentage at .655, second in slugging percentage at 1.362, and has a batting average of .486.

Most recently, her two-homer night against Illinois broke her own Big Ten single-season record of 26, which she set last season. Now with nine career multi-home run games, Grant is tied for third in program history and is three away from tying Stacey Nuveman-Deniz’s program record of 31 set in 1999.

Isa Torres, Florida State Seminoles 

Isa Torres is a double threat on the diamond. At the plate, she’s second in the NCAA for on-base percentage at .640, and batting average at .583, seventh for hits at 70, and slugging percentage at 1.033. 

Against Cal in March, Torres finished her night 3-for-3 with a couple of RBIs to become the first player in NCAA history to record 14 hits in 14 consecutive at-bats. 

At shortstop, she is arguably the best in the country right now, despite missing eight games. Her perfect fielding percentage is to be feared. 

Kaitlyn Terry, Texas Tech Red Raiders 

In her first season with the Red Raiders, Kaitlyn Terry has been an unbeatable two-way star. On the mound, she has one loss across 85 innings pitched. Her ERA of 1.56 pairs with her 98 strikeouts. 

At the plate, she’s fourth in the NCAA with a batting average of .528 and has 45 RBIs, 59 hits, and 10 doubles. 

Jordan Woolery, UCLA Bruins 

The Bruins' lineup is so good that they may be battling each other for Player of the Year honors. Next to Grant, Jordan Woolery is another beast at the plate. The senior is currently first in the NCAA for RBIs at 84, third for home runs at 23, and sixth for batting average at .504. 

Taylor Shumaker, Florida Gators 

In just her second year with the Gators, Shumaker is having a breakout season. She’s second in the NCAA with runs scored at 67, third for RBIs at 66, seventh in hits with 60, and ninth in home runs at 19. 

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Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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