Which Players Were Undervalued in Softball America’s 2026 Preseason Top 100?

Do you think these players were fairly ranked?

Clemson sophomore Marian Collins is poised to have a huge sophomore season. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Softball America released its Top 100 Players ahead of the 2026 season on Monday, and while every player on there is deserving of their placement, one could argue whether some were undervalued in ranking or ranked too high. 

Looking through the list of 100 players, a couple of players could have received a higher placement.

Isa Torres, Florida State

Florida State shortstop Isa Torres is ranked as the 13th-best on Softball America's list. While receiving a ranking of 13 is nothing to sneeze at, a Top 10 slot would be more like it for Torres. 

Last season, as a sophomore, Torres was historic in Tallahassee with an FSU record .436 batting average and third-most hits with 95. The All-American was also a Top 10 Finalist for USA Softball National Player of the Year.

The best shortstop in the country according to D1Softball and SoftballAmerica🤩🤩#Team43 pic.twitter.com/CIT0nmOJh2

— Florida State Softball 🥎 (@FSU_Softball) January 15, 2026

Torres in the field is just as valuable as any shortstop in the game, and she provides a great trust factor for the pitchers in the circle that she will be there to make the play. Going into her junior season for the Noles, Torres has the ability and high probability to be the best softball player overall in the country this season, barring any setbacks.

With a lot of new pieces in Tallahassee this season, look for Torres to be the one who starts the engine and helps lead the Seminoles squad to a possible Women’s College World Series appearance.

Marian Collins, Clemson

Clemson's Marian Collins at No. 72 is a little far down the list. 

Last season, Collins was a day-one starter as a freshman and held down the shortstop position. That was a spot that Clemson had lacked consistency in the previous year, as no one really claimed it.

Despite being a true freshman and taking over one of the toughest spots in the field, Collins does have improvement to make with a .910 fielding percentage.  

Rocking with the preseason player rankings 👯‍♀️

Softball America Position Rankings:
Julia Knowler - No. 6 First Baseman Rankings
Marian Collins - No. 7 Third Baseman Rankings pic.twitter.com/JdRJmO9mDY

— Clemson Softball 🥎 (@clemsonsoftball) January 14, 2026

Where Collins really shone was at the plate. In 62 games, she slashed .366/.453/.663 with 11 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 16 doubles. Collins also showed clutch genes in big moments, such as her walk-off home run in the ninth inning to defeat South Carolina at home last season. In that game, she accounted for both of Clemson's runs with two solo shots.

Also, in the ACC Tournament Semifinals against Virginia Tech, Marian Collins was huge in the Tigers' comeback to keep their championship hopes alive. Coming into her sophomore year, she really shouldn’t fear a sophomore slump. She's shown herself to be a high-level softball player already, and this season will be another big one for the Clemson infielder.

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