As the College World Series gets underway this Friday, Florida State baseball will be watching from home for the second straight year, putting a ton of pressure on head coach Link Jarrett and the 2027 team to get back to the Mecca of the sport.
However, it will not be easy for the Seminoles to do so. Along with the draft most likely taking the best players on the FSU roster, including ACC Pitcher of the Year Wes Mendes, the Noles have undergone significant attrition in the transfer portal, with C Hunter
Carns and SS Gabe Fraser announcing their intent to leave the program.
Even though some of the transfer departures are not a surprise, and in some cases, the relationships most likely ran their course, it still presents a heavy lift for Jarrett and his coaching staff to fill in the gaps of a roster that was unable to make it out of its own regional in 2026.
While almost any position could be considered a need with the amount of roster turnover happening in Tallahassee, below are the three main priorities FSU should have when attacking the transfer portal.
All players in the portal are courtesy of Baseball America’s transfer portal tracker. All player stats come from their previous schools’ respective websites.
No. 1: Power left-handed hitter
Even if Myles Bailey returns, which seems unlikely, getting another power LHH to Tallahassee is critical for Jarrett and his staff.
The power numbers for Florida State in 2026 were bad before Bailey went down, and cratered after his injury. The worst example is that the Noles’ home run leader last season was Bailey, with 13, albeit not playing a game in April or May. Brayden Dowd and John Stuetzer tied for second on the team with 10 homers, and those three were the only players with double-digit jacks last year. For reference, on the 2025 team, four Noles had 15 or more home runs, and on the 2024 squad, five players had 14 or more home runs.
While it is clear more pop is necessary for the Seminole lineup, they also need help on the left-handed side of the plate. Not only was Florida State too right-handed throughout the year, often rolling out a batting order of seven righties and two lefties when Bailey went down, but their four top LHH from a year ago, Bailey, Dowd, Fraser, and Chase Williams, are all most likely to leave the program. With that in mind, finding an impact bat from the left side will be paramount out of the portal and the largest need on the offense side.
Names to know:
- FAMU 1B/DH Jackson McKenzie: McKenzie committed to Florida State on June 9 and is a start for FSU to become more physical from the left side. McKenzie batted .397 while hitting 12 home runs in 2026.
- Texas State 1B Manny Salas: Salas, who is draft eligible this year, helped lead a powerful Texas State lineup, smashing 16 home runs with a .584 SLG%. While the big Texas schools will probably be all over him if he does not go pro, Salas would be a veteran, powerful, LHH that FSU needs.
No. 2: Top-of-the-line starter
FSU’s weekend rotation has been a strength under Jarrett in his last three seasons at the helm, and the head coach will almost certainly have to pay big money in the transfer portal to keep it that in 2027.
Most likely, the Seminoles will lose all three arms from their weekend rotation in 2026, Mendes, Trey Beard, and Bryson Moore, along with their best reliever, John Abraham. While there are some intriguing pieces on the mound that could return in 2027, and even a couple of arms with starting experience like Cooper Whited, the transfer portal will have to be in play to infuse talent on the mound.
Lucky for Florida State, though, is that the Noles have had success finding arms in the transfer portal. Two years ago, Joey Volini came in from USF and ran with the Saturday starter role behind Jamie Arnold. It was a similar situation this past year with Trey Beard, who did not overpower hitters but utilized his veteran experience and pitchability to manage the game. Jarrett will be hoping to replicate the success in 2027 that those two arms delivered.
Names to know:
- USF RHP Michael Senay: Jarrett has had a lot of success with USF transfers so far, and maybe he will go back to the well once more. Senay earned All-AAC Freshman Team honors in 2026 after making 13 starts across 81.0 innings with a 3.78 ERA. He is not draft-eligible until 2028 and has a feel for multiple breaking balls, a mainstay under pitching coach Micah Posey.
- Mercer RHP Garrett Lambert: Lambert missed all of 2025 due to injury but returned in 2026 and posted an impressive campaign, going 5-1 over 15 starts with 71.0 innings and a 4.31 ERA. He is draft eligible in July, but if he returns to school, FSU would be wise to look at a college baseball veteran that impressed in the SoCon.
No. 3: Athletic shortstop
Fraser’s intention to enter the transfer portal allows Jarrett to right a wrong from 2026: failing to solve the middle infield. While any team would have a hard time replacing the infield duo of Alex Lodise and Drew Faurot, Florida State never figured it out, leading to inconsistent defense and not enough impact at the plate.
One of the main issues with the Seminoles’ 2026 roster was that no one on the team was a true shortstop. Cal Fisher attempted to lock down the SS job, but fit better as a natural third baseman. Fraser spent most of his time at Arkansas as a second baseman before transitioning to SS for Florida State. Carter McCulley also spent some time at SS, but felt more like a utility infielder than a defensive stopper at the position. That now puts the onus on Jarrett and his staff to find someone that has been the leader of the infield before, while also providing quality at-bats and threatening on the base paths the way Fraser was able to do.
Names to know:
- Cal Baptist SS Chris Ramirez: Ramirez might be one of the most sought-after names in the transfer portal after two impressive campaigns with the program. In 2026, Ramirez slashed .356/.418/.514, while being the everyday shortstop for CBU. He is draft eligible in 2027 and could be a strong fit in Tallahassee.
- Tennessee SS Manny Marin: A South Florida native, Marin spent two seasons at Tennessee, including starting 52 games in 2026, while slashing .291/.338/.485 for the Volunteers. Marin struggled with strikeouts, hence the low on-base percentage, but posted a .976 FLD% last season. He is a draft-eligible sophomore this July.
