Oregon's Angel Laya, Brayden Jaksa atop early 2028 MLB Draft prospects
Although the Oregon Ducks might be battling a midseason slump on the diamond, coach Mark Wasikowski has seemingly identified some players who could be cornerstones for the lineup for the next few seasons.
It’s not often that true freshmen get super involved in games, but the Ducks have thrown several first-year players into the fire this season, and two of them have really separated as key pieces.
Baseball America ranked the top 50 prospects for the 2028 MLB Draft , which might seem far away, but it’s meant to get a general sense of who the best freshmen are in college baseball right now. On that list, a pair of Ducks cracked the top 10.
Oregon freshman Brayden Jaksa makes the list at No. 8 after shining behind the dish and in the box this season for the Ducks. Jaksa has primarily operated as the backup catcher to Burke-Lee Mabeus, but he is also finding his way into the lineup more often as a designated hitter and at first base, where he could play a lot down the stretch.
Jaksa has the gift of both size and discipline as a batter. The 6-foot-6 freshman from Fremont, California, has received more at-bats the past few weeks because of his patient approach in the batter's box. Jaksa uses his size and strength to his advantage on both sides of a given inning, blasting five home runs and three doubles in limited at-bats, and throwing out two baserunners from behind the plate with his big arm.
With such a large frame and a power bat, Jaksa might be best suited to stick at first base long-term to preserve his bat and use his catch radius to be a wall for the infield. Gabe Miranda and Dominic Hellman have rotated at first base for most of the season, but Jaksa has already cut into that timeshare.
Not far behind the rising star behind the plate is another Oregon freshman whose power has propelled the Ducks forward this season. Angel Laya has been a great defender in right field this season, but it's his slow approach and long fly balls from the batter's box that have him checking in at No. 10 on the list.
Laya has nine home runs this season, just one shy of tying the Oregon freshman record of 10, currently held by shortstop Maddox Molony. The Venezuelan talent has a big arm and decent enough speed to stick in a corner outfield spot for the Ducks, and his pop at the plate in the middle of the lineup has made him a true threat to opposing pitching staffs.
There's still room for Laya to grow at Oregon, but the Ducks have not been able to take the freshman off the field this season. He's slashing .291/.390/.564 with a .954 OPS. Laya's 28 RBI are second-most on the team, and he has a near-even walk-to-strikeout ratio, drawing 13 free passes while going down 14 times on strikes.
The expectations for the San Diego native coming to Eugene were big, and he hasn't disappointed. Laya had his first career walk-off hit against Indiana last month and has sparked rallies late in games with timely hitting while placed just behind Oregon's veteran bats in the order.
Laya wears No. 53 in honor of former MLB All-Star outfielder Bobby Abreu , who slugged 288 home runs in his 18-year career. Although Laya is in a bit of a power slump, while the Ducks have been losing, there is little doubt that he will be a staple in the lineup for the next few seasons and absolutely vital for the Ducks to finally make it back to Omaha while he is in Eugene.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Pair of freshmen receiving national recognition for Oregon baseball
