Karson Kerce, SS, Georgia Tech
Age: 21
Bats/Trows: R/R
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 200 lbs
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 35 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45
Throughout this series of draft articles, one theme has been that the third tier of players was massive enough to blanket multiple rounds. In that vein, I present to you, Carson Kerce. For the most part, Kerce ranks in the top 100-150 range on most boards, but is not truly that much different than many players ranked 40-50 spots higher.
Baseball America
#121 overall
Kerce has been a three-year starter for Georgia Tech, and he made significant offensive strides as a sophomore and junior. He started the 2026 season as something of an afterthought at the back of Georgia Tech’s potent offensive lineup, but his consistent performance in the box ultimately moved him into the team’s leadoff role in April. He finished the 2026 season with a .384/.473/.679 slash line, a career-high 11 home runs and 29 doubles—good for the second-most among DiI hitters. Kerce is a 5-foot-11, 200-pound righthanded hitter who pairs excellent pure contact skills with an advanced, all-fields approach. He has a level, direct swing that yields plenty of hard line drives to both gaps and has cut his strikeout rate consistently throughout college. He managed a 13.3% strikeout rate and standout 90% in-zone contact rate in 2026. While Kerce’s power output has also increased year-over-year, he doesn’t have exceptional over-the-fence pop, the swing or the approach to envision anything more than fringe-average game power with a wood bat. He’s an above-average runner who gets out of the box quickly, but hasn’t been much of a base-stealing threat in college, and has experience all over the infield. Kerce moved from third base to shortstop in 2026, but his actions, range and hands might all be a tick light for an everyday shortstop role in pro ball. He could be better suited for either second or third, or continue playing a bit of everything in a utility infield role.
Age: 21
Bats/Trows: R/R
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 200 lbs
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 35 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45
Throughout this series of draft articles, one theme has been that the third tier of players was massive enough to blanket multiple rounds. In that vein, I present to you, Carson Kerce. For the most part, Kerce ranks in the top 100-150 range on most boards, but is not truly that much different than many players ranked 40-50 spots higher.
Baseball America
#121 overall
Kerce has been a three-year starter for Georgia Tech, and he made significant offensive strides as a sophomore and junior. He started the 2026 season as something of an afterthought at the back of Georgia Tech’s potent offensive lineup, but his consistent performance in the box ultimately moved him into the team’s leadoff role in April. He finished the 2026 season with a .384/.473/.679 slash line, a career-high 11 home runs and 29 doubles—good for the second-most among DiI hitters. Kerce is a 5-foot-11, 200-pound righthanded hitter who pairs excellent pure contact skills with an advanced, all-fields approach. He has a level, direct swing that yields plenty of hard line drives to both gaps and has cut his strikeout rate consistently throughout college. He managed a 13.3% strikeout rate and standout 90% in-zone contact rate in 2026. While Kerce’s power output has also increased year-over-year, he doesn’t have exceptional over-the-fence pop, the swing or the approach to envision anything more than fringe-average game power with a wood bat. He’s an above-average runner who gets out of the box quickly, but hasn’t been much of a base-stealing threat in college, and has experience all over the infield. Kerce moved from third base to shortstop in 2026, but his actions, range and hands might all be a tick light for an everyday shortstop role in pro ball. He could be better suited for either second or third, or continue playing a bit of everything in a utility infield role.
17 days ago
