Jorf Porsson's CCW Draft Big Board 2.o

Jorf Porsson’s Big Board 2.0
T minus 3 days until draft night, and I, CCW Jorf Porsson, have my crystal ball working overtime. As the pivotal night nears, my sources are getting chattier, and my vision for draft night gets clearer.

Today’s Big Board represents my ranking of each available player as a pure prospect for this season - without taking into account fit, preference, or other similar variables. I’ll take into account the players’ expected values, past performance, and my own professional analysis to line them up top to bottom. Stay tuned for the official Jorf Porsson Mock Draft coming later this week.

New for V2.0, we’ve added some returning players after years’-long hiatus, a new crop of registered rookies, and taken a few names off the list who are expected to be unavailable for draft this season. This isn’t an official draft list, as the Commissioner hasn’t provided that official information yet, but rather my informed speculation on who is available. 

Let’s go to the board.

The Drafting Aces
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Myc Witty, Reid Werner, Will Smithey, Aidan Palmer, Austin Alles, Mitch Buis, Brayden Scott

1.0: These magnificent seven aren’t draft eligible because they will be the ones drafting the teams this season. This is the top 7 pitchers in the league, as weighed by CCW’s proprietary player evaluation system, the same which was used in setting player values for free agency in years prior. These are the building blocks of the teams this year, each player expected to pitch a lion’s share of their team’s innings, and in many cases, carrying the bulk of the offensive freight, as well. 

The New Omissions

Since the last iteration of the Board, these players have been removed, due to perceived lack of ability or availability to play this season. 

Nick Bundy (previous 11)
Devon Hensley (previous 25)
Luke Thompson (previous 30)

The Big Board

1. Brendan Dudas ↔️ Even
2.0 Update: No movement at the top here for Dudas, who is becoming widely expected to go number 1.1 in the draft. 

1.0: Commissioner Dudas is coming off one of the strongest years of his storied career, and for the first time, will not be the one building a team. He brought home the Yellow Slugger Award and was a colossal piece of the Championship Winning Short Shorts roster. His offensive floor is extremely high, and his ceiling is repeating as the best hitter in the league. Dudas even flashed improvement on the mound, with electric stuff that can be seriously effective if he can keep the arm healthy. I think Dudas couples his elite bat with a pitching performance of a legitimate number 2 in a rotation this summer.

2. Rudy Lyon ↔️ Even
2.0: Rudy holds at number 2 on my board on the strength of his long history of production and versatility. The rest of the first round after Dudas may be an up-in-the-air situation, though - stay tuned for my Mock Draft to see how I think it will shake out. 

1.0: Not unlike Dudas, Lyon enters 2026 free from team-building responsibilities for the first time in recent history. That may be a breath of fresh air for Rudy, who experienced a down year by his standards in 2025, perhaps burdened by managing a complicated Yakkers roster. Lyon offers top-of-the-league offensive potential and a pedigree that outpaces just about anyone else in the circuit. While his days as a team ace are likely behind him, Rudy will serve admirably as a second arm on a team, something that will be in high demand in this draft. 

3. Holden Palmer ↔️ Even
2.0: Palmer is still poised to jump back into the upper echelon of pitching in the ‘26 season. I believe his offseason work will pay dividends, and he’ll end the year as a top 6 arm in the game. 

1.0: Holden offers what may be the most coveted attribute in this draft - pitching upside. While his numbers in 2025 were those of a mid-tier number two pitcher, Holden has flashed ace-quality stuff and results in his expansive CCW career. It’s no secret that he’s been working hard on different wiffle ball styles over the winter, and Palmer may be poised for a huge bounce-back campaign in 2026. While he doesn’t offer much value with the bat, he has the potential to be a top 5 pitcher in the league, which is something that no one else in this draft (with maybe one exception, to come later) can boast. 

4. Alex Gurtcheff ↔️ Even
2.0: More holding firm here at the top of the draft rankings. Gurtch will likely be counted on as a number 2 pitcher for a team this year, compared to a more number 3 value for Jones and Luker below him.

1.0: Gurtch made the leap from a valuable role player to a star in 2025, leading the league in dingers and taking home the Most Improved Player Award. He gets top billing in a closely packed group of sluggers at this stage in the draft, though, due to his versatility and potential value on the mound. Any one of Gurtcheff or the following two players is equally likely to have the strongest offensive season in 2026, but Gurtcheff can more reliably produce number two pitcher value for a team. His history on the mound is up and down, but if he can avoid the one or two blow-up outings that have haunted him in recent years, he could turn in a solid two-way campaign. 

5. Dylan Jones ↔️ Even
2.0: Jones will post offensive value as reliably as anyone in the league, and a team seeking that stability may value that very highly. We’re splitting hairs between him, Luker, and Gurtcheff, though. 

1.0: DJ is a perennially elite bat stretching back nearly a decade now. Jones will anchor any lineup he ends up in, and as another player who may be free of managing a team for the first time in years, might feel a little freer to focus on the game between the lines. He put up impressive rate-based numbers on an underachieving Hounds team last season, and, perhaps surprisingly to some, logged an ERA under 7.00 for the first time in his career. DJ is a soft-tosser on the mound, but one who is sneakily effective, and will likely eat some third-pitcher innings on his team. 

6. Cade Luker ↔️ Even
2.0: I think Luker’s explosive ceiling and reputation as a great teammate may get him drafted higher than this spot - but that same volatility brings him in just below the other two sluggers in my estimation. 

1.0: The third of the three stacked sluggers, as mentioned above, Luker may be the most volatile of the group, but may also have the highest season. He won the Yellow Slugger in 2023, finished 14th in offensive value in 2024, and then was back to being a second-team All-CCW hitter in 2025. The smart man would bet on something like his 2025 output for what to expect in the next season, but the proven ceiling and floor give space for give in either direction. Cade didn’t have to pitch except in emergencies on last year’s Stampede squad, but will likely see an uptick in innings on whichever team drafts him this year, and can serve as a third arm for that team. 

7. Connor Young ⬆️ (previous 8)
2.0: Connor rises a spot in my second board here by way of Dowden falling one. After the top 6, which form a clear tier, I think Young is the best available value proposition, able to provide value in numerous ways for a team. 

1.0: There may be no better two-way upside play in the draft than Connor Young. After taking home the Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, he followed up the season with another solid two-way campaign in 2025, capped off with a go-ahead dinger in the Dirtyard Classic. He’s one of the few guys who offers actualized top-15 value at the plate and on the mound, with strong defense and baserunning packed in. He’s got room to grow as well, entering just his third year in the league. 

8. Dustin Dowden ⬇️ (previous 7)
2.0: As we near the draft, there is unfortunately no more clarity on Dowden’s availability than there was a week ago. If a team can snag him and get him playoff eligible, and ensure he’ll be available for playoff starts, Dowden could be the steal of the draft - but the risk of not getting him eligible for playoff starts will cause trepidation early in the draft, where teams have to nail their early round picks. 

1.0: If Dowden were fully available in 2026, he wouldn’t be on this draft board - he would be one of the aces doing the drafting. But questions regarding his availability abound, and so his selection would be a risky one for any team. When Dustin is around, he’s a legitimate ace, a first or second team All-CCW arm for each of the last 4 seasons. A team with some pitching depth already established, or looking to take a huge gamble, could swing on Dowden, and look like either the smartest or most bone-headed manager in the game.

9. Dustin Laugel ↔️ Even
2.0: The closer to the draft we get, the more confident I am that pitching will be prioritized quickly by drafters. Laugel could get snatched up higher than this by a team needing that proven arm desperately. 

1.0: Laugel is the best remaining arm in the draft, and I suspect that drafters will gobble up proven pitchers like mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving. The Lush finished as the 10th most valuable pitcher in 2025, and will slide in as some team’s proven number two in the rotation. The contribution to general vibes and the number of beers brought for the team isn’t a measured metric on this board, but if it was, his stock would rise even higher. 

10. Thomas Hopkins ↔️ Even
2.0: After the early top tier of hitters, Hopkins is the clear next best available bat, especially with Bundy unavailable. A team with a pick higher than this that feels set in the rotation could pick him above slot. 

1.0: Hopkins is another proven, reliable slugger who cracked the All-CCW Hitting First Team as recently as 2024. He’s a disciplined, patient hitter who absolutely feasts on slow pitch and is a tough out against even the most elite pitching, as well. While he won’t offer any value on the mound, he’s very likely to be the best batter on the team that ends up with him. 

11. Alec Buchman ⬆️ (previous 12)
2.0: Sources indicate that Buchman is in and committed to a full season at The Dirtyard this season, after a false start return last summer. His upside on the mound is an extremely juicy target for drafters. 

1.0: Buchman is this draft’s ultimate boom-or-bust upside play. After a career that started with a Rookie of the Year award in 2020 and a First-Team All-CCW performance in 2021, his career was put on hiatus due to injury and unavailability in subsequent summers. Buchman attempted a return last season, making two disappointing starts before suffering another season-ending injury. If Buch returns to his previous form, a team is going to get a potential ace from a slot that has no business producing one, but there is the unfortunate possibility that he offers very little, as well.  

12. Dalton Lewis ⬆️ (previous 14)
2.0: With pitching and versatility looking to be the priorities for drafters, DLewy could be just what a team picking in this range is looking for. 

1.0: DLewy put together a strong two-way 2025 campaign - finishing just around the top-15 in the league in both hitting and pitching. Lewis is one of the league’s premier slow-pitch mashers, and his patient approach at the plate leads to him getting plenty of those opportunities. He’s a prototypical back-of-the-rotation arm who throws strikes and provides valuable innings for a club. DLewy is a safe, versatile pick who is guaranteed to provide value in a multitude of ways and plug plenty of a team’s holes. 

13. Ian Garavalia ⬆️ (previous 15)
2.0: Similarly to Lewis, one line higher, Garavalia will benefit from the league’s focus on pitching in the draft. Ian is also on “best shape of his life” alert, after an offseason well-spent, which may prove impactful to his play this season. 

1.0: Ian would likely call his first full CCW season a disappointing one. He got the bulk of the number two innings for the Moonshots and turned in four strong outings to begin the season, before getting knocked around in the last two. His stats, in turn, look worse than his performance likely earned, with those late-season blow-ups tanking his numbers. Yet, he boasts the ability to be a top-half number two pitcher in the league, something that may be heavily sought after in this draft. 

14. Cody House ⬇️ (previous 13)
2.0: Housey drops a spot in version 2 of the board, not due to anything he has done, but instead due to what I perceive as a focus on pitching in the draft. As someone without any real value to offer on the mound, House may slip in the projections. 

1.0: House is another bat-only slugger with a resurgent 2025 season - blasting 10 homers and finishing 7th in the league in total value. His preceding history is more of a top 15-ish hitter than a top 10 one, however, and he doesn’t bring much to the table in the field or on the mound. A team drafting The Mobile Home will be betting on his 2025 surge being sustainable, and could get a valuable contribution to the lineup. 

15. Coby Taylor ⬆️ (previous 16)
2.0: If Coby’s busy summer schedule allows him to be at The Dirtyard for close to a full season, I think he’ll put up career-high numbers. He’s shown he gets better as the year progresses, and if he can hit that stride sooner, he’ll be a steal at this spot. 

1.0: Coby sports potentially the most raw power in the league. I’ve seen Coby hit wiffle balls further than just about anyone else. The sticking point for him is how consistently he can tap into it in-game. Taylor usually clocks in just above the threshold of receiving playoff eligibility, and I wonder if he were able to be more consistently in attendance, he could find that rhythm. In any case, a team looking for slug in the lineup and a solid defender could do much worse than Taylor. 

16. Dalsen Murdock ⬆️ (previous 17)
2.0: Which version of Todd Mudrock does the league remember - his first-quarter performance from last season, or his back chunk? That will determine if he rises or falls from this spot. 

1.0: Dalsen started off 2025 red-hot, collecting 9 of his total 17 hits in just a four-game early-season stretch, before plummeting back to earth. After that stretch, he was held hitless in nearly half of his remaining games. Murdock has shown that when he’s on, he’s really on, but he will need to tap into some more consistency to take the next step. Defense doesn’t slump, however, and he does possess one of the better sets of hands in the league. 

17. Jay Wilsey ⬆️ (previous 18)
2.0: The players ranked 14-17 on this list are pretty even and will likely come down to preference by the drafters. One thing you can count on from Jay is a full season of games and a good hang, which might be the difference maker in this narrowly separated group. 

1.0: Jay is a true jack of all trades on the Wiffle diamond. He’ll make plenty of contact, he’ll hit for some power, he’ll turn singles into extra base hits with his legs, he’ll make spectacular plays in the field, and he’ll fill in on the mound and provide innings with the potential for upside. So, why is he all the way down at 18 on the board? While he is a jack of all trades, he is yet the master of none, with no one elite skill. He may be a perfect fit for a team with established, but limited players, for whom he can fill a multitude of slots.

18. Austin Church ⭐ (previous unranked)
To not bury the lede - I’d call it a coinflip right now that Church is truly available this season. A cryptic text reported by a source, and general radio silence following, is all we have to go off of. But if Church is on board for this season, the CCW returning legend has the potential to add a valuable role-playing piece to a team. Once an elite defender and potent power-first bat, a team betting on his returning to form would value him maybe even higher than this spot. But as we’ve seen before, a return from years-long absence is anything but a sure thing. 

19. Nolan Karwoski ↔️ Even
2.0: Karwoski’s rookie season provides a model for what the top-notch version of him can look like in form. Big power and a serviceable arm are on the table with another strong year. 

1.0:Mr. Karwoski was the runner-up in 2025’s Rookie of the Year voting, after a solid two-way rookie campaign. Nolan is another guy with huge pull-side power, but a lot of swing and miss in the profile. He struggled to hit the board with consistency in his rookie campaign, but he would be far from the first player to come back with improved command in year two. It wouldn’t be surprising for Nolan to end the year as a team’s solid number 3 arm. 

20. Eric Starke ⭐ (previous unranked)
Starke, another CCW boomerang, is reportedly back in town and ready to play a full season of games at The Dirtyard. The once manager of the woebegotten Hackers franchise, Starke rejoins the league free of managerial duties, and, provided he hasn’t lost much in his years away, can serve as a multi-faceted role player. I’d expect Starke to slot in as a number 3 arm on a team, at least to start, with the upside to ascend into more of a number 2. He doesn’t have much pop at the plate, but can slide in the back of a team’s lineup and put together professional at-bats. 

21. Connor Smith ⬆️ (previous 24)
2.0: I said in my last write-up that Connor will be drafted higher than his spot, and I’ve adjusted my prognostication here accordingly. Yes, his numbers in the last two seasons have not been enough to justify this draft placement. But I believe in the breakout that others are banking on, too. 

1.0: Connor Smith will go higher than 24th in the draft, almost certainly, because of his immense untapped potential in CCW league play. He’s young, and accomplished in other leagues and formats of wiffle ball, but Connor has yet to put it all together in CCW, batting just .180 and carrying an ERA north of 10 in 2025. But again, the world knows that Smith is going to breakout and become a much more valuable player than his past numbers represent - the question for drafters is if that breakout will come this season. 

22. Jared Gray ⭐ (previous unranked)
The first of a couple registered and available rookies, Jared Gray, enters the draft board in the 22nd spot. Sources say that Gray is another Illinois commuter, and the last time a player from that neck of the woods entered as a rookie, he won Rookie of the Year and a Golden Hands award (and he’s got the first pick of the draft this season). Gray is relatively unscouted, but has lots of wiffle experience as a two-way lefty. I’m not betting against the Southern Illinois pipeline at this point. 

23. Tristan Dudas ⬇️ (previous 21)
2.0: Tristan tumbles slightly as a result of the new entries into the draft pool. But, he remains one of the hottest breakout picks of the draft, and a team may value his upside over another’s proven results. 

1.0: Tristan teetered on the edge of an offensive breakout last season, but it never fully came - perhaps this year will be the year it fully does. The young lefty carried a respectable batting average through the 2025 campaign, but only two extra-base hits to his name. As Dudas continues to mature, it’s not a reach to expect him to tap into more power and become more of an offensive force. 

24. Byron Young ⬆️ (previous 29)
2.0: Byron shoots up the draft rankings, despite the entry of new players above him, in the Board’s 2.0 edition. The younger of the Youngs made an appearance at a CCW-sponsored charity tournament a few weekends ago, and players in attendance couldn’t stop talking about his maturation. An anonymous source told me that he “wouldn’t be surprised if he outperforms his brother this season”. His brother, Connor, is the 7th-ranked player on the board. I’m not buying that hot of a take, but Byron is a helium name on the Board.
 
1.0: Byron didn’t do much in his 2025 rookie season, but he is another projectable young player with upside. He’s already throwing the ball with the ability to hit the board with some consistency, which is a huge hurdle for any young player. Similar to Nims, the expanded format will likely force Young to take the ball for more innings and give him the chance to develop. 

25. Justin Swingler ⬇️ (previous 22)
2.0: Swingler’s placement at 25 on this board speaks to the depth of the league. He didn’t show much as a rookie, but could quickly and easily outperform players around him on this board if he’s healthy and effective. 

1.0: Swing’s first foray into CCW, unfortunately, was underwhelming statistically - but he carries a wealth of national Wiffle experience, and is a good bet to outperform his rookie campaign’s output. Swingler will hope to get plenty of opportunity at the back of a lineup to prove his ability at the plate, and may worm his way into some pitching opportunities, if his arm is healthy enough. 

26. Mitch Unversaw ⬇️ (previous 23)
2.0: No new news on Mitch - his biggest thing against him is his recent history of attendance. A full season of Unversaw would be an extremely valuable player at this slot. 

1.0: Big Mitch is another high-average, low-power guy that will likely be available later in the draft. He has youth and athleticism on his side, as one of the speedier players in the league. Unversaw was absent for the entirety of July last year, though - if a drafter can get assurance of his availability, he’ll be a useful player to slot into the back half of a lineup and to play important innings defensively. 

27. Keegan Caughey ⬇️ (previous 26)
2.0: Keegan is going to be a dad. Does the kid’s pending arrival give him newfound dad strength? Or does the lack of sleep sap what strength remains? Your guess is as good as mine. 

1.0: Keegan has become CCW’s Robert Horry - winning back-to-back titles with different teams now, playing a limited but meaningful role. Caughey doesn’t have much pure power or wheels left in his profile, but he does have great bat-to-ball skills and is a consummate teammate. A lineup full of on-base or speed-first guys would benefit from Keegan’s ability to stack up base knocks and make productive outs. 

28. Kent Nims ⬇️ (previous 27)
2.0: Nims showed up to a league workout last weekend and showed that he can hold his own, after getting very few looks at him in uniform last season. He pumped strikes, without much electricity on the stuff, and was able to put the bat on the ball with some consistency. I think Kent will prove to be a useful player this season, even from this draft position. 

1.0: Nims’ rookie campaign saw him mostly buried in a deep Yakkers depth chart, but with the league’s expansion, he’ll look to make a greater impact in 2026. A team in need of pitching depth late in the draft could look at Nims, and hope for him to slot in as a serviceable third arm. 

29. Alec Berninger ⬇️ (previous 20)
2.0: Unfortunately, Berny plummets down this list due to newly reported concerns about his availability this summer. He has utility as a third arm, but the team that drafts him may need to fit his pitching schedule around his availability.
 
1.0: Last season’s self-appointed Mr. Irrelevant was the last man off the board in free agency, but I don’t see history repeating in this year’s draft. With the expansion to 7 teams, teams will be looking for guys to eat innings, and Berny will be up to the task. His funky, deceptive repertoire is difficult to command, but effective when on the board. He won’t add much at the plate, but he can handle himself in the field, as well. 

30. Josh Hart ⬇️ (previous 28)
2.0: Hart is another victim of the players added to the Board above him. All previously stated holds true - he’ll hit some timely bombs for a team - but the profiles above offer more potential impact.

1.0: Josh is effectively the yin to Keegan Caughey’s yang. In a comparable number of ABs, their hit totals were separated by just one. But, Hart had 3 longballs to Keegan’s one, but 30 strikeouts to Keegan’s 13. Hart is boom or bust at the plate, but he will run into balls and do damage on them when he connects. 

31. Max Lowry ⭐ (previous unranked)
The second of the rookies comes in near the bottom of the list as a relative unknown to the league. He’s been described as a lefty with a frame suggesting some speed. With so many proven names above him, the risk on an unknown likely won’t be appealing compared to known, proven quantities. 

32. Adam Watson ⭐ (previous unranked)
Another effectively unknown rookie, Adam is an 18-year-old ball player without much competitive wiffle experience. As with any prospect of his age, he's as likely to be a breakout impact player as he is to provide very little.

33. Myles caudill ⭐ (previous unranked)
Myles is a teammate of Adam's above him and offers a similar profile. Not much is known about either of the youngsters, and either could surprise with value as the season gets underway. 

34. Colt Cantrell ⬇️ (previous 31)
2.0: Colt still finds himself near the bottom of the board, likely to be taken deep in the draft, but still with the potential for occasional offensive impact.

1.0: Colt’s an All-CCW vibes guy - highlighted by his drunken one-handed dinger mid-way through last season. He sneakily put together a solid final stretch of the season last year, and if he’s able to carry that momentum into 2026, Colt could serve as a valuable back-of-the-lineup contributor. 

35. Ethan New ⬇️ (previous 32)
2.0: Rounding out the Board, New will go into draft night hoping not to wind up Mr. Irrelevant - but my money is on him leaving with the new honorific attributed to his name. 

1.0: New didn’t get into a lot of games for the Hounds last season, and frankly, didn’t do much with the times he did. An offseason can change a lot, however, and a reset into year two could unlock a step forward for Ethan in 2026. 
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