Brian O’Connor missed out on Jordan Crossland, the top-rated shortstop in Virginia in the 2023 recruiting class, but Chris Pollard is getting Crossland on Grounds from the transfer portal.
Crossland, who was moved to the outfield at Maryland, had 12 homers, a .283 batting average, a .932 OPS and 2.05 WAR as a redshirt sophomore in 2026.
Just when I was whining – in my first postseason roster analysis published on Thursday – about the lack of offense, Pollard gets a guy who slots as a corner outfielder with some pop.
ICYMI
Still a need for more – pop, that is.
The other corner outfielder is Zach Jackson (8 HRs, 28 RBIs, .238 BA/.815 OPS, 1.45 WAR in 2026), and the centerfielder for 2027 is Sal Mineo (7 HRs, 32 RBIs, .304 BA/.857 OPS, 1.31 WAR), a Delaware transfer.
Not a lot of pop there.
The only other double-digit home-run guy that I expect back for 2027 is first baseman/DH Sam Harris (14 HRs, 53 RBIs, .288 BA/.929 OPS, 2.49 WAR), but, man, do we need an asterisk beside those season numbers.
In his last 30 games, dating back to the start of April, Harris had four homers, 16 RBIs, a .211 batting average, and a .659 OPS.
Unless he was dealing with an undisclosed injury, that’s a massive regression from his huge first half (10 HRs, 37 RBIs, .370 BA, 1.209 OPS).
The regression from April 1 on is why Harris is likely coming back for a senior season.
First-half Sam Harris and a continuing-to-get-better Jordan Crossland can anchor the three and four spots in the order for Pollard next year.
Still need some more.
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Chris Graham
