Golden Spikes Award finalists revealed, including No. 1 Draft prospect

And then there were three.

The quest to identify the top amateur baseball player in the nation has officially entered its final stretch as USA Baseball announced the finalists for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award on Wednesday.

Roch Cholowsky (UCLA), Daniel Jackson (Georgia) or Landon Hairston (Arizona State) will be named the 48th Golden Spikes Award winner when the accolade is presented on Monday, June 29, on MLB Network
at 7:30 p.m. ET.

When USA Baseball released its 25-player semifinalists list on May 14, it included 18 players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 150 Draft prospects list. It's worth noting that the seven unranked semifinalists were sophomores and therefore not Draft eligible this year.

Two of this year's three finalists are among the top 40 of MLB Pipeline's recently expanded Top 200 Draft Prospects list. Hairston does not appear on the list because he is a sophomore.

Cholowsky (No. 1 Draft prospect) delivered one of the most dominant all-around seasons in the country, hitting .320 with 21 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 73 runs scored while starting all 60 games at shortstop for the Bruins. He was named the 2026 Big Ten Player of the Year and became the first UCLA player and third player in Big Ten history to earn that award in consecutive seasons. Cholowsky paced the circuit in runs, homers, and hit-by-pitches (25); finished third in total bases (147); and finished fifth in RBIs and OPS (1.088). He also made his mark with his glove, posting a .965 fielding percentage, turning 30 double plays, and ranking second among Division I shortstops with 4.5 wins above replacement (WAR), 14.7 defensive-runs-saved, and 1.1 defensive WAR.

Jackson (No. 39 Draft prospect) was named the 2026 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Player of the Year and became one of just three players (and first catcher) in NCAA Division I history -- and first SEC player -- to have at least 30 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a season. A Triple Crown winner, Jackson is batting .396 with 31 home runs, 86 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases. He was named the MVP of the SEC Tournament as the Bulldogs claimed their first SEC tournament title after capturing the regular season crown. Jackson was also a catalyst for his squad as Georgia swept the NCAA Athens Regional and Super Regional to advance to the Men’s College World Series for the first time since 2008. In those five games, Jackson earned regional all-tournament honors while batting .450 (9-for-20) with a double, four home runs, seven RBIs and four walks. He supplied the go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the 10th inning in the Super Regional-clinching win. He aims to be the second Bulldogs player to win the Gold Spikes Award in program history behind Charlie Condon in 2024.

Hairston put together one of the most prolific offensive campaigns in recent Division I history en route to being named the Big 12 Player of the Year and a unanimous First Team All-Big 12 selection. The sophomore outfielder holds ASU’s single-season home run record with 28 and led the nation in slugging percentage and extra-base hits for the vast majority of the season. He led his team with 20 doubles and is just the second player to reach the 20-20 club at Arizona State behind inaugural Golden Spikes Award winner Bob Horner in 1978. Hairston collected 94 hits this season -- 50 for extra bases (20 doubles, 28 homers, 2 triples), which is four more than any other player in Division I baseball.

Fan voting for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award resumed with Wednesday's announcement, and will run through June 28 on GoldenSpikesAward.com. In addition to the fan vote, a final ballot will be sent to the Golden Spikes Award voting body consisting of national baseball media, select professional baseball personnel and USA Baseball staff, and previous winners of the award.

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Last year, Arkansas’ Wehiwa Aloy -- the Orioles' No. 5 prospect -- became the first Hawaiian-born player to win the Golden Spikes Award after batting .350 with 21 home runs, 68 RBIs, and a 1.107 OPS, all while dazzling defensively at shortstop.

Here is the full list of previous Golden Spikes Award winners:

2025: Wehiwa Aloy - Arkansas
2024: Charlie Condon - Georgia
2023: Dylan Crews - LSU
2022: Ivan Melendez - Texas
2021: Kevin Kopps - Arkansas
2019: Adley Rutschman - Oregon State
2018: Andrew Vaughn - California
2017: Brendan McKay - Louisville
2016: Kyle Lewis - Mercer
2015: Andrew Benintendi - Arkansas
2014: A.J. Reed - Kentucky
2013: Kris Bryant - San Diego
2012: Mike Zunino - Florida
2011: Trevor Bauer - UCLA
2010: Bryce Harper - Southern Nevada
2009: Stephen Strasburg - San Diego State
2008: Buster Posey - Florida State
2007: David Price - Vanderbilt
2006: Tim Lincecum - Washington
2005: Alex Gordon - Nebraska
2004: Jered Weaver - Long Beach State
2003: Rickie Weeks - Southern
2002: Khalil Greene - Clemson
2001: Mark Prior - USC
2000: Kip Bouknight - South Carolina
1999: Jason Jennings - Baylor
1998: Pat Burrell - Miami
1997: J.D. Drew - Florida State
1996: Travis Lee - San Diego State
1995: Mark Kotsay - Cal State Fullerton
1994: Jason Varitek - Georgia Tech
1993: Darren Dreifort - Wichita State
1992: Phil Nevin - Cal State Fullerton
1991: Mike Kelly - Arizona State
1990: Alex Fernandez - Miami Dade CC
1989: Ben McDonald - LSU
1988: Robin Ventura - Oklahoma State
1987: Jim Abbott - Michigan
1986: Mike Loynd - Florida State
1985: Will Clark - Mississippi State
1984: Oddibe McDowell - Arizona State
1983: Dave Magadan - Alabama
1982: Augie Schmidt - New Orleans
1981: Mike Fuentes - Florida State
1980: Terry Francona - Arizona
1979: Tim Wallach - Cal State Fullerton
1978: Bob Horner - Arizona State