College Baseball Foundation names 2024 Pitcher of the Year finalists
LUBBOCK, Texas – Four double-digit-victory hurlers and five with triple-digit strikeouts highlight the five players chosen as finalists for the 2024 National Pitcher of the Year.
Among those names are familiar faces coming into the season as well as a pair of relative newcomers on the national stage. But the one thing they all have in common is they served as the aces in leading their respective teams into the NCAA postseason, including three whose teams hosted in the regional round.
The five finalists for the 2024 National Pitcher of the Year Award are Jamie Arnold, a left-handed sophomore from Florida State, junior right-hander Chase Burns from Wake Forest, Ryan Johnson, a junior right-hander from Dallas Baptist, Arkansas junior left-hander Hagen Smith and East Carolina junior right-hander Trey Yesavage.
“These five finalists are the cream of the crop in 2024,” Pitcher of the Year co-chair Chris Snead said. “No matter who is selected, they will be talented and extremely battle tested.”
Here’s a closer look at the finalists (statistics are prior to regional play):
- Jamie Arnold, Jr., LHP, Florida State: Arnold helped lead the Seminoles’ resurgence back to national prominence and a national seed in the NCAA Tournament by going 10-3 on the season with a 2.45 ERA and 134 strikeouts in just 88.1 innings. Teams hit just .218 off him.
- Chase Burns, Jr., RHP, Wake Forest: One of the most coveted signings from the transfer portal in the offseason, Burns lived up to his billing and was named ACC Pitcher of the Year. He paced the Demon Deacons with a 10-1 record and 2.46 ERA, striking out 184 in 95 innings as teams hit just .171 off him.
- Ryan Johnson, Jr., RHP, Dallas Baptist: The Patriots have been a model of consistency over the last several seasons, and Johnson was the epitome of that consistency during the regular season. In 15 starts, the Conference USA Pitcher of the Year went 11-2 with a 1.98 ERA, striking out 147 in 100 innings and a .211 opponent batting average.
- Hagen Smith, Jr., LHP, Arkansas: The ace of one of the top teams in the country throughout the season, Smith helped lead the Razorbacks to a No. 5 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. The SEC Pitcher of the Year finished the regular season going 9-1 with a 1.48 ERA, 154 strikeouts in 79 innings and a .139 opponent batting average.
- Trey Yesavage, Jr., RHP, East Carolina: Yesavage helped lead the Pirates to a regional hosting honor in this year’s NCAA Tournament and its fourth straight American Athletic Conference regular-season title. The AAC Pitcher of the Year went 11-1 with a 2.09 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 86 innings to go with a .162 opponent batting average.
The winner of the 2024 National Pitcher of the Year Award will be announced on June 20.
For more information on the Pitcher of the Year Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.
2024 NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALISTS
Name, School, Conference
- Jamie Arnold, Florida State, ACC
- Chase Burns, Wake Forest, ACC
- Ryan Johnson, Dallas Baptist, Conference USA
- Hagen Smith, Arkansas, SEC
- Trey Yesavage, East Carolina, American