OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - San José State senior right-hander Kyle Calzadiaz has been named to the 2026 National Pitcher of the Year Award watch list, as announced by the College Baseball Foundation on Wednesday.
Calzadiaz is one of 142 hurlers nationwide recognized on the initial list, which highlights the top mound performers from 26 different conferences through the early stages of the 2026 season. He is one of only four players from the Mountain West Conference to earn a spot on the prestigious list.
A Walnut, California native, the senior righty has built on a successful 2025 campaign, where he was named to the Mountain West All-Tournament Team and was named to the 2026 Preseason Mountain West All-Conference Team.
"There is an old adage in baseball that pitchers are usually ahead of the hitters early in the season,” National Pitcher of the Year Award co-chair Brian Melakian said. “The number of early-season dominant pitching performances this year proves that adage to be true."
The National Pitcher of the Year Award, established in 2009, is one of the most distinguished honors in collegiate baseball. Past winners include current MLB stars such as Stephen Strasburg (2009), Aaron Nola (2014), and Paul Skenes (2023).
The watch list will be narrowed down later this season as the College Baseball Foundation prepares to announce the winner in conjunction with the opening of the new College Baseball Hall of Fame in Overland Park, Kansas.
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