Georgia prep right-hander AJ Rice doesn’t fit the prototype of the towering high school pitching prospect scouts traditionally dream on. But evaluators across the country have become increasingly intrigued by what he does possess: elite arm speed, advanced feel to spin the baseball and the competitiveness to attack hitters relentlessly.
At 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, Rice has emerged as one of the more fascinating prep arms in the 2026 MLB draft class and is viewed by many evaluators as a potential top-five-round selection after leading his high school program to a state championship while showcasing one of the deeper arsenals among prep pitchers.
“It was awesome,” Rice said after capturing the title during his senior season. “Something we’d been working toward as a team for the past four years, so to finally get it done, it was nice icing on the top to end it.”
Rice’s development has steadily accelerated throughout high school. His team won its conference title during his freshman season before advancing deeper into the postseason each year. After suffering a walk-off loss in the semifinals as a junior, Rice returned this spring and helped guide his team to a championship, including a playoff series victory over the same opponent that eliminated them the previous year.
The right-hander’s rise has been fueled by physical development and advanced pitchability. Rice spent much of the past year focused on adding strength after pitching at roughly 150 pounds during his junior season. By spring, he was pitching closer to 175-180 pounds, allowing him to maintain his velocity deeper into games and throughout the season.
“I feel like it helped me go later in games and hold velo later into the season,” Rice said. “Just staying healthy and being able to move better, I think it was huge for me.”
Rice’s arsenal now features four distinct offerings. His fastball generally sits in the low-90s and has reached 95-96 mph, playing up due to its carry through the top of the strike zone and late armside life. The pitch consistently generates swings and misses.
His best weapon, however, is a devastating mid-80s slider that flashes spin rates north of 3,000 rpm. The pitch features a sharp late bite and profiles as a legitimate out pitch against advanced hitters.
Rice also spins a distinct low-80s curveball for strikes and has made significant strides with a fading mid-80s changeup designed to neutralize left-handed hitters.
“I think the biggest thing is just continuing to stay athletic,” Rice said. “That’s my style. Staying loose, staying free and being mobile.”
Scouts have been impressed by Rice’s ability to throw strikes with all four pitches. He attacks the zone aggressively and credits his coaches and his athletic background for helping develop his command.
Rice grew up playing shortstop and believes maintaining athleticism has helped him avoid becoming overly mechanical on the mound.
“You see position guys get on the mound and they’re always in the zone,” Rice said. “I think it’s almost a mentality thing of just being loose, being free and being an athlete up there.”
That mentality has translated into consistent success against high-level competition. Rice’s up-tempo delivery, advanced feel for sequencing and fearless approach continue drawing attention from professional scouts ahead of July’s draft.
Yet Rice believes the defining trait in his game extends beyond velocity or spin metrics.
“I would say my competitiveness,” he said. “A lot of people are good at baseball. There’s a lot of really good pitchers and really good hitters, but I think the competitive nature I bring to the mound really helps me excel in those environments.”
Rice is an Auburn commit. Auburn immediately stood out during the recruiting process because of its track record of pitcher development under coach Butch Thompson.
Still, with professional interest continuing to build and his name firmly in the conversation as an early-round selection, Rice knows an important decision could soon arrive.
For now, he plans to rest through June before ramping back up later this summer in preparation for either college baseball or professional ball.
Despite the increasing attention surrounding his draft stock, Rice has stayed grounded throughout the process, focusing primarily on winning games rather than radar gun readings or scouting crowds.
“The main thing was going to win a baseball game,” Rice said. “I think our staff did a great job keeping the main thing the main thing.”
Read more in-depth stories on top 2026 MLB draft prospects at Baseball Prospect Journal.
Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for 11 years. He has interviewed 613 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com, The Arizona Republic and The Dallas Morning News, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as an “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
