TicketsCINCINNATI – Cincinnati junior outfielder Derrick Pitts has been named D1Baseball’s Summer Breakout Prospect, per an announcement on Wednesday.
Pitts represented USA Baseball with the Collegiate National Team at the World Collegiate Baseball Championship in July, the first Bearcat to ever earn a spot on the squad.
After attending training camp in Cary, N.C. in June, Pitts was officially named to the CNT on July 5. He helped USA Baseball earn a silver medal at the World Collegiate Baseball Championships in Taiwan, putting together an impressive run of performances and ending the tournament perhaps as the team’s best hitter.
Batting leadoff in every game, Pitts led the team in batting average (.500), on-base percentage (.579), and runs scored (six). His game-tying hit in the bottom of the 10th inning in the championship game against Japan was one of the signature moments of the tournament for the U.S.
Pitts also appeared in five games for the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League before heading to camp in Cary.
In an article posted in July highlighting USA Baseball CNT’s 2027 draft eligible hitters, D1Baseball’s David Seifert had this to say about Pitts: “His accurate arm is an extra-base stopper and he’s widely viewed as one who could win multiple Gold Gloves in time at the Major League level. At the plate, the righthanded hitter showed very good hand/eye in BP and a skilled approach in the game… At this point the high-energy Pitts is a top 40 overall prospect.”
An electric presence on the field, Pitts has earned a place on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays three times in his college career, and he had four outfield assists in 2026. At the plate he hit .329 with six home runs and 42 RBI, and on the basepaths he added 17 stolen bases.
Patrick Ebert of D1Baseball, who authored the outlet’s Summer Breakout Prospect piece said this of UC’s star outfielder and his fit in Cincinnati's lineup:
“It’s more than just a slash-and-dash approach to the game, however, as proven by Quinton Coats’ 28 home runs last season, a new program record. Natili also enjoyed a big offensive season on his way to being selected in the third round of last summer’s draft by the Colorado Rockies. Two seasons ago Kerrington Cross was named the Big 12’s Player of the Year following a loud overall season.
"Pitts’ athleticism, motor and intent on constantly improving have made him a perfect fit in a program that has no shortage of impact players, and he could be poised to enjoy that kind of junior campaign."