10 college baseball players who rose to MLB stardom ft. Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge's alma mater, Fresno State, and the rest of college baseball kicked off their season on Friday. Most teams will get four games in this weekend in some chilly weather.

The college baseball season starting earlier than MLB is great for fans. It allows them to look at some players who could make a name for themselves in the big leagues.

However, it could take a while for some of these college players to crack the big leagues after being drafted, causing fans to forget where they played. So today, let's focus on 10 former college baseball players who have risen to stardom in the big leagues.

10 college baseball players who made a name for themselves in the big leagues

#10 - Marcus Semien

Marcus Semien played his college ball at the University of California, Berkeley. He spent three seasons there before being chosen in the sixth round of the 2011 MLB draft, hitting .275 his junior year before entering the draft.

#9 - Max Scherzer

Max Scherzer spent his college baseball career at the University of Missouri from 2004 to 2006. In 2005, he won Big 12 Pitcher of the Year after punching out 131 batters in 106 innings.

#8 - Kyle Schwarber

Kyle Schwarber was a University of Indiana product and an All-American his freshman year. He spent all four years there before being drafted by the Chicago Cubs with the fourth overall selection in the 2014 MLB draft.

#7 - Alex Bregman

Alex Bregman played his college baseball for LSU. As a freshman, he wore No. 30, representing the 30 teams that passed on him in the first round of the 2012 draft.

#6 - Zac Gallen

Zac Gallen was a product of the University of North Carolina. He spent three seasons with the Tar Heels before being drafted in 2016 by the St. Louis Cardinals.

#5 - Dansby Swanson

Dansby Swanson played his college baseball for the University of Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt is known for their strong baseball teams, which seem to be a yearly thing with how well they recruit.

#4 - Adley Rutschman

Adley Rutschman was a star for Oregon State University. In 2018, he became the College World Series Most Outstanding Player after helping the Beavers win their third College World Series.

#3 - Pete Alonso

Pete Alonso was a force when he played his college ball for the University of Florida. He spent a few seasons with another big leaguer, Harrison Bader. They took Florida to the World Series in 2015 and 2016.

#2 - Gerrit Cole

Gerrit Cole was an ace for UCLA. He was the Friday night starting pitcher during his freshman year, reserved for the team's best arm. Cole stayed there until after his junior year and was drafted first overall in 2011.

#1 - Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge played his college baseball at Fresno State. He thought about playing football instead and was recruited by Notre Dame, Stanford and UCLA as a tight end.

However, it seems like he made the correct decision by sticking with baseball. But could you imagine seeing Judge bulldozing opposing linebackers and safeties? NFL defenses may have caught a break here.