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Top College Softball Shortstops Ranked After First Month
Gabbie Garcia, Kenleigh Cahalan, and Emily Digby lead the way in early season shortstop rankings
Published on Mar. 4, 2026
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Softball America has released its position power rankings for the top college softball shortstops through the first month of the 2026 season. Oklahoma's Gabbie Garcia, Florida's Kenleigh Cahalan, and Georgia's Emily Digby headline the list, with standout performances at the plate and in the field. Other top shortstops include Florida State's Isa Torres, Arizona's Tayler Biehl, and Baylor's Amber Toven.
Why it matters
The shortstop position is critical in college softball, with the best players at this position often serving as team leaders and driving offensive and defensive production. These early season rankings provide insight into which players are emerging as the top shortstops in the country and could factor into end-of-season All-American and Player of the Year discussions.
The details
The rankings take into account a variety of factors including surface-level stats, advanced metrics, strength of schedule, scouting reports, and past performance. Garcia, Cahalan, and Digby have all gotten off to blistering starts, with Garcia hitting .415 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs for Oklahoma, Cahalan batting .500 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs for Florida, and Digby hitting .523 with 6 home runs and 24 RBIs for Georgia.
- The rankings were released on March 4, 2026.
The players
Gabbie Garcia
A standout shortstop for the Oklahoma Sooners, Garcia is off to a dominant start to the 2026 season.
Kenleigh Cahalan
The Florida Gators' shortstop is enjoying a breakout campaign, leading the SEC in several offensive categories.
Emily Digby
Georgia's shortstop has been a force at the plate and in the field for the Bulldogs this season.
Isa Torres
The Florida State shortstop is hitting .500 with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage so far in 2026.
Tayler Biehl
Arizona's shortstop is excelling both offensively and defensively, batting .367 with 7 stolen bases.
The takeaway
The early season shortstop rankings highlight the wealth of talent at the position in college softball, with several players emerging as potential All-Americans and Player of the Year candidates. As the season progresses, it will be fascinating to see if these standout performers can maintain their high level of play and lead their teams to success.
