Freshman RHP John Paone is giving Virginia a legit frontline arm
In the 2026 season, John Paone has shown he can miss bats and handle real workload, including a 7.2-inning, nine-strikeout gem in Virginia’s win over Cal, which was his longest outing of the season[2][3][4]. A 6-foot-3, 210-pound freshman from Massachusetts, Paone arrived with high-end pedigree as Perfect Game’s No. 1 right-handed pitcher in his state and a top-140-ish national draft prospect, and the appeal is obvious: power stuff, strike-throwing flashes, and the poise to keep attacking hitters even when things get loud[1][6][10].
