Add Lawrence, Hansen, Brown and Hindle and that’s a pretty strong core
Kentucky Baseball 2026 Outlook
- Thread starter Comebakatz3
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Add Lawrence, Hansen, Brown and Hindle and that’s a pretty strong core
Things can always change, but the current guys in the portal are the only ones expected to enter (although I'd still watch Hachman).
The frame work for a team that can compete for Omaha is there if they can get a few strategic pieces out of the portal!
You just have to both be strategic AND get lucky in the portal. UK took 5-6 guys last year in the portal that got drafted and signed. Some of those you know are draft risks but some you don't (Hairston, Youngblood, etc). You can't just fill roster spots and figure it out later or you risk being way over your roster limit. It really is chess.
Staff should look @ Landon Akers from St X & Bellermine can play any infield position batted .356% for the Knights
Kid is really good - I believe we need a 3rd baseman
Kid is really good - I believe we need a 3rd baseman
Jack Bennett WKU transfers to Kentucky
3.13 era in 63 innings & 49Ks
3.13 era in 63 innings & 49Ks
Folks are sleeping on Hindle (myself included). I’m not against bringing in a 3B to compete, but it will take a lot to beat him out.
Average needs to be better but 7 XBH in 50ish AB’s is pretty dang solid. Add to it that he was perfect stealing bases and he got hit 19(!!!!) times and that’s add up to a pretty damn good offensive ball player. Extrapolate that over the full season and we’re looking at double digit bombs.
Batting average was low but his OPS was .932 which was third on the team. Power and on base ability is there just needs to cut the K’s down a bit.
That’s a decent pick up. I hope he brings the WKU outfielder, name escapes me for the moment, that’s in the portal. Very nice player.
WKU CF Ryan Wideman would be a homerun but he is probably draft eligible. Its only the first week but we have no offensive players, one good reliever that will be drafted, one EKU project, one NFA freshman with good and bad numbers and then the WKU pitcher who looks good. Hopefully this upcoming week we will get some good players. We cannot let this opportunity pass us by with the core we have coming back.
64analytics has them as the 6th overall transfer class with the least amount of players committed in the top 15. I’d say they’ve done a great job of addressing their needs early. The EKU and UNF guys were starting weekends in the A-Sun as true freshman. Those aren’t projects, those guys are ready to go.
I expect them to be very selective offensively. With the returners you’ve got there is really no rush there. The only position player that you’ve got to find is at catcher. Any other position would just be coming in to compete and add depth. And depending on what happens with high schoolers and the draft, there might be very little need to add.
The targets are arms, arms, arms, catcher, arms, maybe a thumper and a versatile infielder. If Jelkin comes back the roster looks awfully good.
How many hitters do you think they add and do they feel like they are in a good spot with any hitters currently?
New incoming transfer from North Florida, Bryson Treichel, will be playing in the NECBL for the Westfield Starfires unless he gets placed elsewhere through UK.
There is never any guarantee if a player gets drafted but word I've heard is after player meetings, everyone who is hitting the portal has already done so.
2, maybe 3. I've got them at 38 guys on roster right now. We'll see what happens in the draft. Can't imagine they don't take a veteran catcher who is plug and play.
If Jelkin and Walker don’t leave after the draft and are both back the pitching starts to look really good. Probably could use another solid LHP out of the pen.
I definitely think Catcher is a need and I hope they can also add a bat who provides some HR power for the lineup
Hopefully we have at least called the reps for draft eligible Sophomore, Jack Arcamone (C - Richmond).
He is just under 200 on most draft boards I have seen, so is certainly a draft risk.
Could improve as a Catcher (receiving/framing low pitches), but does have an above average arm and is average to slightly above average on framing pitches up in the zone..
Hits for average (.294 as a Freshman and .355 as a Soph.) and has a little pop (13 HRs last season).
22 doubles last year (would have led the '25 Cats with a margin of 5), which plays well in Kroger Field.
38 walks would have led our squad (Hage was tops at 30)
However, strikeouts (57) would have been second to Tyler Bell (59) and well above Hage at third (38).
1.138 OPS
.675 SLG
Carson Tinney (C. - Notre Dame) is another call that has to be made.
Non-Draft Eligible Soph.
.348 BA last season
17 HR
34 BB
13 2B
1.251 OPS
.753 SLG
Too bad Florida and their crappy human being of a skipper are hot on his heels. His battery mate, Ricky Reeth, transferred to UF already.
He is just under 200 on most draft boards I have seen, so is certainly a draft risk.
Could improve as a Catcher (receiving/framing low pitches), but does have an above average arm and is average to slightly above average on framing pitches up in the zone..
Hits for average (.294 as a Freshman and .355 as a Soph.) and has a little pop (13 HRs last season).
22 doubles last year (would have led the '25 Cats with a margin of 5), which plays well in Kroger Field.
38 walks would have led our squad (Hage was tops at 30)
However, strikeouts (57) would have been second to Tyler Bell (59) and well above Hage at third (38).
1.138 OPS
.675 SLG
Carson Tinney (C. - Notre Dame) is another call that has to be made.
Non-Draft Eligible Soph.
.348 BA last season
17 HR
34 BB
13 2B
1.251 OPS
.753 SLG
Too bad Florida and their crappy human being of a skipper are hot on his heels. His battery mate, Ricky Reeth, transferred to UF already.
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Tinney would be a home run, but this is probably more attainable even though I’m sure he is headed to Charlottesville. My guess is the catcher is a one year rental. With Jenkins and the kid from Delaware hopefully making it to campus making a multi-year commitment to any transfer catcher would be questionable.
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Definitely think catcher is the biggest roster question for next season right now.
It certainly is. If you get Jenkins and the other kid on campus it becomes less of a question. A freshman being the answer is scary, but when you’ve got 2 of them of that caliber, you probably feel good about one making an impact. I have no doubt there will be a transfer coming in, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see a solid, multi-year starter from some smaller program be the transfer to set the floor at the position.
Seems like things moved a little quicker in the portal the past couple of years. Having a lot more returning may let them be a bit more selective in who they add. I’d still like to see a catcher, a power bat and a good experienced LH reliever.
The portal is all about selling kids on guarantees. You look around at the returners and we don’t have a lot of guarantees out there to offer from a position player front. Outside of catcher, I’m fine with what we have returning at all 7 defensive positions. I still think you have to bring in an outfielder for depth/competition and a corner infielder that swings it well, but I’m good with rolling Brown, Lawrence, Bell, Hindle, Schwartz, Marcy and Hansen out there on opening day at the other 7 spots.
They do it in every sport, but in basketball or football the media breaks it at the same time. Media moves too slow for my liking in baseball. Drives me crazy.
It's another experienced arm.
Also, someone mentioned Tinney. Great player. Pipe dream ($$$$$$$$$).
Any feel for what they might be looking for catcher wise. Feel like it’s the missing piece on next years team right now.
Huge news! Cleaver, Harris and Jelkin could be one of the top weekend rotations in the country.
Just to point out the obvious but a really key piece is NOT to lose Alex Duffey to the draft. It IS the position of need. There are not many catchers available in the portal if Duffey goes pro but a kid to keep an eye on might be Broedy Poppell.
Very excited though with the great news the past few days about Ponatoski and Jelkin.
Very excited though with the great news the past few days about Ponatoski and Jelkin.
Duffey would sting a lot. Ming seems like he’s determined to get back to Omaha this year so hopefully he has a backup plan if Duffey don’t make it.