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Kentucky right-hander Jaxon Jelkin to withdraw from 2025 MLB Draft, return to school

Danby:Daniel Hager•07/08/25•

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Photo via UK Athletics

Kentucky right-handed pitcher Jaxon Jelkin will withdraw from the 2025 MLB Draft and return to Lexington next season, the program announced on Tuesday.

Jelkin, who transferred to Kentucky from Houston, did not pitch in 2025 due to being a mid-year transfer along with recovering from an elbow injury. Because of this, he was able to take his time rehabbing and spent the season as the Wildcats’ first-base coach.

“After careful consideration I have made the decision to return to the University of Kentucky,” Jelkin said. “My ultimate goal is to be a big leaguer and I feel my continued development by Coach [Dan] Roszel, Coach [Nick] Mingione and the entire staff is the best path to that dream. Big Blue Nation has become my home.”

The Omaha, NE native opened the 2024 season as Houston‘s Friday night starter. He made seven consecutive starts to open the season until suffering the elbow injury which ended his campaign. In 34 1/3 innings pitched, Jelkin posted a 3.41 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 10 walks. Kentucky is his fourth and final school, as his career began at Nebraska before he moved to South Mountain CC.

Kentucky’s Mingione excited for next year’s team

Jelkin was selected in the ninth round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the New York Mets and the 14th round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He however did not turn pro and will instead be a pivotal piece to the Wildcats’ 2026 roster, which head coach Nick Mingione is extremely excited for.

“I’m really excited about next year’s team,” Mingione said after Kentucky‘s 13-12 loss to West Virginia in the Clemson Regional Final. “I think if the guys continue to grow and develop and we bring all this back, depending on what happens with the Draft, if you told me we were a preseason top-10 team in the country I could believe it. That’s how highly I think of the guys we have coming back.”

Along with a strong portal class that is ranked No. 7 in the country by 64Analytics.com, Kentucky returns a strong core of players headlined by sophomore shortstop Tyler Bell, junior left-handed pitcher Ben Cleaver, sophomore right-hander pitcher Nate Harris, freshman utility player Ryan Schwartz and redshirt sophomore first baseman Hudson Brown.

Jelkin has a great shot at being Kentucky‘s Friday night starter this season, with Harris as the Saturday night guy and Cleaver as the Sunday guy. It’s safe to say that rotation looks solid for a Wildcat program seeking its second Men’s College World Series berth in program history.