Tampa Bay Rays select Kentucky shortstop commit Tyler Bell in 2024 MLB Draft

The Tampa Bay Rays have selected Kentucky commit and Lincoln-Way East (IL) shortstop Tyler Bell in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Bell is regarded as one of the top shortstops in the 2024 high school class. The switch hitter was the No. 2-ranked player in his home state of Illinois, which slotted him as a top-30 overall recruit by the end of his junior season.

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As a junior, Bell logged a batting average of .446 to go with nine home runs, 46 RBIs, 54 runs and 32 stolen bases — perfect for Nick Mingione’s car-crash style of offense. Originally, Bell was committed to play baseball at Pitt, but that fell apart citing departures on the Panthers’ recruiting staff.

“Bell plays quicker than his average speed and covers ground to both sides,” his MLB scouting report reads. “He’s a smooth defender who can execute throws from any angle with solid arm strength. He also has a good internal clock and the athleticism to play all over the diamond if he becomes more of a utility man than an everyday player.

“A switch-hitter, Bell has impressive bat speed and could develop 20-homer power if he makes projectable strength gains and improvements at the plate. But he didn’t hit on the showcase circuit and has been too passive this spring, taking too many hittable pitches and not doing much damage.”

The only downside is that he’ll turn 19 before the draft, which could have hurt his overall stock despite hearing his name called anyway. He’ll be a sophomore-eligible in 2026 if he attends Kentucky next spring.

Kentucky finished the 2024 season with a 46-16 record, logging the most wins in UK baseball program history and included a 22-8 conference record and the first-ever SEC regular season championship in program history. The Wildcats began the SEC schedule with a 15-1 record.

Before losing its last two games in Omaha, the Wildcats were 6-0 to begin the NCAA Tournament this season. That included a walk-off 5-4 win over NC State in Kentucky’s opening College World Series matchup.

If Bell chooses to attend Kentucky for the next couple of years, he’s expected to be a major asset to the Wildcats’ efforts to maintain that level of success under head coach Nick Mingione. During that time, he could improve his draft stock and look to improve his status for the next time he’s in the MLB cycle.