Brady Ballinger not basking in preseason national attention
Brady Ballinger has garnered a ton of hype heading into his junior campaign for Kansas baseball. He was recently named to the Golden Spikes Watch List, the award given to the top amateur baseball player in the country. The list of preseason accolades on Ballinger’s bio is extensive, from D1Baseball Big 12 Player of the Year to a slew of All-American nods from different publications.
The hype is deserved following Ballinger’s first year at Kansas after transferring up from the JUCO level at College of Southern Nevada. Ballinger was named to the All-Big 12 First Team, leading the Jayhawks in most offensive categories. However, Ballinger said he hasn’t earned anything yet this season.
“Mainly I don’t really worry about it,” Ballinger said. “I’ve had guys show me some stuff throughout the winter, and it really doesn’t bother me, doesn’t mean anything. I haven’t earned anything yet, so I’m excited to get back out for the season.”
After the 2025 season, Ballinger had the opportunity to go to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team training camp. The training camp roster featured 24 players who received some sort of All-American honors in 2025. Ballinger said it was a great experience.
“It was a really good experience to go out there, meet a lot of great players,” Ballinger said. “It was really cool facing some of the best competition in the country.”
Ballinger slashed .353/.495/.670 for Kansas in 2025, tallying 16 home runs and driving in 56. His focus is not in the headlines, but just to enjoy playing the game.
“I try not to [pay attention to it],” Ballinger said. “You can’t be on social media a ton or else you’ll see everything. But I try to just do what I was doing last year, play the game I love and enjoy it.”
Ballinger praised for strong mental approach, transitioning to outfield
That mentality is something head coach Dan Fitzgerald spoke highly of. Fitzgerald wants his sons to mirror Ballinger’s mental approach.
“He has such a great mind,” Fitzgerald said. “If I could have my boys grow up to be like anyone mentally on our team, in terms of how they handle success and failure, it’d be Brady. He’s the same guy every day– always fun, always in a good mood, always a great teammate.”
As the 2026 season approaches, Ballinger is likely to take on a new role for Kansas. He has primarily worked in left field over the offseason. The transition has been fairly easy for Ballinger, who played outfield in high school.
“Brady played outfield in high school, and Brady’s a good runner,” Fitzgerald said. “He kind of lumbers around, but he really moves well. He reminds me a lot of Lance Berkman, even Max Muncy. It’s a bad comp because he’s a third baseman, but he’s big and he moves well. He’s a long strider in the outfield, so he gets to the ball.”
Ballinger’s developments as a defender complement his already “exceptional hit tool.” Despite an untraditional setup at College of Southern Nevada, Ballinger slashed .433/.548/.690 in 2024.
“Brady has gotten a lot better defensively and he’s gotten more athletic,” Ballinger said. “He’s always been really strong and he’s always had an exceptional hit tool. Brady had a really funky setup coming in out of junior college. His hands were way in front of his body and very untraditional.”
