Bat Cats Insider: What areas will UK address in the portal?

The transfer portal opened without restrictions on Monday, leading to an expected flurry of roster movement across college baseball. The portal was open before June 2 to graduate transfers and players whose head coaches were no longer in place, so Kentucky got on the board with commitments from righthanded pitchers Kaden Echeman (Northern Kentucky) and Burkley Bounds (Eastern Kentucky).

But players began exiting the program earlier this week. Most of the departures were players who had not yet carved out roles, though two-way player James McCoy was the most significant in terms of playing time. McCoy was a starter in right field on the Wildcats’ College World Series team in 2024 and also turned into the first baseman late during the 2025 season. Other sophomores like infielder Kyuss Gargett and outfielder Griffin Cameron bounced in and out of the lineup. They will now look for consistent playing time in a different program.

Eleven players have officially entered the portal since Monday. Former reliever Cooper Robinson, infielder Landon Franklin and 2024 signee Hayden Mains entered the portal in December.

Now that movement has shaken out, it’s time for Kentucky to begin filling out its 2026 roster. In speaking with sources, here are the main areas to watch in the coming days and weeks.

The top priorities

• You should never rule out a surprise or two in this era of college sports, but the core of the team is set to return. The expected returns of star shortstop Tyler Bell and second baseman Luke Lawrence, along with third baseman Ethan Hindle returning from injury, ultimately led to Gargett’s entrance into the portal. Gargett was a valuable fourth infielder who I think has the potential to be a solid everyday player elsewhere. Kentucky will go to the portal looking to add another infielder into the mix for depth purposes. As of now, the incoming freshman class has three projected infielders: Caeden Cloud, Maxime Boies and Michael Gardner. Cloud is well thought of by Prep Baseball Report, ranking No. 126 nationally, but there will be plenty of infielders in the portal to sort through. The importance of depth was highlighted this year when multiple players went down with season-ending injuries, so getting more players capable of helping next year is needed.
• Depending on a few factors, Kentucky will likely sign somewhere between four to six pitchers. At least one pitcher will need to be capable of being a weekend starter. With few lefties currently on the roster, at least one for the bullpen will be acquired.
• What factors are at play? RHP Jaxon Jelkin, a Houston transfer who sat out this season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and junior lefthander Ethan Walker are going to be close watches for the MLB draft. Jelkin has previously been drafted twice and Walker thrived in a multi-inning relief role out of the bullpen toward the end of the season. Jelkin could project as a weekend starter next year if he returns, but the sense I get is that it’ll be a pleasant surprise if he’s back. Walker pitched better out of the bullpen for the Wildcats than he did as a starter early in the year, but he’d be a significant addition in any role if he comes back.
• Generally speaking, the pitching emphasis is going to be on getting some better swing-and-miss potential. Echeman fits the bill of that with a 35.7 K% in 2025, but he’s focused on the draft at this point. Among SEC pitchers, Ben Cleaver was the only Kentucky pitcher who ranked in the top-30 in the league in K%.

This won’t come as a surprise to folks who have followed the roster since the season ended, but Kentucky’s top priority is signing a quality catcher. Devin Burkes and Raphael Pelletier graduated, and freshman Nolan Belcher, who redshirted in 2025, entered the portal on Monday. Kentucky has a few potential catcher options in the high school class, including local standout Owen Jenkins and MLB draft board-riser Jase Mitchell of Delaware, but Kentucky will sign a more experienced option out of the portal. Ryan Schwartz came to Kentucky with the potential to be a catcher, but the freshman moved to the outfield this spring and started all four games in the Clemson Regional in right field. He is expected to remain in the outfield next season.