Kentucky Wildcats: 2026 Season Preview
Nick Mingione has built something real in Lexington. Consistent depth, sound fundamental baseball, and a pitching staff that competes every weekend. Don't sleep on the Cats.
The Program
2025 Season Results
Season Highlights
Fourth Regional appearance in five years under Mingione
Travis Smith: 10-3, 2.42 ERA — the SEC's most overlooked ace
Ryan Waldschmidt hit .305 with 12 HR and played Gold Glove defense at first
Team ERA of 3.58 ranked fourth in the conference
Devin Burkes emerged as one of the best defensive shortstops in the SEC
2026 Roster Breakdown
Key returnees and transfer portal additions
Key Returnees
Ryan Waldschmidt
1B · Sr.The anchor. Consistent offensive production paired with Gold Glove-caliber defense. One of the most complete first basemen in the conference.
Travis Smith
RHP · Jr.The most underrated pitcher in the SEC. Pounds the zone with a sinker-slider combination that generates swings-and-misses and groundballs. Friday night weapon.
Devin Burkes
SS · Jr.Elite defensive shortstop. His range and arm make the infield work. The bat continues to improve — he hit .300 in SEC play.
Nolan McCarthy
OF · Jr.Speed-and-contact outfielder who sets the table from the leadoff spot. Plus center field defender with improving power.
Mason Moore
RHP · So.Emerged as a reliable Saturday starter. Power arm with a heavy fastball. Projects to be a first-round talent by 2027.
Transfer Portal Additions
Drew Swift
2B · R-Sr.Veteran infielder with Pac-12 experience. Contact-oriented approach and solid defense.
Tanner Witt
RHP · Jr.Former five-star recruit with elite stuff. Adds SEC-proven depth behind Smith and Moore.
James Hicks
OF · Jr.Power outfielder from Oxford. Adds middle-of-the-order production to a lineup that needs it.
Pitching Staff Analysis
The Headline
Travis Smith (10-3, 2.42 ERA) is the most underrated pitcher in the SEC. His sinker-slider combination gets swings-and-misses and generates groundballs at an elite rate. He pounds the zone and never gives in. Friday nights in Lexington belong to him.
The Rotation
Mason Moore (3.52 ERA, 76 K) takes the Saturday ball with a heavy fastball that projects as first-round stuff by 2027. Tanner Witt (from Texas, 3.68 ERA) adds a third arm with elite ceiling. Three quality weekend starters is the foundation of a postseason team.
The Depth
Mingione builds his bullpen through development. The relievers are not household names, but they fill innings and throw strikes. The staff collectively walks fewer hitters than almost anyone in the SEC. Control baseball — that is the Kentucky identity.
Lineup Analysis
The Engine
Ryan Waldschmidt (.305, 12 HR) is the anchor of the lineup. Consistent, professional, and rarely beats himself. He does not chase, drives the ball to all fields, and plays Gold Glove defense. He is the kind of player college coaches dream about building a lineup around.
The Middle
James Hicks (from Ole Miss, 8 HR) adds the power Kentucky lacked in the middle of the order. Devin Burkes (.272) continues to improve and provides lineup depth with defensive upside. The order is not explosive, but it is disciplined.
The Supporting Cast
Nolan McCarthy (.281, 16 SB) gives Kentucky speed at the top of the order. Drew Swift (from Arizona State) adds a veteran bat at second base. The lineup manufactures runs through contact and baserunning — not power. That plays in the SEC when the pitching holds.
2026 Schedule Highlights
Scouting Verdict
20–80 scouting scale
BSI Projection
Kentucky is the team nobody wants to see in a Regional. Mingione has built a program that competes every year through pitching, defense, and disciplined at-bats. Smith is an ace who can carry a series. Waldschmidt is a rock in the lineup. The portal additions address the power gap. The Cats will not win the SEC — but they will make the Tournament, and once you are in, anything can happen.