2026 MLB Draft Deep Dive: Tyler Bell

With the 2026 college baseball season quickly approaching, the Just Baseball draft team is writing detailed breakdowns of the top prospects in this year’s class. Our trend of looking at talented college hitters continues today with Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell.

How high is his offensive ceiling? Did Bell make the right choice heading to college over pro ball in 2024? Let’s dive in and answer some of these hard-hitting questions.

• Age: 20
• B/T: S/R
• HT: 6’1″
• WT: 200
• Hometown: Bloomington, Illinois
• 2025 Stats: 56 G, 265 PA, .296/.385/.522 (.907 OPS), 51 R, 10 HR (29 XBH), 9.1 BB%, 22.3 K%, 100 wRC+, 11 SB

Back in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Tampa Bay Rays found themselves with a switch-hitting prep shortstop out of Illinois. In fact, they liked him enough to select him with the 66th overall pick. That player was Tyler Bell, who passed on his professional opportunity for a chance to develop at Kentucky.

That choice has served the 20-year-old very well, as he’s now positioned to be one of the first college players off the board in the 2026 MLB Draft.

After landing on campus following his selection in the 2024 MLB Draft, Bell immediately hit the ground running. He slashed an astonishing .296/.385/.522 with 29 extra-base hits as a freshman, which immediately helped propel him to the top of the college scene.

There’s no doubt that Bell is a legitimate switch-hitter, as he possesses some serious upside from both sides of the plate. Although it’s a more power-focused profile currently, he has plenty of room for growth in his sophomore season. If he ends up in the right system, his hit tool could eventually reach plus-potential in professional baseball.

Standing at 6-foot-1, 200 lbs, Bell has no problem driving the ball with authority. He surpassed the 110 moh exit velocity threshold multiple times during his freshman season, which is quite a notable trait. There’s legitimate extra-base potential in his bat, especially if he adds even more strength once he’s drafted.

At times, he sets up with noticeably more weight on his back side, occasionally approaching a 70–30 split from the left-handed side. This can sometimes lead him to swing more upward, which will need to be corrected down the line. However, his quick bat speed will allow him to easily produce extra-base hits.

Despite his power-first approach, Bell boasts very solid plate discipline. He posted a walk rate over 9.0% during his freshman season while keeping strikeouts to a minimum. There are even times when he can be too passive, which eventually puts him in a hole early on. However, he regularly battles at the plate and makes pitchers work for their outs.

Defensively, Bell has no problem handling shortstop. He possesses quick hands and fluid mechanics overall, with the athletic instincts to stick at the position long-term. Bell’s arm is fit enough to handle tough throws across the diamond, with some scouts even giving him plus arm-strength.

The test for Bell this upcoming college season will be continuing to refine his hit tool and how he handles off-speed pitches. If he can improve his barrel control and work on not putting so much weight on his back half, he should immediately cut down on whiffs and improve his bat-to-ball skills.

Despite this year’s draft class producing multiple high-end college shortstops, Bell stands out as one of the better players available at the position. If he’s able to answer some of the biggest questions surrounding his game in 2026, look for him to be off the board in no time.