A day after pitcher Travis Smith announced he was transferring from Kentucky baseball, the Wildcats have added a player who is transferring in. Former Kansas State catcher Raphael Pelletier has decided to take his game to Kentucky for the 2025 season.
Devin Burkes has been the catcher for the past few seasons for the Wildcats, and has been a key player. However, he could be headed for the Major League Baseball draft, leaving a hole on the roster for coach Nick Mangione.
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Pelletier spent the previous three seasons with Kansas State, and was the starter at catcher for the last two. In 2024, he hit just .212 with nine homeruns. The previous season, though, he hit .257 with six homers and an OPS over .700, and was an All-Big 12 honorable mention.
After making it to the College World Series, the Wildcats will need to reload their roster if they want a repeat performance in 2025. Pelletier has been a good player, and should be a solid addition for Mangione and Kentucky.