Nick Mingione and the Kentucky baseball program got a major boost Wednesday when highly touted infielder and class of 2024 recruit Tyler Bell announced his intention to play for the Bat Cats in 2025.
Bell was the No. 66 overall selection by the Tampa Bay Rays in this year’s Major League Baseball Draft. He announced his intention to forego the professional ranks and to play for Kentucky in a social media post to X early Wednesday afternoon.
In doing so, the Rays will lose the $1,260,200 million slot value associated with the pick from their bonus pool. Bell will not be eligible for the draft again until after the 2026 season.
“Tyler is an outstanding player and tremendous person,” Mingione said in a press release. “He will perfectly fit into our culture both on and off the field. The Kentucky baseball program got better today.”
Listed as 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Bell committed to Kentucky out of Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort, Ill. Perfect Game rated him the No. 59 overall player in the class of 2024.
The 2024 season was a historic one for Kentucky baseball. The Wildcats reached the College World Series in Omaha for the first time in program history and finished No. 3 in the final USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll behind national champion Tennessee and runner-up Texas A&M.
All in! #Bigbluenation pic.twitter.com/N00g3IEvep
— Tyler Bell (@BellTyler28) July 31, 2024