With the farce that was the 2025 college football season finally completed and college basketball right in the thick of the conference slate, the college baseball season is on deck and ready to tee it up here this week.
The 2025 season proved to be one of the best under 11th year skipper Butch Thompson as his club finished the season 40-21 in a year that saw the Tigers reach as high as the #2 ranked club in the country, named a national top 8 seed (#4), and sweep their regional before being running into the buzzsaw that was eventual national runners-up Coastal Carolina in the Super Regional round.
While replacing names like Ike Irish, Cooper McMurray, Eric Snow, and Sam Dutton among others will prove hard, Thompson and his staff have constructed a roster of talented youngsters and mixed in some veteran portal pieces that look to make another run to Omaha as they are a consensus preseason top 10 squad. Without further ado let’s preview this 2026 Auburn Tiger baseball team.
Pitchers
The pitching staff this year is loaded with returners that showed a lot of promise last season added in with some savvy portal additions to give the Auburn pitching staff some depth on the bump. Let’s look at some names that could be key for the Tigers.
Griffin Graves: Graves saw time in his sophomore season coming out of the bullpen and in 23.1 innings pitched across 13 games posted a 4-1 record with a 4.63 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 24 Ks to 11 BBs which was good for 9.3 Ks per 9 innings. Armed with an upper 80s to low 90s fastball and a nice arsenal of a slider, curve, and changeup, the Jackson, TN native, may see time in the starting rotation during the mid-week games.
Jake Marciano: Auburn added Marciano via the transfer portal after he flashed a lot of talent during his freshman campaign at Virigina Tech. In his 14 starts for the Hokies, he threw to the tune of a 4-2 record, with a 6.08 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and a very impressive 10.5 K/9. Marciano will look to cut down on hits allowed as he posted a 10.4 H/9, but if he can do that he should have no problem slotting into the Tigers starting rotation and may even be featured in the weekend rotation.
Drew Whalen: This may be the best portal addition of the bunch as the Western Kentucky transfer won C-USA pitcher of the year in 2025 in which Whalen helped the Hilltoppers to their fifth all-time NCAA tournament berth. In the 16 starts that he made he pitched at a 9-3 clip, 3.53 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and right under 10 K/9. Whalen will need to cut down on then walks a bit to be a topflight pitcher in the insanely competitive SEC and if so, he should have no problem featuring as the number 1 or 2 option in the weekend rotation.
Andreas Alvarez: After a promising freshman debut season which saw Alvarez strike out 9 batters vs North Alabama, a mark that had not been reached by a Tiger freshman since Keegan Thompson in 2014, he will look to make his mark in 2025. Alvarez is armed with a mid to upper 90s fastball with a good secondary pitch mix he posted a 3-1 record, 4.80 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and solid 6.8 K/9 in 14 appearances, 9 of which were starts. Much like Whalen, if he can issue less free passes, the Florida native should be able to slot in nicely as a starter whether that during the midweek or weekend.
Garrett Brewer: Brewer comes to the plains as a junior transfer from Michigan St in which he was used as a key bullpen arm and will look to do the same for his new home on the Plains. Last year, in 17 appearances as a sophomore, Brewer went 2-2 with a 4.46 ERA, a solid 1.22 WHIP, and stellar 10.7 K/9. If he can keep his walks at bay Brewer should look to be a pivotal piece in the Auburn bullpen in 2026.
Christian Chatterton: This kid may have the highest upside of all the pitchers that be previewed here as a freshman he made 14 starts turned in a 4-1 record to go along with a 4.47 ERA, an incredible 1.05 WHIP, and an outstanding 10.3 K/9. Chatterton features a mid to upper 90s fastball that can blow past hitters and has a nice mix of curveball, slider, and changeup to keep hitters at bay. Look for Chatterton to take the next step as the next great Auburn starter as he will more than likely feature as a top-of-the-line starter.
Ryan Hetzler: Closing out the pitcher preview is the guy who may be closing out most of the games this season. Hetzler made 19 appearances in his sophomore season and led the Tigers with 8 saves as well as posting a 3.86 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 6.4 K/9, and a superb 1.0 K/9. Hetzler could become a lights out SEC closer if those K numbers elevate, and they can with his arsenal that consists of a low-mid 90s fastball, curveball, slider, and change that keeps batters off balance.
Hitters
After a stellar year at the dish last season led by all-time Auburn great Ike Irish and veteran Cooper McMurray, the Tigers will look to reload some the firepower that is seemingly lost from last year. Luckily for Butch Thompson’s team they are blessed with an athletically, dynamic young core added in with some portal additions to keep the offense humming at the rate it did in the incredible season that was 2025.
Todd Clay: Clay makes his way down to the Plains via the transfer portal after one incredible season with UAB. He pretty much led the Blazers in every offensive category as he led the team in average (.361), on-base percentage (.473), slugging percentage (.539), on-base percentage + slugging percentage aka OPS (1.012), walks (39), total bases (103), and was third on the team with 20 extra base hits. If the Tigers can get that kind of production from the Auburn High alum, he will add a massive amount of depth to an already balanced lineup.
Chris Rembert: The Pensacola native returns for his sophomore campaign as the best second-year middle infielder in the entire country. Rembert was named to the SEC All-Freshman, Second Team All-SEC, and First Team Freshman All-American teams and for good reason as he posted a .344/.467./.555 (AVG/OBP/SLG) slash line to go along with an outstanding 1.022 OPS which leads all returning players. Rembert will be a major focal point atop the Tiger lineup this season and look for him to set the table up for the rest of the offense.
Eric Guevara: Much like Rembert, Eric Guevara returns as one of the top offensive players in the SEC. Manning 3rd base almost all of last campaign, the native Panamanian was named to the All-SEC Defensive team for his work at the hot corner. Although noted for his glovework, his work with the bat was equally impressive as he turned in a .331/.388/.945 line to go along with 5 homeruns and 29 RBIs which should slot nicely into the middle to top of the order.
Ryne Farber: After losing Eric Snow to the MLB Draft, there was a big hole left at shortstop coming into 2026. Butch Thompson and crew got to work and brought in Texas St transfer Ryne Farber to fill said hole. With the Bobcats last season Farber slashed .267/.382/.762 with 4 bombs and 33 RBI which was good for second on the 2025 Texas St squad. He will slot nicely around the middle to bottom of the order.
Cade Belyeu: Belyeu had a storybook start to his sophomore year as he hit a homerun in the season opener after his mother passed away earlier in that morning after a battle with cancer. He turned that massive amount of positivity into a solid year slashing to the tune of a .278/.450/.894 line to go along with 5 bombs and 20 RBI. He also showed off some speed as he swiped 12 bags, good for second on the club, and showed some very impressive glove work in the outfield. The former state champ from Auburn High will more than likely slot into the lower parts of the order and looks to take over in center as he and Bristol Carter split 32 starts even there.
Bristol Carter: After transferring from ECU, Bristol Carter put up a solid 2025 campaign. He turned a .243/.331/.336 line to go along with 2 homeruns, 15 RBI, and a team leading 14 stolen bases. Much like Belyeu he will slot more towards the bottom of the order, but his impact will be felt more with his speed, arm, and glove in the outfield.
Bub Terrell: Terrell will look to capitalize on a stellar 2025 debut season as he was named to the 2025 All-SEC Freshman team after posting a .300/.372./.458 line with 5 dingers and 41 RBI. He showed some defensive versatility manning both corner outfield spots as well as first base. The Thompson High product will slot nicely into the heart of Auburn lineup.
Lucas Steele: As a transfer from Samford, Steele was the primary DH for the Tigers in 2025, and he will look to produce even more in that role heading into senior season. Steele did what any good DH does and raked last year, turning in a .270/.411/.491 line with 9 homers and 45 RBI both ranking second returning behind Chris Rembert. Being the primary DH is the role Steele will play as well as making a spot start or two behind the dish in spelling Chase Fralick while being a run producer in the middle of the order.
Chase Fralick: Fralick turned in an incredible freshman year which saw him named to the Freshman All-American team in addition to the SEC All-Freshman team. Much was expected of him as he handled a good chunk of the catching duties due to Ike Irish playing more positions to help his own draft stock and Fralick more than delivered with a .335/.426/.472 line with 4 homeruns and 41 RBI which is tied for third returning on the team. If Fralick can keep up his production at the top of the order this season, look out for the 1-5 spots for Auburn to be one of the best in the entire nation.
Logan Gregorio: Much like Todd Clay, Logan Gregorio is a transfer that led his former team, Northern Illinois, in almost every single offensive category. His .332 AVG, .659 SLG, 1.059 OPS, 18 homers, and 69 RBI led the Huskies in those categories. He proved to have some positional versatility as Gregorio logged 28 starts as a catcher and 21 starts in left field. Although Ike Irish is no longer on the Plains, Gregorio looks to at least attempt to provide the Tigers with versatility and power in 2026.
Summary:
With bringing back promise and power, the 2026 edition of the Auburn baseball club looks to be one of the best yet. Being ranked as a consensus top 8 in the preseason, anything short of a super-regional appearance should be considered a major let down for the Tigers. The SEC slate will always be a merciless grind to get through, but with the depth Butch Thompson has accumulated this year an extended stay in Hoover should not be out of the question.
All in all, look for the Tigers to host yet another regional site in the NCAA tournament, advance to the supers, and depending on matchup, make a third trip to Omaha. Buckle up Auburn fans this year should be incredible. War Eagle!
