Players who were in their final year of eligibility accounted for 37.8% of D-I at-bats last year, while freshmen and redshirt freshmen trailed them markedly at just 12.6%. It makes sense, too, as the oldest players in the sport widely outperformed their younger counterparts in every category at the plate.
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Kentucky's 2025 roster is at 44.
Includes 13 Seniors, 20 transfers.
Should be an interesting SEC season.
It is well documented that older HS players were more successful in recruiting and now with the portal it makes sense that it will impact the top programs and players significantly and also at lower levels where coaches want to win now.
I think it is great that it gives college players a way to control their destiny, but it is a double edge sword as coaches use it to improve their program. For every player a team brings in on the portal impacts another one who will not make the roster. For me baseball should be PART of the college experience and not completely dominate it. Don't get me wrong it does dominate it to certain extent with all the practices, work out and travel, but if a player keeps moving from college to college they will miss a lot of the college experience IMO. My view for my son was a way for him to potentially get into schools he might not have without baseball, but we were focused on academics as a large part of the equation as well as the overall college experience. Moving around makes it difficult IMO.
BOF, I am in agreement with the above. Our consideration in son's choice was not to get drafted out of HS, but eventually from a program with the reputation of turning out drafted players. Of course things are a lot better now in the minors than many years ago.
FWIW, IMO, older transfers do add to team success. But so do players that would be in the program for at least 3 or 4 years in any division. I am amazed at the turnover that exists in D1 sports created by the portal. There should be a limit along with GPA.
And yes we all saw this coming, the addition of older transfers due to extra years of eligibility.
People sat that there are coaches that don't work hard at their job, I haven't personally seen that but sure that it exists in many programs.
I am familiar with the author, he is legit. I do not disagree with the purpose of the BA article.
I saw Kentucky play in person many years ago, and I understand why the HC prefers transfers.
They did win the SEC tourney last season, but lost to a much younger team in Omaha.
With that said, I haven't seen most of the SEC rosters.....yet.
JMO
Analysis of one JUCO roster as the 2025 season is about to begin:
32 players on the roster for 2025
10 players returning from 2024
22 players new to the program
Of the 22 new players, 11 are 2024 grads
11 of the 22 played college somewhere else in 2024
But, 2 of the 2024s were at another school in the fall
So, it's actually 13 of 22 new players who transferred in for 2025
There's also one 2020 grad and one 2021 grad on the roster for 2025
Again, this is Juco.
