Tyler Bell

Tyler Bell
Kentucky Wildcats – No. 6
Shortstop
Born: (2005-06-30) June 30, 2005
Bloomington, Illinois, U.S.
Bats: Switch
Throws: Right
Stats at Baseball Reference 

Tyler Jacob Bell (born June 30, 2005) is an American college baseball shortstop for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Career

Bell attended Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort, Illinois, where he played on the school's baseball team.[1] As a senior in 2024, he hit .391 with 25 RBI and 30 stolen bases.[2] Bell was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 66th overall pick of the 2024 Major League Baseball draft.[3] He declined to sign with the team, and instead enrolled at the University of Kentucky to play college baseball for the Kentucky Wildcats.[4]

As a freshman at Kentucky in 2025, Bell was named the team's starting shortstop.[5] He played in 56 games and hit .296 with ten home runs, 46 RBI, and 11 stolen bases, earning a spot on the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team.[6] After the season, he briefly played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Harwich Mariners.[7] He was also named to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, the first Wildcat to be selected since Zack Thompson in 2018.[8]

References

  1. ^ Millar, Steve (April 4, 2024). "From earliest T-ball days to Lincoln-Way East, Kentucky recruit Tyler Bell flips switch at plate. 'It's been great.'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  2. ^ Pisani, Hart (June 21, 2024). "Meet the 2024 Herald-News All-Area Baseball Team". Shaw Local. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  3. ^ Collazo, Carlos (July 31, 2024). "Rays Draft Pick Tyler Bell Intends To Reach Campus At Kentucky". Baseball America. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  4. ^ Pedelty, J. T. (July 31, 2024). "Tyler Bell, Lincoln-Way East star, chooses University of Kentucky over starting professional career". Shaw Local. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  5. ^ Hale, Jon (May 29, 2025). "One of country's top freshmen will lead Kentucky baseball into NCAA Tournament". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  6. ^ "Kentucky Baseball's Tyler Bell Named to SEC All-Freshman Team". WLEX. May 19, 2025. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  7. ^ Flaherty, Peter; Pontes, Geoff (August 15, 2025). "Top 25 MLB Draft Prospects From The 2025 Cape Cod Baseball League". Baseball America. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  8. ^ Moss, Steve (May 24, 2025). "UK shortstop Tyler Bell invited to USA Collegiate National Team camp". WKYT. Retrieved October 12, 2025.