Mississippi State University has a long history of producing professional baseball players, and 2026 is no exception. According to the school’s athletic department, 42 alumni are playing in professional leagues this year, including eight in Major League Baseball.
Among those in the majors are All-Stars Adam Frazier, Brent Rooker, Jordan Westburg, and Brandon Woodruff, along with World Series champion Nathaniel Lowe. MSU has produced 72 major leaguers, 13 All-Stars, seven World Series champions, and 20 first-round draft picks, including Rooker, Westburg, Justin Foscue, Will Bednar, Landon Sims, and Jurrangelo Cijntje, according to HailState.com.
Current MLB players include Justin Foscue of the Texas Rangers, who is batting .273 with seven home runs, and Nathaniel Lowe of the Cincinnati Reds, who has homered in three of his last five games. Brent Rooker of the Oakland Athletics is sidelined for the season after knee surgery. Jordan Westburg of the Baltimore Orioles underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-May and will miss the season.
In addition to MLB, several alumni are competing in minor league affiliates. Jurrangelo Cijntje of the Memphis Redbirds has a 5.46 ERA over 18 appearances. Landon Sims of the Reno Aces has a 5.58 ERA and has held batters to a .163 average with runners in scoring position this season. Konnor Pilkington of the Rochester Red Wings pitched a scoreless inning at Buffalo on July 22.
Other notable alumni include J.P. France of the Sugar Land Skeeters, who has an 8.10 ERA over three games, and Khalen Stephens of the Akron RubberDucks, currently on the injured list. Several prospects are making strides in Single-A and Double-A, such as Will Bednar, who threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings on July 22, and Nate Dohm, who earned a win with 2 1/3 shutout innings.
Mississippi State continues to be a pipeline for professional baseball talent, with updates on these players’ performances available weekly on HailState.com, according to the school’s athletic department.
