Mississippi State Inducts Ron Polk Ring of Honor Class of 2026

Mississippi State University announced the 2026 inductees into the Ron Polk Ring of Honor on Tuesday. The class features Major League Baseball managers Nat “Buck” Showalter and Alex Grammas, along with pitcher Chris Stratton.

The three will be enshrined on the pillars of the Adkerson Plaza at Dudy Noble Field, joining seven previous classes since the honor’s inception in 2019. The date of the induction ceremony will be announced later.

Showalter, who played at Mississippi State in 1977, holds the school’s single-season batting average record at .459. He was drafted by the New York Yankees and played seven seasons in the minor leagues. He later managed multiple MLB teams, including the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Orioles, and Mets, earning four Manager of the Year awards.

Stratton played for Mississippi State from 2010 to 2012. He was a consensus first-team All-American in 2012 and won the Ferriss Trophy that same year. Drafted 20th overall by the San Francisco Giants, Stratton pitched in the majors for a decade, winning a World Series with Texas in 2023.

Grammas, a two-time All-SEC shortstop from 1948-49, played 10 seasons in the majors with the Cardinals, Reds, and Cubs. He later managed in the minors and served as an assistant coach in four World Series, winning two championships with Cincinnati and Detroit.

The induction celebrates these legends’ achievements on and off the field, highlighting their lasting impact on Mississippi State baseball history.

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