Ole Miss Baseball Alumni Update: 2026 Professional Season Midpoint

Thirty-three former Ole Miss Rebels are active in professional baseball during the 2026 season, which is just over halfway finished. The players are spread across major league teams and affiliates, working toward their MLB dreams, according to the university’s athletics department.

Ryan Rolison, a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, has a 7-1 record with a 2.28 ERA in 42 appearances. The former first-round pick has allowed only one earned run in his last 12 outings and has recorded six consecutive scoreless appearances.

Nick Fortes, a catcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, is batting .270 with 67 hits in 248 at-bats. He has played in 87 games and hit .354 with 10 RBIs and three homers in July. Jacob Gonzalez, an infielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates, has a .233 batting average and made his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox on May 31 before being traded to Pittsburgh in July.

Other Rebels with notable performances include Derek Diamond, a pitcher for the Indianapolis Indians, who is 7-0 with a 3.07 ERA, and Xavier Rivas of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, who has a 6-5 record with a 4.28 ERA in Triple-A. Several players remain on the injured list, including Gunnar Hoglund and James McArthur, due to knee and elbow injuries, respectively.

In the minors, Cooper Johnson, Kemp Alderman, and Luke Hill are among the standout performers. Alderman, with Miami’s Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, boasts an OPS of .830 and continues to produce offensively, while Hill has demonstrated power and speed with a .257 batting average, 11 home runs, and nine stolen bases at Double-A.

Overall, Ole Miss continues to produce talent for professional baseball, with the season serving as a critical juncture for many of its alumni working toward MLB success, the university’s athletics department said.

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