Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson is on his way to winning the 2026 SEC Player of the Year award. Jackson finished the regular season with a .387 batting average, 27 home runs, 77 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases. He also had an on-base percentage of .493.
Jackson is the sixth player in college baseball’s history to reach 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a single season. The most recent player to do that before him was North Carolina’s Vance Honeycutt, who did it in both 2022 and 2024.
The Georgia catcher is leading the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in batting average, home runs, and RBIs. Thus, he has a shot at becoming the third player in SEC history to win the triple crown.
Jackson is a Golden Spikes Award candidate, 2026 MLB Draft stock
Jackson has been one of the best players in all of college baseball. It has made him a big candidate for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award. Jackson was recently one of 25 players to be named a semi-finalist for the award.
The MLB Draft is on the horizon as well. Jackson has made himself one of the most intriguing collegiate prospects for scouts heading into this summer.
According to MLB Pipeline, Jackson is 55th in the top 100 draft prospects in 2026. With postseason college baseball right around the corner for the Georgia Bulldogs, he has a chance to push himself close to the first round of the draft.
The 2026 MLB Draft is July 11-13 during the MLB’s All-Star week in Philadelphia.
Up next for Georgia
The Georgia Bulldogs finished the 2026 regular season with a 43-12 overall record and a 23-7 record in SEC play. The Bulldogs won the SEC regular season title for the first time since 2008.
Their next game is in the 2026 SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. The Bulldogs are the number one seed in the tournament and will play either Mississippi State, Missouri, or Ole Miss on Thursday, May 21. The first pitch for that quarterfinal game is at 4 p.m. ET.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Georgia’s Daniel Jackson (3) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during an NCAA baseball game against Wright State on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
