The Georgia Bulldogs continue to stack talented players in the transfer portal as they prepare for the 2026 college baseball season.
On Thursday, Alabama State first baseman Juan Cruz announced he was heading to Athens for next season.
Cruz was a phenomenal hitter with the Alabama State Hornets. In 2025, he finished with a .420 batting average and an on-base percentage of .481. The Apopka, Fla. native also had 14 home runs and 73 RBI.
Cruz finished as a top ten hitter in the country individually. This helped Alabama State’s hitting as a team. The Hornets ranked seventh in the country in team batting average (.317) as they were also the best offensive team in the SWAC.
The star Alabama State hitter also led the country in hits with 107.
The great season landed Cruz some individual hardware as he was named first-team All-SWAC and was the conference’s co-hitter of the year along with Bethune-Cookman’s Andrey Martinez.
How Does Cruz Fit at Georgia?
Georgia has had an offensive identity that has been focused on home run hitting for a few seasons.
In 2025, the Bulldogs led the country in home runs with 144 as a team. That was 13 more than the High Point Panthers and Tennessee Volunteers, who both hit 131 this season and sit tied for second place.
Cruz hit more home runs in 2025 than he did in 2024 and has 25 total in his career with Alabama State.
The offensive potency he has makes him a fantastic fit for Georgia, as he is the latest addition to their loaded transfer portal class for next season.
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