In 2024, Tyler Bell was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the second round of the MLB Draft with the 66th overall pick. Instead of going the professional route, Bell chose to play college baseball for the Kentucky Wildcats.
World Baseball Network explains how that decision turned out to be the correct one for the shortstop from Frankfort, Ill.
Bell drafted tenth overall by the Colorado Rockies
In the 2026 MLB Draft, Bell went tenth overall to the Colorado Rockies. He signed with Colorado for $6 million, slightly below the pick value of $6.39 million, according to MLB.com.
In comparison, the pick value for 66th overall in 2024, when Bell was drafted out of high school, was $1.26 million.
The Kentucky shortstop moved himself into a top-ten draft selection. He also made $4.74 million more than what he would have had he not played college baseball.
Career at Kentucky
Bell played two full seasons with the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington. In those two seasons, he finished with a career batting average of .314 with a career OPS of .993.
Bell also finished with 116 career hits, 19 career home runs, and 75 career RBIs. The shortstop also showed solid plate discipline throughout his collegiate career with a .438 on-base percentage in two seasons.
Bell brought home many accolades in his Kentucky career. In 2025, he was a part of the Southeastern Conference’s (SEC) All-Freshman team and was a D1 Baseball first-team Freshman All-American. In 2026, he was first-team All-SEC.
During Bell’s two seasons at Kentucky, the Wildcats won 64 games and made the NCAA Tournament twice. The shortstop played a role in stretching Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament appearance streak out to four straight seasons.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Kentucky infielder Tyler Bell (6) at bat during an NCAA regional baseball game against Wake Forest on Friday, May 29, 2026, in Morgantown, W.Va. Kentucky won 6-5. (AP Photo/Mike Buscher)
