Texas A&M was one game short of winning the national championship a season ago and is looking to get back and compete for it a season later. This offseason, they had a top-25 high school recruiting class and ended with the 6th overall transfer portal class, according to 64 Analytics, showing that they still had a desire to compete to that degree.
One of those incoming transfers is an intriguing hitter, Jamal George. A former Alabama State infielder who is native to Trujillo, Puerto Rico. He had a great 2024 season with the Hornets, where he batted .310 and had an on-base percentage of .404. This was a step up from a great freshman season in 2023 when he won SWAC Freshman of the Year.
George also took a big step in improving his power in 2024, hitting more home runs (9) and improving his slugging percentage (.523) from a season ago. This is a key sign of good future development as he is heading to the SEC, which has many power-hitting teams, like Texas A&M, which hit 136 a season ago, the fourth-best mark across the country.
Although Goerge played in the infield with Alabama State, he also took some reps as a catcher. This is key because the Aggies catcher last season, Jackson Appel, was drafted to the Chicago White Sox following his senior season. George can be an option to fill that hole in the lineup along with any position along their infield.
George played a huge role in making Alabama State one of the best offensive teams in the country, and he has a chance to take his improved hitting to College Station to play and shine among the best in the SEC. He also developed some of the power needed to be a pivotal hitter, so Texas A&M can not only compete to win the conference but also try to get back to Omaha to win the school’s first national championship.
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WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
(Jamal George: Photo Courtesy of Alabama State Athletics)