Alabama Baseball 2023 Season Preview: Starting Lineup, Predictions & More
By Matt Melton
Who’s Back?
While the Crimson Tide did lose a few key names from a year ago, Alabama also has multiple prominent players who have returned as well. Here are just a few of those names, along with what each did a year ago.
Lineup:
- OF Andrew Pinckney
- 1B Drew Williamson
- SS Jim Jarvis
- C Dominic Tamez
- OF Caden Rose
- OF William Hamiter
- OF Tommy Seidl
- 2B Bryce Eblin
- INF Will Hodo
Alabama baseball will return almost all of their starting lineup this season, headlined by one of their top hitters from a year ago in outfielder Andrew Pinckney, who slashed .303/.383/.500 with 32 RBI across 58 games. Also headlining this group for the Crimson Tide are two experienced seniors in first baseman Drew Williamson, who slashed .301/.384/.495 with nine HR and 47 RBI a year ago, as well as shortstop Jim Jarvis, who hit .267 last season.
The Crimson Tide could also potentially have one of the SEC’s top catchers in Dominic Tamez, who slashed .289/.341/.393 with 34 RBI a year ago, as well as a player among the conference’s AVG leaders in Caden Rose, who led Alabama with a .326 AVG a year ago. Both William Hamiter and Tommy Seidl are experienced outfielders who are also back, while Bryce Eblin and Will Hodo are also key names that return.
Rotation:
- RHP Garrett McMillan
- LHP Grayson Hitt
- RHP Jacob McNairy
- RHP Ben Hess
Similar to the lineup, Alabama returns essentially all of their starting rotation from last season, headlined by Friday night starter Garrett McMillan. Selected in the 19th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins, McMillan returns to Tuscaloosa coming off a season in which the right-hander held a 4.29 ERA and 83:26 K:BB ratio across 86 IP, leading Alabama in both innings pitched and strikeouts.
Grayson Hitt, who was the Alabama’s primary Sunday starter a year ago, enters the year as MLB Pipeline’s No. 43 overall prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft, while Jacob McNairy, a 16th round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners, led Alabama in wins last season with a 6-2 record, along with owning a 4.63 ERA and 65:18 K:BB ratio across 72 IP. Ben Hess also returns for his sophomore season as a key factor, coming off a year in which he held a 4.54 ERA as Alabama’s primary midweek starter.
Bullpen:
- LHP Antoine Jean
- LHP Hunter Furtado
- RHP Hunter Hoopes
- LHP Jake Leger
- RHP Hagan Banks
Arguably the biggest returning name in Alabama’s bullpen is Antoine Jean, who initially began the year in the weekend rotation, but made the move to the bullpen midway through the season, and finished the year with a 3.48 ERA across 33.2 IP. The Crimson Tide also have two key left-handers returning in Hunter Furtado and Jake Leger, both of which are experienced options.
As for the right-handers, Hunter Hoopes and Hagan Banks are the two biggest names that return, with Hoopes coming off a season in which he held a 2.25 ERA across 20 IP. Banks had only 12 IP a year ago as a freshman, holding a 3.75 ERA.