Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell goes 10th overall to Rockies

DENVER -- The Rockies selected University of Kentucky switch-hitting shortstop Tyler Bell with the 10th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday afternoon.

Bell, 21, MLB Pipeline’s No. 10 Draft prospect, is the first pick of a new front office led by president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes. The pick marks the second straight year that the Rockies have gone with a shortstop with their initial pick. They went with Stillwater (Okla.) High School shortstop Ethan Holliday fourth overall last year.

The last collegiate shortstop who was the Rockies’ top pick was Troy Tulowitzki, taken seventh overall out of Long Beach State in 2005 before he turned in a standout 10 seasons with the team that included five All-Star selections.

The slot for Bell, the first of five Day 1 picks for the Rockies, is valued at $6,393,100.

The Draft position justifies a decision that Bell made in 2024. The Rays selected Bell 66th overall out of Lincoln-Way High School in Frankfort, Ill., but Bell chose Kentucky -- and was the highest-drafted player not to accept the professional offer.

Bell is the eighth University of Kentucky product taken with a first-round pick in MLB Draft history. Kentucky shortstops who prepped at Lincoln-Way East are no stranger to the Rockies. Ryan Ritter, taken in the fourth round in 2022, has seen time with the Rockies the past two seasons and currently plays at Triple-A Albuquerque.

Bell’s sophomore season with the Wildcats got off to an inauspicious start when he tore the labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder while attempting to make a diving play in the team’s first game of the year. But he was back in the lineup as the designated hitter less than a month later and returned to shortstop not long after.

Although he is expected to need surgery on the shoulder at some point, the injury didn’t seem to have any ill effects on the 21-year-old’s performance, as he hit .343 with nine homers and a 1.119 OPS over 41 games on the season. He also made only three errors in 116 chances on defense (.974 fielding percentage).

Bell finished up his two-year tenure with the Wildcats with a .314 average, 19 homers and a .993 OPS, cementing himself as one of the top college shortstops eligible for the 2026 Draft.

A switch-hitter, Bell is proficient from both sides of the plate. His bat speed and strength gives him the potential to be a 20-homer threat once he learns to lift the ball in the air more consistently.

He also has the defensive tools to stick at shortstop, with a quick first step, reliable hands and a strong arm capable of making throws from any angle necessary. If he does end up in more of a utility role, his athleticism and defensive instincts should allow him to play almost anywhere on the diamond.