Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell goes 10th overall to Rockies

With the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Rockies selected shortstop Tyler Bell out of the University of Kentucky.

MLB Pipeline’s No. 10 Draft prospect, Bell is the eighth University of Kentucky product to be taken with a first-round pick in MLB Draft history.

Bell’s sophomore season with the Wildcats got off to an inauspicious start when he tore the labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder 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 his 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.

Two years ago, Bell was selected by the Rays with the 66th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Lincoln-Way East High School in his native Illinois. However, he chose to attend Kentucky rather than sign with Tampa Bay, making him the highest unsigned pick from that 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.