2026 MLB Draft Preview: Tyler Bell scouting report.
The 2026 is about a month away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.
Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three
picks. Today we are looking at University of Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell.
Tyler Bell is a 6’1”, 190 lb. switch-hitting shortstop at the University of Kentucky. A draft-eligible sophomore, Bell turns 21 later this month. As a prep player out of Illinois, Bell was ranked just outside of the top 100 on the BA 2024 draft board, and was taken by the Rays with their supplemental second round pick that year at #66, one pick after the Rangers selected Dylan Dreiling. Bell did not sign, and was the highest pick in that draft not to sign, though Chris Levonas, taken one pick later by the Brewers, also went unsigned.
Bell is seen as having a solid approach from both sides of the plate, with a good, though not great, hit tool. He has decent power, with MLB Pipeline saying that he could be a 20 homer guy if he can lift balls more consistently. He profiles as someone with an average hit tool and average power, overall, though BP mentions that there’s a decent amount of swing-and-miss risk with him.
Defensively, Bell is a quality defender who is expected to be able to stick at shortstop. He gets praise for his athleticism and instincts in the field, with good hands and a solid arm. He played all the infield positions for Team USA last summer, and is viewed as being able to play the outfield as well. His speed grades out as average, though is expected to play up due to his instincts.
Bell was the Wildcats’ starting shortstop as a freshman, slashing .296/.385/.522 in 265 plate appearances, with 24 walks against 59 Ks. He was sidelined with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder early in the 2026 season, and there was a fear that he would miss the season. He missed relatively little time, though, initially returning as a DH before resuming playing shortstop, although he may need surgery on the shoulder later this year. He slashed .343/.510/.608 as a sophomore, improving his BB:K ratio to 30:36 in 194 plate appearances.
Baseball America has Bell at #11 on their board. MLB Pipeline has Bell at #20 on their board. Kiley McDaniel puts Bell at #29 on his top 150 list. Keith Law’s rankings have Bell at #4 on his board. Fangraphs has Bell at #19 on their board. Baseball Prospectus has Bell at #12 on their top 30 draft board.
In the most recent Baseball America mock draft, Carlos Collazo has Bell going to the Braves at #9, also mentioning him in connection with the Orioles and A’s at 7 and 8, and suggesting he wouldn’t get past the Rangers if he makes it to them at #16. Jim Callis’s June 4 mock draft has Bell going to the Rangers at #16, mentioning him also in connection with a half-dozen other teams ahead of Texas and saying that the Rangers are Bell’s floor. Keith Law’s May mock draft has Bell going to the D-Backs at #15, one pick ahead of the Rangers. Kiley McDaniel’s May 29 mock draft has Bell going to the Marlins at #14, and links him with a number of teams before that, including referencing a “crazy” rumor that the Rays could take him for way below slot at #2.
Bell is not a sexy pick. The phrase used with Bell is “well-rounded,” as he doesn’t have any real weaknesses in his game, but doesn’t have any standout tools, either. He’s a high-floor guy, someone who would seem likely to move relatively quickly through the minors, but not necessarily someone who would be an impact player at the major league level. That said, someone who can play shortstop well and hit a little has value, especially when he profiles as having the versatility to play anywhere in the field if need be.
The Rangers have tended in recent years to target college players who have performed against quality competition, and the SEC has the highest quality competition in the college ranks, so Bell checks that box. They’ve also taken a number of players recuperating from injury in the last couple of years, expressing confidence in the team’s medical staff, and so the possibility of Bell needing shoulder surgery and being on the shelf until 2027 probably wouldn’t faze them.
As a draft-eligible sophomore, Bell has more leverage than most college players, and he’s already passed on a sizeable signing bonus once before, so there could be some signability risk there, though I don’t know how much he would realistically be able to improve his draft stock if he returned to Kentucky for his junior season.
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