As of now, Ole Miss has five former baseball players who are currently playing in Major League Baseball. Here is a breakdown of each player and how they are doing so far.
Grae Kessinger (Houston Astros)
Grae Kessinger played for the Rebels from 2017-2019 and was drafted by the Houston Astros as the 68 overall pick. Kessinger has been in the major league for less than a year as he was called up in June 2023 —only a season after the Astros won the World Series.
In the 2024 MLB season, Kessinger has had nine at-bats with no hits so far. Throughout his career, he has earned a .163 batting average with 49 at-bats, four runs, eight hits, one home run and one run-batted-in.
Nick Fortes (Miami Marlins)
Another batter who played for the Rebels is catcher Nick Fortes. Fortes played for the Rebels until he was drafted in 2018 as the 117 overall pick.
Fortes made his debut with the Marlins in September 2021. In his career, he has had a .213 batting average 19 home runs, 58 RBI and 10 stolen bases.
James McArthur (Kansas City Royals)
James McArthur played for Ole Miss from 2016-18, playing a couple of seasons with Kessinger as a teammate. McArthur was the 347 overall pick to the Kansas City Royals. The right-handed pitcher currently has a 4.15 earned run average and a 1-0 record for the 2024 season.
McArthur has also already had three saves and 11 strikeouts this season in just 8.2 innings pitched.
Lance Lynn (St. Louis Cardinals)
Lance Lynn played for Ole Miss until he was drafted as the 39 overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008. He has been in the big leagues since 2011. The right-handed pitcher has played a lot of games with a career record of 137-95.
In just the 2024 season, Lynn already has a 1-0 record with a 2.18 recorded ERA and 19 strikeouts in 20.2 innings pitched.
Jacob Waguespack (Tampa Bay Rays)
Jacob Waguespack played for the Rebels until 2012 when he was drafted in the 37th round-originally to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Currently, he is a pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Waguespack has a career record of 5-5 with a 5.20 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 105.2 innings pitched. He has had 11 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched this season.
