Some more good news for the Kentucky Baseball team.
The Kentucky Wildcats baseball program has been riddled with good news since the end of the season in Clemson. Now we can add some more to that with an important returning player to the pitching staff.
RHP Jaxon Jelkin missed the 2025 season due to an elbow injury, but was once again eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft. After being selected two times before, Kentucky baseball took to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon to announce that Jelkin would return to Lexington next season.
Jelkin will now spend his second season in Lexington after transferring from Houston after the 2024 season. After posting a 3.41 ERA for the Cougars in seven starts before his elbow injury, Jelkin’s still heard his name called by the New York Yankees in the ninth round.
Nick Mingione and his staff have been active in the portal when it comes to adding RHPs, but now retaining a potential weekend starter is a huge boost to an already stacked roster.
Going to be a fun spring at Kentucky Proud Park next season.
RHP Jaxon Jelkin, a two-time MLB Draft pick, is taking his name out of the 2025 draft and will return to Kentucky for the 2026 season.@jaxonj24 pic.twitter.com/tunQ7ri362
— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) July 8, 2025