Last season was a whirlwind for the Baylor Bears. First baseman Tyce Armstrong kicked off the year with three grand slams in the first game, part of what was a big season for him. However, Baylor only finished with an overall record of 29-27. So, what does 2027 have in store for Mitch Thompson and the baseball program?
The Returnees
Baylor’s team did return now-sophomore outfielder Brady Janusek.
Janusek had a fantastic 2026 season, one in which he hit 14 home runs, the second most on the team behind now-Yankees prospect Tyce Armstrong. He did strike out a club-high 77 times last season but Janusek also drove in 53 and stole 17 bases for the Baylor Bears.
He was one of two big-name freshman hitters last season for Baylor. The other was infielder Brytton Clements, who hit .291 over 42 games for the school in 2026. Clements didn’t hit a home run but he did have 10 doubles.
The school also welcomed back Dylan Perez, who is back for his sophomore campaign, plus junior Pearson Riebock, sophomore Hunter Snow, plus Brayden Buchanan, Bo Caraway, and Cade Dodson. Every single one of those position players played in at least 20 games for Baylor in 2026.
As for the pitching staff, the Bears returned one of their top three starters from last year, junior Zack Wallace. Wallace was the least prolific of the three regular rotation pitchers from last year, with only 45 strikeouts over 64 innings. Low-90s fastball with some carry, although he does have a fleshed-out arsenal with a changeup, curveball, and sweeping slider.
Baylor also returned two-way players Luke McLeod & Camden Clewett, plus pitchers RJ Ruais, Mason Green, and Charlie Atkinson.
The Newcomers
A lot of new faces will be with Baylor for 2027.
The school lost Travis Sanders (Tennessee) and Brayden Bergman (Auburn) to SEC schools via the transfer portal. As mentioned earlier, 2026 home run leader Tyce Armstrong, as well as weekend stalwart Lucas Davenport (Red Sox).
Nearly 20 new players on Baylor’s roster. Brayden Gilley, who threw a team-high 80 innings last year for Winthrop, transferred to Baylor for his senior season. Junior Tate DeRias, who struck out 26 over 20 innings for Miami (FL), also joined the roster. However, he also walked 22.
Pitcher Aiden Shreve, plus infielders Miller Sheets and Dawson Hinson, are among the new freshmen on Baylor’s roster.
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