Baylor Baseball Season Preview: Simmons, Little Highlight Top Wildcards
As Baylor baseball’s Opening Day matchup against Youngstown State (Feb. 14) approaches, it's time to start breaking down the roster, plus the biggest storylines and questions heading into the 2025 season. Today, we’ll assess the top wildcards on the team.
1B/DH Hunter Simmons: (5-5 GP/GS, .353 BAVG, .421 OB%, 1.186 OPS, 17 AB, 3 R, 6 H, 4 XBH, 6 RBI, 13 TB, 2 BB, 5 SO)
Five games into the 2024 season, senior Hunter Simmons suffered a gruesome leg injury that forced him to miss the remainder of the year. Prior to the injury, Simmons was crushing the baseball and had a team-high four extra-base hits and six RBIs across 17 at-bats.
Simmons's absence from the lineup was felt throughout last spring, and his return from injury will give head coach Mitch Thompson and the Bears a considerable boost.
”He’s a good hitter. He’s a strong kid. He’s hit everywhere he’s ever been. It was a big blow to us last year to lose him that early,” Thompson said. “Coming back this fall, he got a full fall and is probably running better than maybe we would have expected, but it’s still not fantastic. … We’re trying to see how we can maybe use him at first base or DH and get that bat in the lineup.”
As Thompson mentioned, to get back into the batting order, Simmons will either suit up as the designated hitter or play first base – a position he’s previously played. Simmons hitting alongside All-Big 12 slugger Wesley Jordan (Sr.) will give the Bears back-to-back batters who can go deep at a moment’s notice, a luxury the team hasn’t had in recent memory.
Off the field, Simmons is a clubhouse favorite who brings a ton of energy on a daily basis. The consensus among his teammates is that they are ecstatic he’s back.
“[Simmons] is the greatest locker room guy there is,” Jordan said. “That injury last year kind of sucked, and nobody liked it. Seeing him get back and on the field playing brings a different kind of joy to the team, which we’ve missed.”
LHP Mason Green: (2-6 W/L, 15-8 APP/GS, 7.20 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, .299 B/AVG, 40 IP, 32 ER, 19 BB, 38 SO, 47 H, 15 XBH)
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Mason Green was reportedly one of Baylor’s most improved pitchers throughout the fall. Green will compete for a starting rotation spot but could be one of the top options out of the bullpen.
Last spring, Green was thrown into the fire as Baylor’s third starting pitcher toward the beginning of conference play. He flashed at times last season and even threw six scoreless frames against Texas Tech on March 17, but the lefty struggled with command and closed the year with a 7.20 ERA and 1.65 WHIP.
This season, Green no longer feels that the moment is too big for him. He credits first-year pitching coach Sean Snedeker with shifting his mindset, helping him trust his stuff and not being scared to face certain batters or miss pitches.
“When you go in and you put too much pressure on yourself, it’s really, really hard to come out of those situations in a good manner,” Green said.
He later added, “Last year, I was not a big strike thrower. I was just throwing the ball and hoping it goes where you want it to go. But this year, it’s really all about strikes. One thing [Snedeker] really pushes is that hitters 60%, 70% of the time are going to get themselves out. There’s no reason to put more pressure on yourself and try to do more than you should.”
INF Jack Little: (Missed 2024 Season With Injury)
After transferring from Wichita State following the 2023 season, infielder Jack Little was expected to be one of Baylor’s top contributors last spring before suffering a season-ending injury.
Thompson said last February that Little was “a hard-nosed kid that would have brought a lot to the table for us.” In 2023, Little hit .250 with 11 extra-base hits and was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman Team after starting 45 games as Wichita State’s primary third baseman
The redshirt sophomore is expected to be the Bears’ starting second baseman this spring. Last year, it was believed that Little might hit toward the top of the lineup, and he was listed as Baylor’s “Pick-to-Click,” according to D1Baseball.
The coaching staff is excited to get Little back healthy this season, and it’ll be interesting to see how Little fits into the lineup that will be led by outfielders Ty Johnson (Sr.), Enzo Apodaca (RSr.) and Jordan.
More Reading
- Top Questions Surrounding Baylor Baseball Heading Into Mitch’s Thompson Third Season
- Baylor Baseball Season Preview: Pair Of Pitchers Highlight Top Transfers
- Baylor Baseball Season Preview: Outfield Trio Headlines Top Returning Players
- Practices Underway for Mitch Thompson and Baylor Baseball: ‘Our Guys Are Excited’