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Auburn’s Chris Rembert (Photo by David Buono/Getty images via Icon Sportswire)
The 2026 college baseball season is almost here. As such, we’re breaking down every preseason Top 25 team in greater detail. Check out Auburn’s 2026 season preview below.
Quick Hits
Last Season: 41-20 (17-13 SEC); Eliminated in Auburn Super Regional
Final 2025 Ranking: No. 10
Coach (Record at school): Butch Thompson (324-232-1, 11th season)
College Baseball Top 25 Skinny
Auburn appeared to hit a low point in 2024, finishing 27-25 overall and 8-21 in SEC play, its second conference finish below .500 in four seasons. The rebound came swiftly, though. In 2025, the Tigers returned to a super regional and reestablished momentum, showing how quickly elite high school recruiting and targeted portal additions can reshape a roster.
A sophomore core led by catcher Chase Fralick, second baseman Chris Rembert and outfielder Bub Terrell emerged as a foundation, while infielder Eric Guevara, outfielder Cade Belyeu and slugger Lucas Steele rounded out an increasingly dangerous lineup. Head coach Butch Thompson supplemented that group through the portal ahead of the 2026 season, highlighted by the addition of projected starting first baseman Eddie Madrigal, who hit 21 home runs at Saint Mary’s last year.
Auburn Baseball Strengths
Auburn’s offense profiles as its defining strength. Much of the projected lineup has already produced in the SEC, beginning with Rembert, who earned Freshman All-America honors after establishing himself as one of the league’s most advanced young hitters. Fralick joined him on that team, pairing offensive production with steady work behind the plate, while Terrell showed flashes of impact and returns with a full season of experience.
Guevara delivered a breakout campaign in 2025, giving Auburn a reliable, contact-oriented presence in the infield. Madrigal adds power and approach from the left side after demonstrating strong zone awareness and a consistent ability to punish pitches he can drive. The cumulative effect is a veteran lineup with multiple paths to production, built on depth and familiarity with the league.
Auburn Baseball Weaknesses
The primary questions facing the Tigers surround their pitching staff following significant turnover. Auburn lost Dylan Watts, Cam Tilly, Samuel Dutton, Hayden Murphy and Cade Fisher to the professional ranks. Dutton, in particular, served as the staff’s tone-setter in 2025 and provided stability at the front of the weekend.
The Tigers turned to the portal for reinforcements, including former Western Kentucky righthander Drew Whalen, who posted a 3.53 ERA with 90 strikeouts against 31 walks in 81.2 innings last season. While Whalen has enjoyed collegiate success, translating that performance to the SEC remains an open question. Christian Chatterton and Jake Marciano return after showing promise as starters, with Chatterton the more consistent of the two. Both will need to take another step, and the bullpen will rely heavily on newcomers, an uncertain formula in a daunting conference with no shortage of offense.
Auburn Baseball Player To Know
Rembert enters the season regarded by evaluators as one of the top pure hitters in the 2026 draft class. He anchored Auburn’s lineup in 2025, batting .344 with 14 doubles and 10 home runs while finishing with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. Rembert’s approach is compact and efficient, pairing limited pre-swing movement with plus bat speed that allows the barrel to stay in the zone and do damage consistently.
Auburn Baseball 2026 Projected Lineup, Rotation
PositionPlayerYearAVGOBPSLGABHRRBINote/previous schoolCChase FralickSo..335.426.4722124411BEddie MadrigalR-Jr..368.462.6982422178St. Mary’s (Calif.)2BChris RembertSo..344.467.55520910463BEric GuevaraJr..331.388.556124529SSRyne FarberJr..267.382.380221433Texas StateOFBub TerrellSo..300.372.458203541OFCade BelyeuJr..278.450.444126520OFBristol CarterJr..243.331.336140213DHLucas SteeleSr..270.411.491159945PosYearGSIPERAWHIPSO%BB%SPDrew WhalenJr.1681.23.531.2525.78.9Western KentuckySPChristian ChattertonSo.1452.14.471.0528.08.4SPJake MarcianoSo.1460.26.081.4525.56.5Virginia TechRPEthan HardenR-Jr.029.12.451.0925.88.1BelmontRPRyan HetzlerJr.035.03.861.2016.72.7RPGarrett BrewerJr.034.14.461.2227.38.7Michigan State