Kentucky ace Jaxon Jelkin signs deal with Philadelphia Phillies

Jaxon Jelkin emerged as a frontline starter in the SEC for Kentucky in 2026. The former Nebraska and Houston right-handed pitcher had battled through injuries and finally put a full season together. That turned into a big opportunity. The weekend ace officially ended his college career this week once he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. Jelkin was the final pick in the fourth round of the 2026 MLB Draft. At No. 135 overall, the projected signing figure was $558,400, according to MLB.com. The 23-year-old is now a pitcher in the farm system of this NL East franchise. The Kentucky product is a big right-hander with a mid-90s fastball and an impressive curveball who finished the 2026 campaign 8-3 over 15 starts with a 4.08 ERA and 1.14 WHIP across 97 innings with 106 strikeouts. This multi-time transfer recorded complete games against Tennessee and Florida this season along with a save in the win over Arkansas that likely clinched an NCAA Tournament at-large bid for Kentucky. An argument could be made that Jelkin was Kentucky’s team MVP in 2026. Now that MVP is headed to professional baseball. That leaves a big void for the Wildcats to fill. Starters Nate Harris (6.26 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 46 IP) and Ben Cleaver (4.40 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 45 IP) both return. They will likely be joined by Rider transfer PJ Craig (3.51 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 102.2 IP) in the weekend rotation. Louisville (Ky.) Trinity standout Grayson Willoughby will als obe a potential arm that UK could use on the weekend in SEC play. Kentucky’s 2026 MLB Draft Tracker PlayerPositionTeamDraft PositionStatusTyler BellINFColorado RockiesRound 1 (No. 10 overall)SignedJaxon JelkinRHPPhiladelphia PhilliesRound 4 (No. 135 overall)SignedJimmy AndersonINFBaltimore OriolesRound 5 (No. 142 overall)UnsignedRobert OmidiINFDetroit TigersRound 8 (No. 246 overall)UnsignedConnor MattisonRHPMinnesota TwinsRound 16 (No. 467 overall)UnsignedCooper CorkreanLHPKansas City RoyalsRound 18 (No. 539 overall)UnsignedMatt PonatoskiRHPCincinnati RedsRound 18 (No. 542 overall)UnsignedNile AdcockRHPAtlanta BravesRound 20 (No. 592 overall)Unsigned