Alabama's Myles Upchurch Fans 5 in Fall Debut, Fueling Anticipation for Spring

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds made a pass at damaging the Alabama baseball program's designs for its 2026 pitching staff this summer, when the organization took Myles Upchurch in the 19th round of the MLB Draft.

Rather than sign with the Reds after being taken 564th overall, the Maryland native chose the college route, making it known he would be wearing crimson come 2026. Upchurch made his fall debut on Friday night against Lipscomb. He struck out five of a possible six Bisons batters in two perfect innings.

He was the first Crimson Tide pitcher to record a clean slate during the fall scrimmage and the only one to record two. It's only October. A lot is going to change between fall ball and February, when the wins and losses start counting. Upchurch wants to vie for a spot in the weekend mix, but it won't be easy to win one as a true freshman on an SEC squad.

"Everybody is talented on this team," head coach Rob Vaughn said on Sept. 19. "It really becomes how quickly they mature into it."

The Crimson Tide was officially credited with two wins during Friday's slate: a 10-1 victory and a 3-1 triumph. The exhibition was divided into two six-inning contests, the second of which actually went seven innings. Upchurch pitched the first two frames of the second game.

Also on the draft front, Alabama got two 2025 weekend starters back in the form of Tyler Fay and Zane Adams. The experience and pitch mixes offered by both players combine to shape a 1-2 punch with plenty of upside at the top of the rotation.

The three weekend starters who get the ball in mid-February aren't always the same ones toeing the slab in May. Vaughn and pitching coach Jason Jackson won't hesitate to make a rotation move if they think it's best for the team. That's how Fay came to be a starter; he took up those duties this past April.

"Whatever we feel like gives us the best chance to win," Vaughn said in September regarding Alabama's arsenal of pitchers and how they would be used, particularly in weekend games.

Upchurch doesn't have to pitch on weekends to be a starter, either. With a strong enough offseason, even if he doesn't end up getting the Sunday spot, he can still take the ball first during midweeks. That would put him in a position, depending on how well he performs, to assume weekend responsibilities if another starter gets demoted during the campaign.

The freshman has impressive velocity and quality stuff. Honing his skillset for the college game will be of major importance, undoubtedly one of the coaching staff's areas of focus this fall. Upchurch showed what made him such a highly touted prospect in the first place in Friday's scrimmage, and fall practice has only been underway since September.

See Also: