Mercer Transfer C/OF Eli Stephens Commits to Georgia Tech Baseball

Georgia Tech fell short in the Atlanta regional earlier this week, but James Ramsey is wasting no time trying to reload for next season.

Ramsey and the Yellow Jackets picked up their first big transfer portal commitment last night with the addition of Mercer C/OF Eli Stephens. Last season, Stephens hit .374 with 20 home runs, 65 RBIs, and a 1.224 OPS. He was a sophomore last season.

Baseball transfer Eli Stephens has committed to Georgia Tech tonight per his Instagram.

For Mercer this past season as a sophomore, Stephens (C/OF) batter .374 with 20 homers, 65 RBIs and a 1.224 OPS.

James Ramsey wasting no time reloading for 2027.
— Alex Farrer (@AFarrersports) June 5, 2026

How will he fit the roster?

Georgia Tech is likely going to have several spots on the roster to fill for next season, depending on how the MLB Draft goes.

Right now, the Yellow Jackets have seen four players enter the transfer portal. OF Tyler Neises, C Dominic Stephenson, 1B Cade Brown, and 2B Michael Dee are all going to be playing elsewhere next season, though none of them played any kind of role this past season.

As far as hitting goes, Stephens will be able to fit right in with Georgia Tech. His versatility to play either outfield or catcher is going to be nice and he could be a key part in helping to replace Vahn Lackey, who is likely to be a top-three pick in the upcoming MLB Draft. Lackey was perhaps the best player in the country, and those are big shoes to fill, both as a hitter but especially as a defender.

.@GTBaseball makes an early splash in the portal, landing Mercer right fielder Eli Stephens. He slashed .374/.476/.749 with 20 home runs this spring, including a pair against the Jackets on May 12. Stephens first collegiate hit in '25 was a HR vs. GT.pic.twitter.com/SwDYaPywXR
— Bradley Smart (@fridaystarters) June 5, 2026

In the outfield, Georgia Tech is almost certainly going to be losing Drew Burress, Alex Hernandez is a potential departure to the MLB, and Parker Brosius is out of eligibility. It will be interesting to see where Ramsey decides to use him next season

The Yellow Jackets roster could look much different next season and likely will due to the amount of potential draftees they have on their roster as well as the amount of players who do not have any eligibility left.

RHP Mason Patel
, Brosius
, RHP Caden Spivey
, LHP Brett Barfield
, and LHP Kayden Campbell are all out of eligibility and won't be back on The Flats next season.

RHP Caden Gaudette
, RHP Carson Ballard
, 2B Jarren Advincula
, SS Carson Kerce
, OF Drew Burress
, INF Kent Schmidt
, INF Ryan Zuckerman
, RHP Tate McKee
, C Vahn Lackey
, LHP Dylan Loy
, RHP Porter Buursema
, C/INF Nathanael Coupet
, RHP Justin Shadek
, RHP Jake Lankie
, and OF Alex Hernandez are eligible for the 2026 MLB Draft, but some could be back.

OF Caleb Daniel
, INF Will Baker
,RHP Jackson Blakely
, C Drew Rogers
, LHP Adam McKelvey
, RHP Dimitri Angelakos
, RHP Riley Hasenstab

, OF Coleman Lewis
, LHP Cooper Underwood
, RHP Charlie Wilcox
, RHP Jamie Vicens
, and INF Judson Hartwell are all slated to come back unless they enter the transfer portal.

Replacing a lot of players from one of the best teams in program history is not going to be an easy task, but this is a great start. Stephens is one of the best hitters that the portal has to offer, and I think he is going to be an everyday player for Georgia Tech next season as they try to make that postseason breakthrough they were hoping would come this season.

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