TUSCALOOSA, AL — Alabama catcher and utility standout Brady Neal was selected Sunday by the Cincinnati Reds with the 242nd overall pick in the eighth round of the 2026 MLB Draft.
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He is the fourth Crimson Tide player to be selected in this year's draft and will join Alabama teammate Justin Lebron in the Reds' organization after the Tide shortstop was selected Saturday with the 18th overall pick.
Neal's slot value is approximately $229,700, according to MLB.com.
A transfer from LSU where he was a member of a national championship team, Neal emerged as one of Alabama's most consistent offensive performers in 2026 while providing versatility behind the plate and around the infield.
He finished the season batting .316 with 66 hits, 15 doubles, 10 home runs, 51 RBIs, 39 runs scored and a .970 OPS across 61 games. He also drew 35 walks and posted a .429 on-base percentage.
Neal earned Second-Team All-SEC honors and was named the SEC Player of the Week on March 23 after helping lead the Crimson Tide during one of the program's best seasons in recent memory.
The 5-foot-10, 200-pound left-handed hitter played a pivotal role in Alabama's postseason run, delivering one of the defining moments of the year when he blasted a three-run homer in the 11th inning of the Crimson Tide's NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional championship victory over Oklahoma State, helping send Alabama to a Super Regional.
Neal was later named the Tuscaloosa Regional's Most Outstanding Player.
Before transferring to Alabama, Neal spent two seasons at LSU, where he appeared in 44 games as a freshman in 2023 and helped the Tigers capture the College World Series national championship.
He also earned SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll recognition before joining Rob Vaughn's program ahead of the 2025 season.
A native of Tallahassee, Florida, Neal attended IMG Academy, where he was regarded as one of the nation's top catching prospects coming out of high school.
He was previously selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 17th round of the 2022 MLB Draft but chose to begin his collegiate career.
Along with Neal and Lebron, Tide pitchers Tyler Fay and Zane Adams were also both selected Saturday in the sixth round.
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