Tide Catcher John Lemm Signs With St. Louis Cardinals

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Alabama catcher John Lemm is taking his game to the next level after signing with the St. Louis Cardinals as an undrafted prospect following the conclusion of the 2026 MLB Draft.

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Lemm, a senior transfer who spent one season with the Crimson Tide, provided Alabama with a left-handed power bat in the middle of the lineup and emerged as one of the team's top run producers during its 2026 College World Series run.

The Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, native appeared in 58 games during the 2026 season, batting .253 with 10 home runs, nine doubles, 34 RBIs and a .389 on-base percentage.

Behind the plate, he committed just four errors in 310 total chances for a .987 fielding percentage while throwing out seven would-be base stealers.

Lemm delivered several memorable moments in his lone season in Tuscaloosa, including a walk-off solo home run against Vanderbilt on April 30 and another homer in his first at-bat the following day.

He also starred in Alabama's series win over Auburn, batting .417 with a home run, three RBIs and a game-ending RBI single in the series opener.

Before arriving at Alabama, Lemm spent the 2025 season at Southern Illinois, where he earned Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors after batting .272 with 19 home runs and 56 RBIs.

Lemm's 19 homers tied for the second-most in a single season in school history, and his 1.104 OPS ranked among the conference leaders.

Lemm also played two seasons at South Suburban Community College, where he hit .300 over 97 games while helping the Bulldogs capture the 2023 NJCAA Region IV Division I championship.

Lemm joins a growing list of Alabama players from the 2026 club to ink professional contracts following the draft, along with Justin Lebron (18th overall), Tyler Fay (6th round, 169th overall), Zane Adams (6th round, 171st overall) and Brady Neal (8th round, 242nd overall).

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