Today at Ole Hotty Toddy, we will continue our series, previewing the roster for the upcoming 2025 Ole Miss Baseball season. Previously, we covered the shortstop and catcher positions, as well as the entirety of the infield. Today, we will be breaking down what the outfield could look like. We are just 53 days from the first pitch, so let's see who will be roaming the grass at Swayze.
There are really four options when it comes to the Rebels' outfield this season. Three are newcomers via the transfer portal: Louisville transfer Issac Humphrey, New Orleans transfer Mitchell Sanford, and Illinois transfer Ryan Moerman. The fourth guy in the mix we discussed in a previous article is sophomore Campbell Smithwick, especially if he loses the catcher battle. Judd Uttermark also has the versatility to play the outfield and could play if there is an emergency situation due to injuries.
All the transfers appear to be competent defenders, but none appear elite. Additionally, none of them have substantial Center-Field experience.
CF - Issac Humphrey
My pick to be the Center Fielder this season is Louisville transfer Issac Humphrey, who will join the Rebels for his final season of college ball following three with the Cardinals. Not only is Humphrey most likely the most complete defender, thus why he is my pick to play center, but he was also the top-ranked transfer for the Rebels this offseason.
Throughout his career at Louisville, Humphrey hit .300, posted an OBP of .428, slugged .492, and hit 18 home runs. He is coming off easily the best season of his career, where he slashed .310/.412/.565 for an OPS of .977. The power really came along for Humphrey with 13 doubles and a career-high 10 home runs. Humphrey will join the rebels, looking to continue where he left off, replenishing a Rebel outfield that lost a lot of at-bats.
Big things are expected and required of Humphrey if the Rebels make it back to the postseason. I think Humphrey will play center field this season and bat either in the second or third spot, along with Judd Uttermark. In the fall season, Humphrey led the Rebs in hits while batting .328 and having a .987 OPS.
LF- Ryan Moerman
Next up is Illinois transfer Ryan Moerman. I have slotted in at Left Field just because it appears his arm is weaker than Sanford's, but really, this could be reversed. Moerman is heading into his fourth season of college baseball and has put together a really good career in the Big Ten Conference for the Fighting Illini. He hit .275 with a .372 OBP. He also has tapped into his power the last two seasons and has a career slugging percentage of .529 with 31 career homers in 128 games and a little over 500 PAs.
His 2024 was a great year, slashing .259/.370/.580 with 19 home runs. This is coming off an excellent Sophomore season where he hit .300. Given his track record, I think there is a really good shot. He will come into the SEC and put up really good numbers. There hasn't been a ton of reporting on him during the Fall season. Still, I expect Moerman to be a significant contributor and significant power bat inserted into the lineup to replace the lost productions of Andrew Fischer and Jackson Ross.