Kentucky loses starting catcher Owen Jenkins to transfer portal

by: Adam Luckett4 hours agoadamluckettksr

The 2026 college baseball season still has super regionals and the College World Series to get through, but roster-building for 2027 is already off and running. This offseason’s only transfer portal window opened on Monday. Kentucky’s first postseason starter has hit free agency.

Bat Cats Central’s Derek Terry was the first to report that true freshman Owen Jenkins is expected to hit the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining.

The Lexington (Ky.) Catholic product started 38 games as a true freshman and finished the season slashing .242/.302/.315 across 164 plate appearances this season with seven extra-base hits, 17 RBI, and nine stolen bases. Owen Jenkins did not show a ton of power throughout the season but had good size (6-2, 215) and speed. After gaining a ton of experience in year one, a big year two seemed possible for the Lexington native. Instead, he will continue his college baseball career at another school.

OJ, with the juice!!@Owen_Jenkins10 first collegiate HR.

E4 | UK 6, Bama 1 pic.twitter.com/R7iQAVGZYE
— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) March 13, 2026

Catcher Alex Duffey is also in the portal after missing most of the 2025 season with injury. The same goes for Ryan Schwartz who started games as an emergency catcher for Kentucky in April as injuries piled up. Former Louisville transfer Tagger Tyson remains on the roster and will be a senior in 2026. Tyson appeared in 28 games for Kentucky this season. The veteran has 43 hits and a career .372 on-base percentage across 184 plate appearances.

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The surprising subtraction means that Kentucky will have to address catcher this offseason after the program’s depth at the position was challenged in 2026. Carson May is one of the highest-ranked signees in UK’s class but a portal addition will now almost certainly be required at this critical position.