Alabama baseball has found an early offensive spark behind the plate, as catcher Brady Neal has opened the 2026 season swinging one of the hottest bats in the lineup.
For a Crimson Tide squad still searching for consistent offense early in the season, Neal’s production has provided much-needed stability in the middle of the order and helped set the tone for the lineup as it looks to find its rhythm.
The senior backstop is hitting .545 with a 1.442 OPS through the opening stretch of the season, with one home run and six RBIs as of Feb. 20. His strong start earned him a move up the order Friday night, as Neal slotted into the No. 3 spot in the lineup behind star shortstop Justin Lebron against Rhode Island.
“He struggled a little bit last year, came back in the offseason, kept pushing, and just finally found that swing,” Lebron said of Neal.
Neal rewarded that decision with a perfect 3-for-3 performance that included a double, a home run, two RBIs, a sacrifice fly and three runs scored, powering Alabama’s offense to a 19-4 win. Neal credited much of his early-season success to a refined mental approach at the plate and a return to the habits that produced results earlier in his career.
“I think a lot of it’s mental. The approach is so important,” Neal said. “You can have the best swing in the world, but if you’re not focused and swing at balls in the dirt, you have no shot. … I’ve had success in my career, so it’s about getting back to what I was doing when I was having success, not chasing and staying more even keel.”
Before arriving in Tuscaloosa, Neal spent two seasons at LSU, where he was part of the Tigers’ 2023 national championship team and worked regularly behind the plate with 2025 Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes.
Last season, Neal hit .219 with three home runs, 19 RBIs and a .709 OPS, numbers that didn’t fully reflect his overall value behind the plate, according to Alabama head coach Rob Vaughn.
“Brady didn’t have the year he wanted, but still a very productive player, young for the draft, left-handed hitting catcher, plus defender, can really catch and throw,” Vaughn said.
Vaughn also praised Neal’s maturity during conversations about his professional future in the offseason.
“We knew he kind of wanted to sign [with an MLB team] if the situation was right,” Vaughn said. “In his meeting, he was like, ‘Coach, I didn’t have a good enough year for you to plan to force me in, go protect our team, and if I’m back, I’ll try to go win a job.’ What a mature response from a player. You don’t get that very often from guys, but it kind of peels back the curtain on who Brady Neal is as a human.”
His production has been especially valuable for an Alabama team that has struggled a little bit offensively to start the season. Along with Neal, catchers John Lemm and team captain Will Plattner are competing for playing time this spring, giving the Crimson Tide multiple options behind the dish. Neal also has a lot of versatility, with the ability to play second base and right field.
“I think all three of those catchers are gonna be heavily involved, you know Brady Neal is an elite defender, but also can play all over the field,” Vaughn said.
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