Entering the 2024 season with a new look, the Alabama baseball pitching staff will be a substantial factor in how successful the Crimson Tide will be in the new season. With new faces and an ace returning from injury, a big year is expected for Alabama’s pitchers.
After losing arms to the transfer portal and the MLB draft, Alabama will have a new look to its pitching staff in the 2024 season. Returning junior Ben Hess will be the ace of the Crimson Tide pitching staff, as he is a lock to get the nod for the Crimson Tide on opening day.
“When you get into the spring, it is a little bit different,” head coach Rob Vaughn said. “If we played today, the guy on my right [Hess] will probably be starting game one today.”
The Crimson Tide pitching staff retained three important arms out of the bullpen. The first is returning sophomore and 2023 All-SEC freshman Alton Davis II. Junior Hagan Banks, who featured in the 2023 season as a high-leverage piece, also returns to the Crimson Tide bullpen.
Junior Aidan Moza will also support the Crimson Tide out of the bullpen in his second season with Alabama after transferring from UAB in 2023. The Crimson Tide bullpen will be able to get big outs in high-leverage situations on the back of its returning pieces.
“I will always be ready; you never know when your name’s going to be called,” Davis said after his big outing from the bullpen versus Auburn in the 2023 season.
Newcomers to the Crimson Tide will also be vital in the 2024 season as they replace big names such as Jacob McNairy, Garrett McMillan and Hunter Furtado, who all left for the 2023 MLB draft. Freshman Zane Adams, who was ranked the No. 6 prospect and No. 2 left-handed pitcher out of Texas according to Perfect Game USA, joins the Crimson Tide rotation and will play a big role in the upcoming season.
As a senior in high school, Adams posted a record of 9-0, an ERA of 0.65 and 142 strikeouts.
In his first season with the Crimson Tide, Vaughn attacked the transfer portal hard, landing the 2023 NJCAA Division I National Player of the Year, Kade Snell, from Wallace State Community College. As a pitcher, Snell is 3-4 with a 4.91 ERA in 66 innings pitched, striking out 46 in the 2023 season. Snell won the award of All-District Pitcher and Player of the Year recognition from the Alabama Sports Writers Association, bringing another piece to the Crimson Tide pitching staff.
Junior Coulson Buchanan also joins the Crimson Tide after spending the last two seasons at Wofford College. In his sophomore season with the Terriers, Buchanan led the team in strikeouts along with innings pitched and games started. Appearing in 20 games, Buchanan made 18 starts with an ERA of 5.22 and a 5-4 record supported by 91 strikeouts. In his first year with the Crimson Tide, Buchanan will be an important part of the Alabama rotation.
Another important member of the rotation will be right-hander Riley Quick.
“My confidence is high as always, just go out there and compete on every pitch and trust the guys behind me,” Quick said when asked about his new position in the rotation.
The 2023 season saw the Crimson Tide pitching staff boast an ERA of 4.62 in conference play and 257 strikeouts. A healthy and strong pitching staff can help the Crimson Tide go far in the 2024 season. With returning pitching coach Jason Jackson, Alabama has all the pieces it needs to have a strong 2024 season on the hill.
