Chicago Cubs Pick up Alabama's Former Team Captain in Fifth Round

On Monday, Kade Snell was one of two members of the Crimson Tide’s 2025 team selected on day two of the MLB Draft. The Chicago Cubs chose the talented left fielder in the fifth round with the 151st overall pick, which has a slot value of $456,000. Snell’s teammate, Richie Bonomolo Jr., was selected two rounds later in the seventh by the New York Yankees with the 224th overall pick.

Snell had an outstanding two seasons with the Crimson Tide, which saw him be named team captain for the 2025 season. He did not disappoint. The Tide’s former left fielder finished the 2025 season ranked fourth in the SEC in batting average with an average of .363 while hitting 13 doubles, one triple, ten home runs, and 52 RBIs throughout this past season. His play earned him First Team All-SEC outfielder by the league’s head coaches.

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Alabama’s former team captain started his career at Auburn, where he didn’t see any playing time in his freshman season, which led to him spending two seasons at Wallace Community College in Dothan, Alabama, where he shone as a two-way player on the mound and in the field. He was named the 2023 NJCAA Division I National player of the year after batting at .396 with eight doubles, five home runs, 44 RBIs, and 34 runs scored while recording a perfect 10-0 record on the mound with a 1.86 ERA while leading all JUCO pitchers in the state of Alabama with 87 strikeouts.

Snell’s first season with the Tide saw him start on the mound, but by the middle of the season, he had become Alabama’s primary pinch hitter, finishing the 2024 season batting at .324 with nine doubles, six home runs in 36 starts. He did a decent job on the mound with Snell having a 1-0 record with a 6.08 ERA across his ten appearances in the 2024 season, but Rob Vaughn and his staff had decided Snell was better utilized in left field and the batter's box.

Alabama has now had three players selected in the 2025 MLB draft. On Sunday, the Twins selected Riley Quick in the first round with the 36th overall pick, and Bonomolo Jr. (Yankees) and Snell both heard their names called on Monday.

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