Brantley Inducted Into College Baseball Hall Of Fame
June 18, 2026 | Baseball
STARKVILLE - Jeff Brantley enjoyed one of the most successful careers in Southeastern Conference history. Â
On Thursday, it was announced that the Mississippi State legend will be enshrined alongside 20 other standouts in the 2026 College Baseball Hall of Fame class. Brantley pitched for the Diamond Dawgs from 1982-85 and owns the most career wins in SEC history with 45.
Brantley is part of the 19th induction class which also includes Barry Bonds (Arizona State), Buster Posey (Florida State), Marquiss Grissom (Florida A&M), David McCarty (Stanford), Dave Clark (Jackson State) and Huston Street (Texas). A ceremony will be held on Feb. 11, 2027, at the College Baseball Hall of Fame in Overland Park, Kansas.
Brantley is the fourth Diamond Dawg to be elected into the College Baseball Hall of Fame joining teammates Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro and his head coach Ron Polk. He is also a member of the Mississippi State Hall of Fame (2003), Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (2011) and Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (2026).
Brantley's 18 victories as the ace of MSU's famed 1985 squad are the most in a single season in conference history and earned him consensus first team All-America honors that year. The right-hander from Florence, Alabama was twice tabbed first team All-SEC and was an inaugural member of the Ron Polk Ring of Honor.
Brantley was drafted in the sixth round by San Francisco in 1985 and played 14 seasons of Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers. He pitched in the 1989 World Series and was selected as an All-Star the following season.
In 1996, Brantley led National League with 44 saves and won the Rolaids Relief Man Award that year with Cincinnati. After his final season in 2001, he spent four years as a broadcaster for ESPN and on Baseball Tonight and has served as the color analyst on the Reds radio broadcast since 2006.
Fans can follow the baseball program on social media by searching 'HailStateBB' on X, Facebook and Instagram.
