College Prospects to Watch: Jarrod Belbin
When Jarrod Belbin picked up a baseball, he knew he wanted to make the big leagues. Everything about this guy screams MLB. The college season may be over, but major league action is still going on, and someday your MLB picks will be about this man.
With two years of eligibility left in college, it is hard to tell when his time in college will come to an end, but it is easy to tell that he has a long future in baseball ahead of him. Without further ado, let’s learn about Belbin, who you may be making MLB predictions about one day.
Not Your Typical MLB Prospect
Jarrod Belbin has a different uprising than your typical college baseball player. Belbin is from South Morang, Australia, which is a suburb of Melbourne, and this just shows how much of a global sports baseball is becoming. It is not everyday you hear an Australian accent on a baseball field either.
Belbin is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound redshirt senior at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. The Campbell Fighting Camels may not be in your college world series predictions, but they are darn good at baseball.
Led by leadoff hitter Belbin, Campbell finished the 2021 season 37-18 and the 2022 season 41-19. Belbin is a proven winner. Campbell is a baseball school that produces great MLB talent.
In the Down Under, the seasons are the reverse of what they are here in the states. When Belbin plays his college ball in the spring, it’s Fall in Australia. Belbin only gets to go home during the summers, and only for a couple of weeks, as he plays summer ball as well. Life in America is a lot different, not to mention there is a lack of kangaroos.
Part of the reason Belbin loves the game of baseball is for his ability to travel while playing the game. He has played all over the globe in his homeland of Australia, Japan, and of course, the United States.
Belbin’s Road to the Show
Belbin just recently celebrated his 22nd birthday, and you would be shocked with his production at this age. Saying goodbye to home is hard, but Belbin knew what he had to do if he wanted to make it to the show. He began his collegiate baseball career at Arizona Western Community College in Yuma, Arizona.
Arizona treated the Australian very well, as he appeared in 48 games, batting .339, with 43 runs, 31 RBIs, 5 home runs, 30 stolen bases, 44 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Belbin also had a .493 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage as a utility player who primarily played in the infield.
Like many big leaguers, Belbin began his career at a junior college, but he has gotten better every year.
In the summer of 2021, Belbin was blessed with the opportunity to spend the summer playing in the MLB Draft League for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Coco Crisp was the manager, and Belbin shined this summer in Ohio.
The left-handed hitter played in 52 games, batting .266 in 169 at-bats. He also had a .412 OBP, 12 doubles, and 28 RBIs and led the team in HPP with 9. Simply put, Belbin does whatever it takes to get on base, and he does a good job of it.
After his time in Arizona came to an end, Belbin transferred East to Campbell University to join the Fighting Camels program. Campbell has helped develop him into the star he is today. Belbin is an everyday guy, playing in all 60 games and making 59 starts. He is the definition of reliable.
This past 2022 season, Belbin was named to the All-Big South 1st Team and Big South All-Tournament Team. He bats leadoff and had 23 multi-hit games and 15 multi-RBI games.
Belbin slashed .275, .374, and .575 with 11 doubles, 19 home runs, and 19 stolen bases. He is also very good on the defensive side of things.
When describing Belbin, a good word is valuable. He always finds a way to impact the game.
Against Presbyterian on March 27, he went 4-7 with three home runs, two of which were grand slams, and 10 RBIs. He was also a single shy of the cycle against GWU. If that is not good enough, he also hit a home run against the No. 1 seed Tennessee in the Knoxville regional.
If you do not know the name Jarrod Belbin, you better start learning it. He is currently continuing his dominating ways with the Macon Bacon in the Coastal Plain League, leading them in almost every offensive stat imaginable.
