Experiencing the Justin Lebron hype, and why Alabama baseball fans should enjoy it
Walking up to Sewell-Thomas Stadium the morning of Sunday, May 11, I had one objective: to watch Alabama baseball shortstop Justin Lebron. That was it.
It wasn't to watch Lebron as an Alabama baseball writer, attaching every move he made to the bigger picture of the upcoming SEC tournament run. It wasn't to watch Lebron as a 2026 MLB draft scout, to analyze or evaluate a 20-year-old who has become a household name in SEC baseball circles and a potential first-round target at this time next year.
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It wasn't to watch as a baseball expert. My brief baseball career started at age 11, one that included more walks than strikeouts, no hits and a stolen base — more so a catcher's indifference call, but a statistic I continue to claim.
The goal was to see Lebron through the eyes someone who fell in love with baseball through countless other Sunday matinees: arriving at the then-called Minute Maid Park in Houston as soon as gates opened, walking up to the nosebleeds as 'But Anyway' by Blues Traveler blared from the stadium speakers, anxiously waiting for public address announcer Bob Ford to welcome me home.
It was to be introduced to the Alabama baseball star Crimson Tide fans have come to love, to see what the Lebron hype was all about.
As Alabama took the field to finish a rain-delayed SEC bout with Georgia before a seven-inning rubber match, Lebron posted up at the edge of the infield at shortstop, taking a moment for himself before taking his warm-up tosses. It felt like routine, similar to the cross he marks at the edge of the batter's box each time he steps up for a plate appearance.
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What Lebron did on the baseball field Sunday against the Bulldogs looked like an extension of that same routine.
Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron (1) fields a ball in shallow right field and throws to first to record an out during the game with UAB at Sewell-Thomas Stadium Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
As a fielder, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Florida native glided to the baseball as a shortstop, firing to first base on ground balls with authority. As a batter, Lebron took what he was given from opposing pitchers, never trying to do too much but benefiting from his quick bat speed and hard contact. As a runner, Lebron raced with the intent to see how quickly it would take for him to get into scoring position.
And then came the play.
In the fifth inning of the second game, a 5-4 Alabama win, Lebron took a ground ball from Georgia third baseman Slate Alford. The Alabama shortstop picked it up and threw against his body — a'la Derek Jeter — finding Crimson Tide first baseman Will Hodo wide, who still managed to tag out Alford.
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Lebron is a player whose numbers could tell his story. Heading into the final weekend series of the regular season against Florida, the Alabama shortstop leads the Crimson Tide in home runs, doubles, slugging percentage and RBI.
But those numbers, Alabama baseball coach Rob Vaughn said, don't tell the whole story for Lebron.
Unlike last season, Vaughn said, Lebron's 2025 stats contain struggles, ones that Lebron had to repeatedly respond to.
'Now, Bronny's struggles are probably a little different than mine,' Vaughn said. 'My struggle, I'm probably hitting about .110. His struggles are hitting at .310. But I think that's growth. That's what he needs to do.'
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Lebron is not a finished product. For SEC teams that have the Alabama shortstop at the center of their scouting reports, that's a scary thought. For MLB teams watching Lebron as a draft prospect, it's salivating.
For me, the lifelong baseball fan, the one who drove to Sewell-Thomas Stadium for a Sunday matinee listening to Blues Traveler, watching Lebron felt familiar. It felt right.
The Lebron 'hype' is real. But that is something Alabama baseball fans have known for a while.
Tuscaloosa News sports writer Colin Gay - Monday, Jan. 13, 2025.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What the Justin Lebron hype means for Alabama baseball in 2025
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