Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron has been named to the 2026 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List, according to an announcement from USA Baseball. The Golden Spikes Award is widely regarded as the top honor for amateur baseball players in the United States.
The preseason watch list features 55 players from both high school and college programs across the country. Athletes can be added or removed from the list throughout the season based on their performances. The next update, known as the Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List, will be released on April 2.
This year’s list includes athletes from 41 schools and represents 13 conferences. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) leads with 16 selections, followed by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with 14 and the Big 12 Conference with five.
Lebron started all 59 games at shortstop for Alabama during the 2025 season. As a sophomore, he was previously named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award. He posted a .316 batting average last year, recording 18 doubles, one triple, and 18 home runs. Lebron also tallied 72 runs batted in (RBI), scored 60 runs, drew 35 walks, was hit by pitch ten times, and stole 17 bases out of 18 attempts.
His total of 72 RBI set new records for both a shortstop and a sophomore in Alabama’s baseball program history. At the end of last season, Lebron was selected as a Second Team All-American by ABCA/Rawlings and received Third Team All-American honors from NCBWA.
“Justin Lebron was selected to the 2026 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List,” USA Baseball announced Friday.
