By Robert Wilson
Kevin Roberts Jr. has signed with the Baltimore Orioles, making him the second Jackson Prep alumnus in the three years to go straight from high school to pro baseball.
Roberts, projected to be an outfielder in the pros, was a fourth round pick in this year’s Major League Baseball Draft and signed for a $1 million bonus, well above the No. 110 overall slot value of $711,800, according to The Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka.
The MLB’s signing deadline is Monday, which marks the hard deadline for drafted players to choose between signing a professional contract or opting to play college baseball.
Perfect Game ranked Roberts as the No. 19 overall prospect and No. 8 shortstop in the 2026 class. MLB.com rated him as the No. 136 overall draft prospect in the 2026 class.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Roberts had signed with Florida but chose to sign and start playing pro baseball.
Prep alumnus and LSU signee Konnor Griffin, the 2024 National High School Player of the Year, was the ninth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and signed for $6.53 million with the Pittsburgh Pirates. It didn’t take long for Griffin to make the major leagues, making his debut in the first part of this season and has started most of the season at shortstop. He signed a $140 million, nine-year contract extension with a $12 million bonus, this year.
Roberts had a .396 batting average, with 46 runs scored, 34 runs batted in, 10 doubles, 3 triples and 10 home runs and helped Prep to a 23-17 record and the MAIS Class 4A semifinals. He hit .406 with 30 runs scored, 17 RBIs, 9 doubles, and 3 home runs and helped Prep to a 20-15-1 record and MAIS Class 6A first round last year as a junior. Roberts hit . 333 with 33 runs scored, 32 RBIs, 6 doubles, and 3 home runs and had a 5-1 record with a 2.28 earned run average with 41 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings and helped Prep to a 39-4 record, its seventh consecutive MAIS state championship and a No. 7 final national ranking by MaxPreps two years ago as a sophomore.
“We are so proud of Kevin and what he’s accomplished not only at Prep, but getting drafted and going to the next level,” Prep coach Brent Heavener said. “We are really excited about watching what his future holds as he makes the jump from high school to the pro level over the next couple of years. Kevin has worked extremely hard. He’s a great kid and always fun to be around. We wish him the best with Baltimore. I think it’s been really cool to see a couple of players get drafted out of high school along with others that have gotten drafted from Prep. While it is a compliment to our program, it’s also a compliment to how hard those guys work to get prepared for the next level.”
Roberts played basketball as a junior and averaged 11.8 points and 8.3 rebounds and helped Prep to a 28-6 record and the MAIS Overall Tournament championship.
In addition to Florida, Roberts had Division I offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Miami, Wake Forest, Michigan, Stanford, Louisville, Tulane, TCU, and Oregon.
Roberts had Ole Miss, MSU, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, and Tennessee as finalists.
He also has Division I basketball offers from Jackson State.
Roberts is now the seventh Prep alumnus currently playing pro baseball.
Along with Griffin, two other Prep graduates are playing in the major leagues. Outfielder Jake Mangum (Prep class of 2015) is playing with Griffin on the Pirates. Will Warren (class of 2017) is in the starting rotation with the New York Yankees.
Three other Prep alumni, Riley Maddox (Class of 2021), Mason Nichols (Class of 2021), and Trey Bridges (Class of 2022), are playing in the minor leagues. Maddox, a pitcher, is playing for the Harrisburg Senators, the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, Nichols, a pitcher, is playing for the Bowling Green Hot Rods, the High-A minor league affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Bridges, an outfielder, is playing for the Evansville Otters in the Frontier League, an independent league of the MLB.
Roberts is the son of Kevin and Shanice Roberts. Kevin played defensive back at Meridian High and helped the Wildcats to the state football championship in 2008 and played at East Mississippi Community College and Southeastern Louisiana. Roberts’ younger brother, Kam, plays football and is a sophomore defensive back at Brandon High and a Prep transfer. He has offers from Ole Miss, Alcorn State, Arkansas, Duke, Alabama-Birmingham, Georgia State, and North Texas. Roberts’ sister, Kayleigh, is eight years old and plays softball. Roberts’ youngest brother is Keagan and is five years old.
