Seven UCLA alums poised for great seasons across Major League Baseball

The 2026 Major League Baseball season is fully underway as of last week, allowing us to find out where some of our favorite former UCLA Bruins are across the league. UCLA is no stranger to producing big league talent; currently, 27 former Bruins are in the Minor Leagues, with seven more on MLB rosters. Pitcher: Gerrit Cole Former UCLA pitcher Gerrit Cole remains on the Injured List after Tommy John surgery sidelined his 2025 season.

According to reports, he’ll begin a minor league rehab assignment sometime in April. The righty hasn’t made a start since game six of the 2024 World Series, where the Yankees lost his final start against the championship-winning Los Angeles Dodgers. Pitcher: Jake Bird Joining Cole on the Yankees is fellow righty pitcher Jake Bird, who’ll be throwing out of the bullpen in his sixth season in the big leagues.

Pitcher: Griffin Canning Another reliever, Griffin Canning, didn’t travel far from Jackie Robinson Stadium after being drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in 2019. After five years in Anaheim, he joined the Mets for a single season in 2025 before returning once again to the West Coast, where he’ll throw for the San Diego Padres in his sixth season. Infielder: Matt McLain Infielder Matt McLain played at UCLA for three years before being drafted in the first round by the Cincinnati Reds.

McLain was fifth in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2023 before missing the entirety of the 2024 season due to a shoulder injury. Catcher: Tyler Heineman Behind the dish for the Toronto Blue Jays is catcher Tyler Heineman, who played for UCLA from 2010 to 2012. Heineman has seven years in the MLB under his belt and got to make his World Series debut in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 18-inning slugfest.