An ex-UK star has undertaken one of the toughest jobs in American pro sports
Quick hitters from the Taylor and Travis wedding registry:
21. Andy Green. Since becoming the interim manager of the New York Mets on June 26, the former Kentucky Wildcat and Lexington Christian Academy baseball star has gone 4-6 (through Monday’s games).
20. A hard job. In spite of having a $357.6 million payroll, the Mets entered play Tuesday night vs. Kansas City in last place in the National League East with a 38-53 record.
19. Moved “downstairs” for the Mets. Prior to agreeing to helm the Mets for the remainder of the 2026 season, Green, 49, had been serving as New York’s senior vice president for player development.
18. A second chance as a skipper. From 2016 through 2019, Green served as manager of the San Diego Padres. He went 274-366 with two fourth-place and two fifth-place finishes in the National League West.
17. Lessons learned? Green told the New York media that he has tried to benefit from his experience as San Diego manager. “There’s been plenty enough people that have not loved my leadership style in different ways along the journey,” Green said. “You learn from that, you try to be the best you can for everybody.”
16. A Kentucky Wildcats icon. As a UK infielder from 1997 through 2000, Green set Kentucky career records that still stand for games played (228), games started (225), career at-bats (908), hits (277) and runs (199).
15. Nick Mingione. The UK baseball coach figures to be an intense viewer of this weekend’s MLB amateur player draft (first four rounds Saturday; rounds five through 20 on Sunday). Expectations for the 2027 Cats could be heavily shaped by what happens in the draft.
14. Tyler Bell. Kentucky’s star shortstop is expected to become only the ninth UK player ever to go in the first round of an MLB draft. Bell is rated the ninth-best prospect in the draft by Baseball America, No. 10 by MLB Pipeline and No. 17 by Perfect Game.
13. Grayson Willoughby. The Trinity High School pitcher, a prized Kentucky recruiting signee, has seen his draft stock start to rise. Perfect Game slots Willoughby, recently named MaxPreps National High School Player of the Year, at No. 89. MLB Pipeline ranks him No. 199 and Baseball America No. 215.
12. Matt Ponatoski. The UK baseball/football quarterback signee from Cincinnati’s Archbishop Moeller High School is rated as the No. 140 prospect in the MLB draft by Perfect Game, No. 146 by Baseball America and No. 208 by MLB Pipeline.
11. Robert Omidi. A Kentucky infield signee from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Omidi is rated the No. 128 player in the MLB draft by Perfect Game, No. 207 by MLB Pipeline and No. 294 by Baseball America.
10. A UK talent drain? Based on the relatively high draft projections on Willoughby, Ponatoski and Omidi, it seems somewhere between possible and likely that Kentucky baseball will not get its three highest-rated signees on campus.
9. Kerr Kriisa. One of the downsides to having played for four different men’s college basketball programs is that, if you subsequently get arrested by the FBI over an alleged, multi-million-dollar fraud scheme, it is major news in all the various markets in which you previously played.
8. Chris Wells. The long-time Lindsey Wilson University sports administrator has been named the new commissioner of the Mid-South Conference. An NAIA league, the MSC includes Campbellsville, Cumberlands, Georgetown and Lindsey Wilson from Kentucky and Bethel, Cumberland and Freed-Hardeman from Tennessee.
7. A “three-peat” for Cumberlands. For the third school year in a row, Cumberlands has won the Learfield Directors’ Cup for the NAIA. The honor signifies that the Whitely County university has the best all-around athletics program in the NAIA.
6. A national championship and four runners-up. Fueling Cumberlands to victory in the 2025-26 Directors’ Cup standings were an NAIA national championship in men’s outdoor track and field and national runner-up finishes in women’s soccer, men’s swimming and diving, men’s indoor track and field and women’s outdoor track and field.
5. Jayden McClain. The 6-foot-6 Ryle High School sophomore-to-be gave Kenny Brooks and Kentucky an early boost to their 2029 high school recruiting class by committing to UK on July 2.
4. A touted recruit. McClain is rated as the No. 12 girls basketball prospect in the Class of 2029 by ESPN.com. (A second in-state player on that list, No. 24-ranked Charlotte McCurry of John Hardin, also holds a Kentucky scholarship offer).
3. As a high school freshman. Last season for a Ryle team that finished 21-10, won the 33rd District title and advanced to the 9th Region Tournament semifinals, McClain averaged 12.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.7 blocked shots while shooting 54.6% on field-goal attempts and 79.3% on free throws.
2. An interesting recruiting list. Along with Kentucky, McClain held scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Florida State, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Purdue, SMU and Xavier, among others.
1. A Kenny Brooks-era first. McClain will always be the answer to the following trivia question: Name the first in-state, high school player that Kentucky has earned/accepted a commitment from in the Brooks coaching era.
