Ole Miss finally caught a break in what had been a rough MLB Draft for its pitching staff.
JP Robertson isn’t signing with the San Francisco Giants, which means he’ll be back in Oxford for 2027.
The Giants announce that they’ve signed 19 of the 21 players they drafted. They don’t sign Georgia’s Mikey Bell or Mississippi’s JP Robertson.
INF Dalton Wentz was the big question mark as a sophomore-eligible draft pick who could’ve returned to school, but they sign him.
— Justice delos Santos (@justdelossantos) July 27, 2026
Considering the Rebels had eight players drafted and seven of them were pitchers, getting even one arm back is no small thing.
Robertson was the Giants’ 20th‑round pick, but he’s listed as “will not sign” on their draft tracker and doesn’t appear on their transaction page. So, unless something unexpected happens, he’ll return as one of the more experienced pitchers on the roster.
And Ole Miss needs that experience.
Robertson made 22 appearances last season, finishing 5‑2 with a 4.34 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 37.1 innings. He became one of the steadier bullpen pieces down the stretch and even made his first career start late in the year. Now he’ll slide back into a staff that suddenly looks a lot thinner than it did a month ago.
He won’t be alone, though. Hunter Elliott is also returning after withdrawing from the MLB Draft. Elliott threw 85 innings last season, posting a 5.40 ERA with 100‑plus strikeouts and 46 walks. His year was uneven, but he remains one of the most seasoned arms in the SEC and gives Ole Miss a legitimate anchor for the weekend rotation.
Walker Hooks is back as well. He logged 41 innings in 2026, finishing with a 4.98 ERA and 52 strikeouts. Hooks took on a bigger role as the season went on and should be in the mix for either a rotation spot or high‑leverage innings.
None of this erases the fact that Ole Miss lost a lot of pitching to the draft. But getting Robertson back gives the Rebels a proven arm, a familiar face and a little stability at a time when they need all three.
It’s not a full solution, but it’s a meaningful start — and one Ole Miss will gladly take.
