Former Tide Standout Justin Lebron Gets Hits On First Two Swings In Pro Debut

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Former Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron wasted little time making an impression in professional baseball Tuesday night as he collected hits on the first two swings of his career in his debut with the Dayton Dragons.

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

The Cincinnati Reds' first-round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, Lebron finished the game 2-for-5 with a single, a double and a run scored as the High-A Dragons fell 8-4 to the Lake County Captains in Eastlake, Ohio.

Following a 66-minute rain delay, Lebron stepped to the plate in the top of the first inning and singled to left field on the first swing of his professional career.

Click here to watch Lebron's first career hit.

Ryan McCrystal then followed with a two-run homer to score Lebron and give Dayton an early 2-0 lead.

Lebron went on to double to left field on the first pitch of his next at-bat, giving him hits on each of his first two swings as a professional.

He finished as the only Dayton player with multiple hits as the Dragons were held to six hits overall.

Dayton reports that Lebron is the 22nd true first-round draft pick to play for the Reds' affiliate, joining a list that includes names like Hunter Greene, Jonathan India, Nick Lodolo, Jay Bruce and Homer Bailey, along with more recent selections such as Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, Cam Collier and Matt McLain.

The debut marked the latest milestone for Lebron after the Reds selected him No. 18 overall in July, making him the second-highest MLB Draft pick in Alabama baseball history.

Only former Crimson Tide standout Joe Vitiello, selected seventh overall by the Kansas City Royals in 1991, was taken higher.

The Miramar, Florida, native appeared in 177 games for Alabama over the course of his illustrious career, batting .307 with 46 home runs, 157 RBIs, 169 runs scored, 66 doubles and 66 stolen bases.

As a junior in 2026, Lebron started all 61 games at shortstop and hit .277 with 16 homers, 48 RBIs and 42 stolen bases.

His college career also included multiple All-America honors, All-SEC recognition and SEC All-Defensive Team honors.

Lebron concluded his three-year stay in Tuscaloosa by helping lead the Crimson Tide to its first College World Series appearance since 1999.

Dayton is set to continue its series against Lake County on Wednesday afternoon.

For those interested in keeping up with Lebron's progress through the minor leagues, all Dragons home and road games are broadcast on radio on FOX Sports 980 AM WONE.

Games can also be accessed on smart phones, iPads, and other mobile devices via the free Dragons Mobile App or at wone.com.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com