UAB outfielder John Paul Head ranks No. 55 in 2027 draft class

Baseball America has ranked John Paul Head as the 55th best overall prospect for the 2027 MLB Draft. The publication lists the UAB outfielder as the second-ranked college prospect in the country and the fourth-best collegiate outfielder in the class.

Head’s standing follows a strong sophomore season in which he became one of the most productive hitters in the American Conference. He started 55 games, hitting a league-best 22 home runs. His 1.167 on-base plus slugging percentage led the conference, along with a .710 slugging mark.

The 22-home run total stands as the second-highest in UAB history. Only Shayne Carnes, who hit 23 in 1998, has reached a higher number. Head also became the first Blazer to combine 20 home runs with 10 stolen bases in a single season. His 147 total bases rank seventh in program history.

A standout moment occurred on March 6 and 7 against Middle Tennessee. Head went 9-for-14 with six home runs, 10 runs, and 10 RBIs in that series. Baseball America named him to its national team of the week for that performance.

Head received first-team all-conference honors and made the ABCA/Rawlings Southeast All-Region first team. He is the first player in UAB history to earn that specific all-region distinction. The summer saw him play for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he hit three home runs in 14 games.

Before his college career, Head attended Vestavia Hills High School. He earned two-time Alabama Sports Writers Association all-state honors in both football and baseball. He was also a member of the school’s 2023 Class 7A state championship baseball team.