Texas A&M baseball has had one heck of a bounce back season in the second year under Michael Earley, finishing in the top four in the nation's best baseball conference after being picked to finish 13th. This has allayed most fears of Aggie fans that Earley was the wrong hire, but there are still some looming concerns for the Aggies in this upcoming postseason run.
Most of those concerns have to do with the pitching staff. The Aggies have strung together quite the season on the mound, despite several debilitating injuries, but in recent weeks, the quality of that unit has begun to trend downward— leading to dissatisfaction with pitching coach Jason Kelly.
The Aggies were able to win their final series of the year over the Mississippi State Bulldogs despite missing ace Aiden Sims, but the hope was that he would be back for the postseason. Recent comments by Michael Earley, however, have cast a lot of doubt on those hopes.
Texas A&M ace pitcher Aiden Sims set to miss SEC Tournament in prolonged recovery frame
When asked about Sims's availability for the Aggies in the SEC Tournament, Earley commented that he would not be out on the mound for the Ags in Hoover— though he was quick to say that Sims was not done for the year.
Michael Earley told the media that RHP Aiden Sims will not pitch in Hoover at the SEC Tournament.
— Richard Zane (@RichardZane32) May 20, 2026
Earley added that he does expect Sims to pitch again this season.
The fact that Sims is missing more time after the operative assumption being that his absence would only be for the Mississippi State series— and, frankly, many being under the impression that this was expressly for the purpose of resting him for Hoover— is disquieting. There is absolutely no doubt that Sims has been the best arm for the Aggies this year, so losing him for this tournament throws the Aggies' chances into some doubt.
That is exacerbated by the fact that the Aggies got a bad draw in their first game, having to square off with the Auburn Tigers— the team that took the Ags down in two out of three games at Blue Bell Park earlier this season. That would already be a heck of a task for A&M, and now they'll have to do it without one of their best arms.
The long-ranging concern, though, is that this extends into the regional. Earley said he is confident that Sims will pitch again this year, but is that confidence based on the timing of the beginning of the postseason or confidence that the Aggies will advance?
The issue is that the Aggies are going to be right on that cut line between the eight and nine seeds in the best case scenario, which means that their regional will be the furthest thing from smooth sailing. They will likely have at least one other top-25 team facing off with them— and though it will be at home, it's still a formidable notion.
The concern around this issue is growing, but all we can do is wait. The Aggies could be one and done in Hoover, but as long as Sims comes back for the regional, this could all be moot.
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