Chris Rembert Lands on Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List, Adds to Growing List of Honors
AUBURN, Ala. - The buzz around Chris Rembert just keeps getting louder.
On Friday, the Auburn sophomore infielder was named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List - a prestigious nod from USA Baseball that puts him in the national spotlight before the first pitch of the 2026 season. For Auburn, it’s a familiar place; Rembert becomes the 11th player in program history to make the preseason list, and notably, the eighth since 2018.
The Golden Spikes Award is essentially college baseball’s Heisman - honoring the top amateur player in the country. The preseason watch list features 55 players across both high school and college levels, all selected based on their performance from the previous season.
But this isn’t a static list. The advisory board will update it throughout the season, giving players a chance to rise - or fall - based on how they perform when it counts.
Key Dates for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award:
- Midseason Watch List: April 2
- Semifinalists Announced: May 14
- Finalists Named: June 10
- Winner Revealed: June 29
For Rembert, this is just the latest in a string of preseason accolades - and it’s not hard to see why.
The Pensacola, Florida native enters his sophomore campaign with a résumé that already reads like a seasoned veteran’s. He’s earned Preseason First Team All-SEC honors and landed on multiple Preseason All-America teams, including First Team nods from Baseball America, D1 Baseball, Perfect Game, and The Diamond Report. The NCBWA slotted him on its Third Team, and he’s also on Baseball America’s Preseason Player of the Year Watch List.
In short: the expectations are sky-high.
And he’s earned every bit of it. As a freshman, Rembert was Auburn’s top hitter, posting a .344 batting average with 14 doubles, 10 home runs, and 46 RBIs. He wasn’t just good - he was dominant in conference play, leading the SEC with a .485 on-base percentage and finishing third with a .376 batting average.
That kind of production didn’t go unnoticed. Rembert became the first Auburn freshman since 2008 to earn First or Second Team All-SEC honors. He also made the SEC All-Freshman Team and was a consensus Freshman All-American, earning First Team recognition from Baseball America, D1 Baseball, and the NCBWA, with Second Team honors from Perfect Game.
Now, with the 2026 season just a week away, Rembert and the Tigers are gearing up for their opening series at Plainsman Park, where they’ll host Youngstown State from Feb. 13-15.
The spotlight is firmly on Rembert - and if his freshman year was any indication, he’s more than ready for it.