Mississippi State athletics announced Wednesday the 2026 inductees into the Ron Polk Ring of Honor for 2026, enshrining a trio who made an impact both in Starkville and in the big leagues.
Nat “Buck” Showalter, Alex Grammas and Chris Stratton are the latest selections for the new tradition at Dudy Noble Field/Polk-Dement Stadium. The Adkerson Plaza in right field, which features the names of past greats, is guarded by a statue of none other than Ron Polk himself.
Grammas played for the Bulldogs from 1947-49, earning two All-SEC selections and an All-Region honor at shortstop. As a senior, Grammas led the team in both home runs and RBI. He would go on to play in the Major Leagues for 10 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs before embarking on a lengthy career as a coach in the Majors as well, managing the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers while also serving on staff with the Cubs, Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers. He has two World Series rings as a coach from 1975 with the Reds and 1984 with the Tigers.
Showalter spent one year with the Bulldogs after transferring from Chipola Junior College in 1977, setting the record for batting average in a single season at .459 and earning All-American honors.
He played seven years in the minor leagues under the New York Yankees farm system, but moved into coaching in 1985. He rose through the ranks and eventually became manager of the club in 1992 at the age of 36. It was the start of a three-decade career as a manager at the MLB level, where Showalter won 1,727 games and earned four Manager of the Year awards across stints with the Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets.
Stratton played for MSU from 2010-12, closing his career with a memorable junior campaign, posting a 2.38 ERA with 127 strikeouts in 109 ⅔ innings of work. He became the program’s first consensus All-American in 27 years in 2012, earning national and conference Pitcher of the Year awards, winning the Ferriss Trophy and posting an 11-2 record.
Stratton was drafted 20th overall in the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants and spent more than a decade in the big leagues with seven different teams, winning a World Series with the Texas Rangers in 2023.
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