Tennessee baseball added to its 2026 roster Tuesday night, landing a commitment from right-handed junior college pitcher Matt Barr.
The freshman hurler ranks as the top junior college prospect in the country according to Perfect Game’s rankings, which were last updated in April. Barr tossed 57 innings for Niagara County Community College this season, posting a 10-0 record, 1.74 ERA and 0.75 WHIP while striking out 94 batters.
Despite playing just one season of college baseball, Barr is eligible for this summer’s MLB Draft due to the rule that makes junior college prospects eligible at any time. The Vols will be sweating holding onto Barr until after the MLB Draft due to his rising draft stock. The 6-foot-6 right hander ranks No. 145 nationally in MLB.com’s Draft Prospect top 150 rankings.
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With Barr’s inclusion in the list, Tennessee players and commits account for 15 players on the top 150 list making for a significant MLB Draft this July for the Volunteer program. The current players on the top 150 list include Liam Doyle (10), Gavin Kilen (16), Andrew Fischer (35), Dean Curley (54), AJ Russell (55), Marcus Phillips (69), Tanner Franklin (106) and Nate Snead (113).
Thanks in part to Barr’s performance, Niagara posted a remarkable 51-2 record this season while claiming the Region III Div. III championship. Barr is a Cheektowaga, New York native in the suburbs of Buffalo.
Barr is the third transfer pitcher commit that Tennessee has already landed this spring along with junior college prospect Mason Estrada and UNC Asheville right hander Clay Edmondson. A grad transfer, Edmondson was the Big South Pitcher of the Year.
All three are draft eligible while Edmondson and Barr are the biggest draft risks of the bunch. The Vols top rated prep recruiting class could also suffer major blows during the 2025 MLB Draft.
