Tennessee baseball’s 2025 season came to a close Sunday night in a super regional series loss at Arkansas. Tony Vitello and his staff now turn to building their roster for the 2026 season as they look to make it back to Omaha next season.
So what’s next for Tennessee baseball after a fifth straight run to super regionals? An offseason primer for the Vols here.
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Who Is For Sure Gone To Professional Baseball
Much like last summer, Tennessee baseball will lose an abundance of players to the MLB Draft this summer.
The Vols will certainly lose two every day starters to the draft in shortstop Gavin Kilen as well as first baseman Andrew Fischer. Center fielder Hunter Ensley is out of eligibility.
Tennessee’s certain losses on the mound are even greater. Liam Doyle, Marcus Phillips, AJ Russell, Brandon Arvidson, Nate Snead and Tanner Franklin will almost certainly be selected the first two days of the MLB Draft and off to professional baseball.
A Few Draft Eligible Guys Who Could Come Back
Reese Chapman, Dalton Bargo and Cannon Peebles are all draft eligible and certainly will be selected in the MLB Draft next month.
But none of the three had truly great years that make them no doubt departures for professional baseball. The Athletic’s Keith Law had Dalton Bargo as a top 90 prospect ahead of the SEC Tournament and his poor close to the season. I have not spotted Chapman or Peebles in any top 200 draft lists.
Chapman does enough things well on the field that make him a legit draft prospect while professional teams are always looking for catchers which makes the solid Peebles attractive.
My expectation is that all three will go pro, but if one of them ends back it wouldn’t shock me.
The Draft Could Hurt Tennessee Badly With Incoming Players
Tennessee baseball’s top-ranked 2026 recruiting class is more vulnerable to the MLB Draft than any other under Tony Vitello.
The Vols have signed six players in MLB Pipeline’s top 200 draft prospects rankings including three projected first round selections. It would be a major surprise to me if middle infielders Billy Carlson and Steele Hall or right-handed pitcher Kruz Schoolcraft make it to campus. Multiple others could opt for professional baseball over college baseball.
Tennessee has draft risks in the junior college and transfer ranks. Top junior college pitcher Matt Barr is No. 158 on the top 200 draft prospect rankings. Walters State slugger Tyler Myatt is a draft risk as is UNC Asheville transfer pitcher Clay Edmondson.
There’s a better chance than not that Barr and Edmondson do no make it to Tennessee.
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Returning Players To Build Around
While Tennessee is losing a ton of talent to professional baseball, there is returning talent to build around as well. The freshman quartet of Levi Clark, Manny Marin, Jay Abernathy and Chris Newstrom will all be big parts of the Vols’ 2026 team.
Clark and Marin finished the season as everyday starters while Abernathy and Newstrom combined for 40 starts between the two of them in their freshman season. Rising redshirt sophomore catcher Stone Lawless is the favorite to start behind the plate if Cannon Peebles opts for professional baseball.
Ariel Antigua and Blake Grimmer could also compete for starting jobs, but I’m less sold on their roles. We’ll see if those two stick it out and compete for starting jobs next season.
On the mound, rising sophomores Tegan Kuhns and Brayden Krenzel have the makings of weekend starters. Key bullpen arm Dylan Loy is back while Tennessee will look for junior college arms Michael Sharman, Austin Breedlove and Ryan Combs to take a second-year jumps.
What Tennessee Has Done In The Portal To Date
While the season just ended yesterday, Tennessee has already done work in the transfer portal. They have two Division I transfers committed in Edmondson and Kennesaw State right-handed pitcher Bo Rhudy.
Division III transfer pitcher Mason Estrada is committed to Tennessee after using his 97-98 mph fastball to post a 2.21 ERA in 40.2 innings pitched for MIT this past season.
Then the Vols have junior college commitments from Barr and Myatt as they look to get the two on campus for next season.
Virginia slugger Henry Ford visited Tennessee last week but is draft eligible and will likely sign professionally. ETSU transfer RHP Brady Frederick is a name to know for the Vols in the portal.
More names will certainly emerge in the days and weeks to come.
