When you turn on the MLB Network for the 2025 MLB Draft this year, you’ll be greeted by guest analyst and Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello.
The national championship-winning head coach will join the broadcast on Sunday, July 13, for the first day of the draft. This will be the third time he’s served as an analyst after doing so in 2022 and 2024, as well.
Day one, featuring Vitello, will cover the opening three rounds of the draft. It will begin at 6 p.m. ET from the Coca-Cola Roxy in The Battery outside of Truist Park in Atlanta. This will begin All-Star Weekend in Atlanta for the MLB.
In total, the draft will span two days. After rounds one through three are completed on Sunday, the remaining selections will all be picked the following day. In total, it will be 20 rounds. Vitello will serve as an analyst for only the first day.
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There’s as close as you can get to a guarantee that Vitello will be on air for a number of his former players being drafted. According to the MLB Pipeline rankings, left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle is ranked as the No. 8 player in the entire draft. He won SEC Pitcher of the Year and was a Golden Spikes Award Finalist this past season.
Middle infielder Gavin Kilen also clocks in as a possible first-round selection. He is the No. 21 prospect in the draft on MLB Pipeline. Andrew Fischer is also in the mix at No. 29 as a first baseman and third baseman prospect.
Outside of the first round, infielder Dean Curley comes in at No. 60 with right-handed pitcher Marcus Phillips right behind him at No. 61. Right-handed hurler AJ Russell isn’t too much further down the list, either, at No. 70.
Other Tennessee standouts listed as top 250 prospects are pitchers Tanner Franklin (No. 124), Nate Snead (No. 148) and Brandon Arvidson (No. 230).
There will also likely be a good number of high schoolers committed to the Vols who will be selected. This includes shortstop Billy Carlson (No. 7), shortstop Steele Hall (No. 12), pitcher Kruz Schoolcraft (No. 19), pitcher Cameron Appenzeller (No. 58), middle infielder Ethan Moore (No. 100) and catcher Trent Grindlinger (No. 110).
Tennessee also has a transfer and juco commit inside the top 250 with Virginia slugger Henry Ford at No. 73 and Niagara pitcher Matt Barr at No. 136.
