
The 2025 MLB Draft had the billing as one of the biggest in Tennessee baseball history and the opening round certainly lived up to the hype.
Tennessee broke a program record with four players selected in the first round. The previous record came in 2007 when James Adkins, JP Arencibia and Julio Borbon all went in the first round.
Left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle became Tennessee’s highest drafted player of the Tony Vitello era with the St. Louis Cardinals selecting him with the fifth pick of the draft. Doyle posted a 10-4 record, 3.20 ERA and 0.99 WHIP while striking out 164 batters in 95.2 innings pitched on his way to earning SEC Player of the Year honors in his only season at Tennessee.
Infielder Gavin Kilen was the next Vol off the board with the San Fransisco Giants selecting him with the 13th pick in the draft. A Louisville transfer, Kilen slashed .357/.441/.671 with 15 home runs, 13 doubles, four triples and 46 RBIs despite missing multiple weeks with a hamstring injury.
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The Milwaukee Brewers selected Andrew Fischer with the 20th pick in the draft just a season after taking Tennessee first baseman Blake Burke in the first round. Fischer had a truly dominant season at the plate, hitting .341 with 25 home runs, 16 doubles and 65 RBIs. Fischer also tied Tennessee’s single-season walk record with 63 base on balls during his lone season in Knoxville.
Right-handed pitcher Marcus Phillips was the last Tennessee player to go in the first round of the draft with the Boston Red Sox selecting him with the No. 33 pick in the draft. A developmental success story, Phillips posted a 4-5 record, 3.90 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 83 innings pitched as the Vols’ Saturday starter a season ago.
It was also an eventful first round for Tennessee’s prep signing class with three Vol commits coming off the board. The Cincinnati Reds selected shortstop Steele Hall with the No. 9 pick in the draft, the Chicago White Sox selected Billy Carlson with the No. 10 pick in the draft and the San Diego Padres selected two-way Kruz Schoolcraft with the No. 25 pick in the draft.
Tennessee kept churning out draft picks as the night went on with AJ Russell (Rangers), Dean Curley (Guardians), Tanner Franklin (Cardinals) and Nate Snead (Angels) all going in the second or third round of the draft.
Stay tuned to RockyTopInsider.com for complete coverage of Tennessee baseball in the 2025 MLB Draft.