Ahead of year two in the Josh Elander Era for Tennessee baseball, the Vols are at work in the transfer portal to help build up the roster. While there are still openings that need to be filled and we don’t have a clear look at anyone’s roster in college baseball for 2027, it’s never too early to take a look at how teams stack up.
According to PEARatings, which uses analytics to sort teams, the Vols currently own the No. 15 spot in the country in their way-too-early preseason ratings. If that stayed true, it’d mean a spot as a regional host in the NCAA Tournament.
The position for Tennessee is also good for the 10th-best mark in the country. Ahead of UT are No. 1 Georgia, No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 6 Texas, No. 7 Mississippi State, No. 10 Auburn, No. 12 Florida and No. 14 Arkansas.
Way-Too-Early 2027 Preseason Ratings
Obviously a lot can and will change with this, but here’s what my model spit out. pic.twitter.com/CNDTTmm9YP
Advertisement— PEARatings (@PEARatings) June 24, 2026
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SEC teams behind Tennessee feature No. 16 Ole Miss, No. 18 Alabama and No. 22 Vanderbilt. Kentucky, Missouri and South Carolina are the three teams in the conference not featured in the top 25.
Teams ahead of the Vols in the rankings that aren’t in the SEC feature No. 2 North Carolina, No. 8 Georgia Tech, No. 9 West Virginia, No. 11 Oregon State and No. 13 Florida State.
So far, Tennessee has lost 16 players to the transfer portal, with more leaving due to eligibility or the chance to start their pro careers through the MLB draft. In response, Elander and company have already made some splashes in the portal. This features Mercer two-way Braydon Kerse, Northwestern State LHP Brody Trosclair, Air Force infielder Wyatt Hanoian, UC Irvine LHP Ricky Ojeda, South Carolina LHP Jake McCoy and Louisville RHP Parker Detmers.
