Tennessee baseball has landed 11 players in the transfer portal this offseason, adding four infielders, one outfielder, one two-way player, two right-handed pitchers and three left-handed pitchers.
The Vols’ transfer class is one of the nation’s best with Tennessee beating out a number of big name foes to land highly rated prospects. Tennessee’s class currently ranks third nationally according to 64analytics, clearing a number of larger classes in the rankings.
We took a look at three things to like about Tennessee’s transfer class yesterday. Today, let’s take a look at two areas of concern for the Vols’ transfer class.
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There’s Some Injury Concerns With The Incoming Pitchers
Of the five pitchers Tennessee landed out of the transfer portal, three are coming off an injury. Left-handed pitcher Jake McCoy missed the entirety of the 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery back in the winter. Right-handed pitcher Parker Detmers missed most of the 2025 season and all of the 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Left-handed pitcher Brody Trosclair had an internal brace procedure on his arm that ended his 2026 season in late April. Trosclair likely won’t be fully ready to roll until right before the start of the season while McCoy will also likely miss a good deal of the offseason.
The concern is amplified because that trio is going to be competing for a potential weekend starting spot. Returning weekend starter Landon Mack missed the last month of the 2026 season due to arm soreness. He has not undergone any sort procedures this offseason.
Individually, any of these pitchers could be fully healthy and have great 2027 seasons and it would not be surprising. But as a collective, Tennessee is banking a lot of pitching plans on players who are working their way back from injury.
Tennessee Is Short On Options In Centerfield and Right Field
We discussed Tennessee’s incredible infield depth yesterday and the multitude of starting caliber options they have. That is also true in left field where the versatility of Blake Grimmer, Braydon Kersey and Levi Clark gives the Vols’ strong options.
However, Tennessee is lacking options in centerfield and right field. The Vols missed out on a pair of outfield transfers they targeted including Samford’s Jake Souders (Mississippi State) and Tulane’s Jason Wachs (LSU) before landing Wright State’s Andrew Duncan.
Duncan should be a solid player for Tennessee after slashing 367/.436/.577 with 19 stolen bases while playing centerfield last season. The Vols need him to deliver because freshman Jaxson Wood, who played shortstop in high school, is seemingly the only other option in centerfield.
Similarly, Blaine Brown seems to be the only option in right field. Brown was an adventure in left field last season and Tennessee is banking on him making major defensive strides this offseason.
Duncan and Brown are a solid pairing in centerfield and right field on paper. But if the duo doesn’t pan out or faces injuries, Tennessee doesn’t seem to have a great contingency plan.
