The Seattle Mariners selected Tennessee third baseman Henry Ford with the 191st overall pick (sixth round) in the 2026 MLB Draft on Sunday afternoon.
Ford spent just one season as a Vol, transferring to Tennessee after two strong seasons at Virginia. Despite battling an extended illness, Ford missed little time during his junior season and was a top bat in the middle of the Tennessee lineup.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound prospect slashed .293/.360/.603 with 20 home runs, 15 doubles and 57 RBIs during his lone season at Tennessee. Ford led the Vols in both home runs and RBIs. His numbers were not quite as strong in SEC play but he still slashed .256/.317/.519 nine home runs and 26 RBIs. Ford tied for the team-lead in SEC home runs with Levi Clark.
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Ford’s most memorable moment in his lone season at Tennessee came in a loss. He slugged a game-tying home run with two outs in the ninth inning of Tennessee’s NCAA Tournament matchup against East Carolina. Of course, the Vols fell to East Carolina in 14 innings making the clutch homer less noteworthy.
While Ford exclusively played third base in his lone season at Tennessee, he mostly played in the outfield in his two seasons at Virginia. It’s unclear where the versatile prospect will settle at during his professional career.
Ford is the second Tennessee player off the board in the 2026 draft. The St. Louis Cardinals selected right-handed pitcher Tegan Kuhns late in the first round of the draft. Tennessee’s Garrett Wright, Bo Rhudy and Brandon Arvidson also project as draft picks.
A handful of Tennessee high school signees have been selected including two-way Trent Grindlinger, outfielder Trevor Condon, right-handed pitcher Kaiden McCarthy and right-handed pitcher Ty Putnam.
