The Los Angeles Angels selected Tennessee baseball utility man Garrett Wright with the No. 229 overall pick (eighth round) in the 2026 MLB Draft on Sunday afternoon.
Wright spent just one season at Tennessee but proved to be one of the Vols’ top players and helped boost an offense that struggled for most of the first half of the season.
The Bowling Green transfer slashed .348/.439/.594 with nine home runs, 17 doubles and 30 RBIs over the course of the season. Wright led the Vols in both batting average and on-base percentage during his junior season. Wright became known for reaching base via hit-by pitch. During an early season press conference, Wright revealed that he practices getting hit by pitches without moving to maximize his ability to get on base.
An Ohio native, Wright’s greatest strength may be his defensive versatility. He started 30 games in centerfield, eight games in left field and 10 games at catcher during his lone season at Tennessee, performing well at all three spots. How the Angles decide to use Wright positionally will be interesting in the coming years.
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Wright played in 49 games in his lone season at Tennessee, missing the first three weeks of the season after breaking his hamate bone during preseason practice. He provided a major boost once he returned and eventually settled into the leadoff spot in the Vols’ lineup.
Wright is the fourth 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. Henry Ford went to the Seattle Mariners in the sixth round and Bo Rhudy was picked by the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh.
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.
