Where Vols Stand in Final MLB Mock Drafts

Where Tennessee Baseball Vols Stand in Final 2022 MLB Mock Drafts

The MLB Draft begins Sunday night at 7 p.m. ET, and two, if not three, Vols figure to get taken in the first round. A third and potentially a fourth have the chance of being taken in the second round. Both rounds one and two will occur Sunday evening with the remainder of the 20-round draft taking place on Monday and Tuesday. 

With that being said, let's take a look at some of the final mock drafts around the industry to see where the VFLs are landing. 

The Athletic

Drew Gilbert, Seattle Mariners: No. 21 

What they said: 

"I think the Mariners return to the college ranks after surprising a lot of us with a high school player, Harry Ford, as their first pick last year — the first time a Jerry DiPoto-helmed club had done so (counting his time with the Angels, as well). It could be Gilbert or one of the better college arms, with a good chance that every college pitcher is still on the board at this pick." – Keith Law

Jordan Beck, San Francisco Giants: No. 30

What they said: 

"This far down in the draft, who knows? Seems like other teams expect the Giants to take a toolsy college hitter whose swing they believe will work with their player development processes. That doesn’t really limit things that much — Melton, Beck, Brock Jones, Gilbert, even Beavers would all sort of fit that rubric." –Keith Law

ESPN

Drew Gilbert, Philadelphia Phillies: No. 17

What they said: 

"I think Philly wants Brandon Barriera here and they've been tied to Brock Porter and Robby Snelling, but I think it also may be reductive to assume they'd just take whichever prep pitcher gets here because they've found success with prep pitchers the last two years.

Gilbert has momentum into the top 20 at a number of picks in this area. I don't have a ton of clarity here, but I'm leaning toward a position player if Barriera isn't available. Connor Prielipp is another possibility." –Kiley McDaniel

Jordan Beck, Cincinnati Reds: No. 18

What they said: 

"The Reds have extra picks and thus a lot of options. Beck completely fits their type (Austin Hendrick, Rece Hinds et al), they've shown interest in him here and it's unlikely he could get to their next pick.

Cincy is on a lot of the prep pitching and I think it would like to get Dylan Lesko down here (probably his floor) but can't in this scenario. Prep pitching is the easiest demographic to slide down the board to overpay, so I'm assuming it'll be a college bat here and then at least one prep pitcher in the comp round; Jacob Miller, J.R. Ritchie and Jackson Ferris may be the leading options there, but Brock Porter is another option if he can float that far. This may be a floor for Jett Williams." –Kiley McDaniel

Blade Tidwell, Washington Nationals: 45

MLB.com

Drew Gilbert, St. Louis Cardinals: No. 22

What they said: 

Teams around this area might be looking at the same group of this tier of college bats, with Gilbert and DeLauter the strong contenders. This is one of the first spots people are hearing the name of Florida’s Sterlin Thompson." – Mike Axisa

Jordan Beck, Colorado Rockies: No. 31

Blade Tidwell, Colorado Rockies: No. 38

CBS Sports

Jordan Beck, Chicago White Sox: No. 26

What they said: 

"White Sox tend to seek out elite tools in the first round, such as Nick Madrigal's contact ability and Garret Crochet's fastball. Beck doesn't offer that one top of the line tool but he could wind up with three or four well-above-average tools between his speed, power, and defense. Chicago's not afraid to take risks and Beck is one of the riskiest college bats in the draft class, but the potential reward is enormous." – Mike Axisa

Drew Gilbert, San Francisco Giants: No. 30

What they said: 

The Volunteers went 59-7 with a plus-421 run differential this season (yes, plus-421) and they could have as many as three players selected in the first round: Gilbert, Jordan Beck, and righty Blade Tidwell. Gilbert is the "safest" bet among those three players to carve out a big-league career thanks to his drive and well-rounded skillset, which invokes Brett Gardner comparisons. The Giants have generally gone for louder tools with their recent first-round picks, but Gilbert does so many things well and would fit in the spacious Oracle Park outfield." – Mike Axisa

The most draft picks out of Tennessee in MLB Draft history is eight. MLB.com has seven Vols in his top 250, as UT has a decent shot of breaking the draft representation record. In addition, the MLB Draft is now shorter, which would make the feat all the more impressive. 

Photo Credit: Calvin Mattheis of the KNS

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