Tennessee Signee Jared Grindlinger Heavily Linked to MLB Team

Tennessee baseball had a very disappointing 2026 campaign. Josh Elander will look to bounce back in year two as head coach with a talented group of returning players, transfers, and the incoming 2026 recruiting class.

Jared Grindlinger is one of the top 2026 signees in Tennessee's recruiting class. However, there is a good chance he never plays a game for the Volunteers, as he is currently projected to go very high in the 2026 MLB Draft.

Jared Grindlinger Projected to be Taken High in MLB Draft

Tennessee baseball coach Josh Elander after the Tennessee baseball Orange & White scrimmage at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on November 9, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

According to SI’s Brad Wakai, the Washington Nationals have been heavily linked to drafting the young star, along with multiple mock drafts predicting him to end up in the nation's capital. Whether or not he is actually taken by the Nationals, he will still likely be drafted very high despite his young age.

Even though in recent years MLB teams have been trending towards drafting more college players, in Sports Illustrated’s recent mock draft, Grindlinger went 13th overall to the St. Louis Cardinals and was the third high school player taken.

The 17-year-old has attracted a lot of interest because of his two-way ability. He recently clocked a 96 miles per hour fastball.

If you would like to know more about Grindlinger and where his head is ahead of the MLB Draft, Vols on SI recently spoke with him about it. More about that can be read by clicking here.

Grindlinger as a Prospect

Here’s what MLB.com had to say about Grindlinger as a prospect:

A year ago, Trent Grindlinger was a well-regarded prep catcher out of Huntington Beach HS in California, one who went on to play college ball at Tennessee. Scouts in southern California were abuzz when Trent's younger brother, Jared, reclassified in February from 2027 to be a part of this year's Draft class. The 17-year-old is legitimate two-way player for the Oilers, and evaluators seem to prefer his left-handed ability on the mound.

One of the youngest players in the class -- he just turned 17 in April -- Grindlinger is all about projection on the mound. His present stuff doesn't jump off the page, but it's very easy to dream on a lot more to come as he fills out his 6-foot-3 frame. His fastball has been clocked up to 95 mph at times -- touching 96 mph last summer -- but he typically sits around 90-93 mph, with good arm speed and strength that some scouts think points to a future plus heater. He's been using an 80-82 mph kick changeup lately, though some favored his feel for a traditional circle change he'd used previously, and he'll occasionally try to throw two brands of slider, with the short, bullet one better than the sweepier version. He tends to be around the plate with his stuff.

As a hitter, Grindlinger has a contact-oriented swing, albeit without much impact now, though some feel there is power to come, which would help him fit a likely corner outfield or first base profile better. His name was rushing up Draft boards, but if somehow things didn't work out, he could get the chance to keep playing both ways with his brother at Tennessee next year.

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