Baseball America's 'Way Too Early' Top-25: Where's Vanderbilt?
Baseball season wouldn't officially have ended according to the calendar. Still, the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic short-circuited that and forced the 2020 season to a premature close in March and scrubbing out the College World Series in its wake.
The Commodores played just 18 games in 2020 Vanderbilt, and their final record will read 13-5. Still, it was a team that entering the season had some holes to fill and roles to define, which Tim Corbin and his staff were well on their way to doing when the season came to an unceremonious end.
Rankings mean little in the grand scheme of things, so when the season-ending ranking was announced, the final position of the Commodores was little consolation for a season lost through no fault of their own.
As we look ahead to 2021 with the home that things will return to normal, Baseball America has released its "Way Too Early Top-25" for the 2021 season, where the SEC assumed three of the top ten positions.
Did the Commodores make their top ten? Yes, the Commodores slide in at No.7 in the early rankings.
Here's what they said of the 2021 Commodores.
No.7 VANDERBILT
2020 record (final rank): 13-5 (11)
Notable Projected Departures: 3B Austin Martin, LHP Jake Eder, RHP Mason Hickman, LHP Hugh FisherTop Projected Returners: RHP Kumar Rocker, RHP Jack Leiter, RHP Tyler Brown, RHP Ethan Smith, RHP Sam Hliboki, OF Cooper Davis, SS Carter Young, 1B/LHP Spencer JonesBA 500 Recruits: OF Robert Hassell (16), OF Pete Crow-Armstrong (17), OF Enrique Bradfield (55), RHP Patrick Reilly (104), C Jack Bulger (173), RHP Gage Bradley (363), SS Jack O'Dowd (372), 1B Gavin Casas (385), LHP Nelson Berkwich (391)There's no way around the fact that the personnel losses to the draft will be heavy for the Commodores, including Austin Martin, one of a handful of the best players at the college level. Even without Opening Day starter Mason Hickman, they will still arguably have the best pitcher in the country in right-hander Kumar Rocker, and righthander Jack Leiter will make for a dynamic 1-2 punch in the rotation. Closer Tyler Brown would have drawn draft interest, but he has already announced his intention to return for another season in Nashville. The Commodores are bringing in another excellent recruiting class, meaning the roster will have exceptional depth in 2021.
Of course, there are no guarantees of anything in the coming season. Still, the fact that the Commodores return a large number of starters, and talent from last season, along with some top recruits, the Commodores should be a top-level team again next season.
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