After an electric and historic season that ended up being cut short, a handful of Tennessee baseball players are hoping to hear their names called in this Sunday’s MLB Draft.
In three recent MLB mock drafts from this week, a total of five Tennessee players are accounted for in some form or fashion: Drew Gilbert, Jordan Beck, Blade Tidwell, Trey Lipscomb, and Ben Joyce.
Below are three mock drafts from college baseball experts around the nation. The 2022 MLB Draft will start on Sunday, July 17, and will go through Tuesday, July 19.
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ESPN Mock Draft – Kiley McDaniel – 7/15/22
No. 17 – Philadelphia Phillies – Drew Gilbert, OF/CF, Tennessee
- “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 towards a position player if Barriera isn’t available.”
No. 18 – Cincinnati Reds – Jordan Beck, OF/RF, Tennessee
- “The Reds have extra picks and thus a lot of options. Beck completely fits their type (Austin Hendrick, Rece Hinds, etc.), they’ve shown interest in him here and it’s unlikely he could get to their next pick.”
No. 45 – Washington Nationals – Blade Tidwell, RHP, Tennessee
No. 74 – Seattle Mariners – Trey Lipscomb, 3B, Tennessee
No. 78 – Toronto Blue Jays – Ben Joyce, RHP, Tennessee
CBS Sports Mock Draft – Mike Axisa – 7/14/22
No. 26 – Chicago White Sox – Jordan Beck, OF/RF, Tennessee
- “The White Sox tend to seek out elite tools in the first round, such as Nick Madrigal’s contact ability and Garrett 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.”
No. 30 – San Francisco Giants – Drew Gilbert, OF/CF, Tennessee
- “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.”
MLB.com Mock Draft – Jonathan Mayo – 7/13/22
No. 21 – St. Louis Cardinals – Drew Gilbert, OF/CF, Tennessee
- “Teams around this area might be looking at the same group of this tier of college bats, with Gilbert and DeLauter the strong contenders.”
*No. 25 – New York Yankees – Cole Young, SS, North Allegheny HS, Pa*
- “If the Yankees wanted to go the pitching route, they might look at someone like Tennessee’s Blade Tidwell.”
No. 31 – Colorado Rockies – Jordan Beck, OF/RF, Tennessee
No. 38 – Colorado Rockies – Blade Tidwell, RHP, Tennessee
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A total of seven Tennessee players were drafted in the 2021 MLB Draft:
- Chad Dallas – Toronto Blue Jays – 4th round, pick 121
- Liam Spence – Chicago Cubs – 5th round, pick 154
- Max Ferguson – San Diego Padres – 5th round, pick 160
- Connor Pavolony – Baltimore Orioles – 7th round, pick 197
- Jake Rucker – Minnesota Twins – 7th round, pick 219
- Jackson Leath – Texas Rangers – 12th round, pick 344
- Sean Hunley – Tampa Bay Rays – 19th round, pick 581
