Fresh off of a National Championship victory, Tennessee looks to have two players projected as first-round selections in this June’s MLB Draft.
Christian Moore looks to have a fairly consistent projected range between No. 12 and No. 14, but MLB’s Jonathan Mayo says that the Tennessee infielder could go as high as No. 9 with the Pittsburgh Pirates taking interest. Moore is projected to land at No. 12 to the Boston Red Sox in three of the five mock drafts below, with another at No. 13 to the Giants and another at No. 14 to the Cubs.
Moore elevated his play during his third and final year in Knoxville, jumping from a consistent .305 hitter in his first two years to a massive .375/.451/.797 season in 2024. Moore proved to not only be one of the best hitters at the collegiate level this spring but also showed his value as a leader and a well-rounded figure in the clubhouse. Moore elevated himself to potential Top 15 status thanks to a consistent regular season and a strong postseason run.
Amick, on the other hand, followed up a very strong 2023 season at Clemson with another good showing during his lone year in Knoxville. Despite battling through injuries in the middle of the season, Amick showed his worth with the right tools as a batter in the box.
Amick might not be locked into the third base position when he gets drafted but will certainly go as far as his play at the plate takes him. Amick is a player who teams believe has a bright future ahead of him from a hitting standpoint at the major league level.
The former Clemson transfer has a wider range of projections than Moore, but all land in the back third of the first round.
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Here’s a look at some of the latest MLB mock draft first-round projections for Tennessee:
MLB Pipeline – Jonathan Mayo (July 4)
- No. 12 – Christian Moore (Boston Red Sox)
- No. 32 – Billy Amick (Baltimore Orioles)
USA Today – Ayrton Ostly (July 4)
- No. 12 – Christian Moore (Boston Red Sox)
- No. 21 – Billy Amick (Minnesota Twins)
Pitchers List – Trevor Powers (July 5)
- No. 12 – Christian Moore (Boston Red Sox)
- No. 30 – Billy Amick (Texas Rangers)
CBS Sports – Mike Axisa (July 3)
- No. 13 – Christian Moore (San Francisco Giants)
- No. 28 – Billy Amick (Houston astros)
Bleacher Report – Joe Reuter (June 26)
- No. 14 – Christian Moore (Chicago Cubs)
- No. 22 – Billy Amick (Baltimore Orioles)
The 2024 MLB Draft will begin at 5:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 14, and will go through Tuesday, July 16. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more updates on Tennessee’s full MLB Draft status next week.
