The University of Tennessee will again be well represented in professional baseball after the 2026 MLB Draft, which ran July 11–12. The Vols had both current players and recent signees selected, continuing a multi-year streak of Tennessee talent being chosen on draft weekend.
Top picks and local links
Tegan Kuhns, a sophomore starting pitcher for Tennessee, was taken by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 32nd overall selection in Round 1. Kuhns finished the season named to the All-SEC second team, posting a 3.56 ERA across 81 innings with 106 strikeouts and 16 walks — numbers that cemented his standing as Tennessee’s leading professional prospect this season.
Also drawing national attention: high school signees and recruits who had already committed to the Vols. Among them, two-way prep standout Jared Grindlinger was picked by the Los Angeles Angels at No. 12 overall and carries the distinction of being one of the higher-ranked high-school recruits in the 2026 class. Grindlinger, the brother of current Vol Trent Grindlinger, was widely regarded as both a pitcher and position player before being chosen primarily as an outfielder.
- Other Tennessee prospects listed among MLB Pipeline’s top 250: Henry Ford (infielder), Garrett Wright (catcher/outfielder) and Bo Rhudy (reliever).
- Vols recruiting class note: Trevor Condon and Jared Grindlinger were among potential top-20 prospects connected to Tennessee; the class featured 11 invitees to the MLB Draft Combine.
Draft mechanics and decisions
The draft’s first day covered rounds 1–4 and began at 1 p.m. ET, with early coverage on NBC and Peacock and additional coverage on MLB Network and MLB.com; Day 2, covering rounds 5–20, started at 11:30 a.m. ET on MLB.com. Players selected in July have until 5 p.m. ET on July 27 to sign their professional contracts. High-school players who go unselected can sign as free agents until the start of the college fall semester, while those who are drafted must weigh whether to sign immediately or honor college commitments.
| Player | Team | Round / Pick | Slot value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tegan Kuhns | St. Louis Cardinals | Round 1 / No. 32 | $3,044,600 |
| Jared Grindlinger | Los Angeles Angels | Round 1 / No. 12 | $5,889,300 |
For Tennessee’s program, the draft results extend a notable trend: the Volunteers have had at least three players taken in every draft since 2018, and a Tennessee pitcher has been selected in the first round multiple times in recent years. The continued presence of Vols in early rounds reflects both the talent on the roster and the strength of the school’s recruiting pipeline.
Fans and families in Knoxville, and across the state, will closely monitor whether the high-school signees opt to sign pro contracts or begin their collegiate careers at Neyland. The choices made in the coming weeks will shape the Vols’ roster for the fall and beyond.
Coverage and signings will continue through the July 27 deadline; teams and draftees often announce signings publicly, and Tennessee athletics will update its roster and signees list as decisions are finalized.
