Vols Set Program Record With Eight Picks In First Three Rounds Of MLB Draft
Image: Tennessee Athletics
By Aidan Sidoti
Tennessee baseball made headlines Sunday night, setting a school record with eight players selected in the first three rounds of the 2025 MLB Draft– the most of any school in collegiate baseball and a striking assertion to the development of Tony Vitello.
The Vols’ draft night in Atlanta began with a fan favorite as Liam Doyle, the 2025 SEC Pitcher of the Year, was selected No. 5 overall by the St. Louis Cardinals. Doyle, the Ole Miss and Coastal Carolina transfer spent one season in Knoxville, breaking the single-season strikeout record and becoming the highest draft pick of the Vitello era.
Joining Liam Doyle in the record-breaking first round were shortstop Gavin Kilen, going No. 13 to the San Francisco Giants; first baseman Andrew Fischer, taken No. 20 by the Milwaukee Brewers; and right-handed pitcher Marcus Phillips, drafted No. 33 by the Boston Red Sox. All three players were crucial transfers for Tennessee’s 2025 roster and thrived in Knoxville. Kilen hit .357 in 2025 with 15 home runs and 46 RBI across 245 plate appearances; Fischer led the SEC in home runs with 25 while also boasting a 1.257 OPS, and Phillips anchored the Saturday rotation, recording 98 strikeouts over 83 innings.
The second round saw three more Volunteers come off the board. Right-handed pitcher AJ Russell at No. 52 to the Texas Rangers, infielder Dean Curley twelve picks later at No. 64 to the Cleveland Guardians, and Jefferson City native Tanner Franklin at pick No. 72 to the St. Louis Cardinals, where he’ll reunite with Liam Doyle. Russell posted a career 2.70 ERA over three years in Knoxville, Curley started every game in 2025 and slashed .315/.435/.531, and Franklin emerged as one of the Vols’ most trusted relievers, recording 52 strikeouts in 38.2 innings.
Nate Snead rounded out the impressive night in the third round, going No. 105 to the Los Angeles Angels. Snead, a Wichita State transfer, played two seasons in Knoxville and became a huge piece during Tennessee’s 2024 National Championship run. Snead ended his Vol career with a 14-4 record and 11 saves across 125 innings.
With eight players selected on night one– including a program-record four players in the first round, Tennessee solidified themselves atop of the college baseball world as one of the top programs in the nation for player development.
