The 2026 Major League Baseball draft will unfold over two days in Philadelphia during All‑Star Week, with the opening round scheduled for July 11 and the remaining selections running through July 12. The city, which has hosted the event in recent years, will serve as the backdrop for a class that includes a handful of standout players from the University of Tennessee.
Tennessee’s Draft Outlook
Among the Tennessee prospects, senior left‑hander Tegan Kuhns stands out as the only player with a realistic chance of being selected in the first round. Analysts project Kuhns to tumble to the latter half of the opening round, where teams often look for high‑upside arms with durability and command.
Freshmen right‑handers Jared Grindlinger and Trevor Condon are also generating buzz, each expected to hear their names among the top 20 picks. ESPN’s latest mock drafts have Grindlinger slated at No. 13 to the St. Louis Cardinals and Condon at No. 14 to the Miami Marlins, underscoring the depth of Tennessee’s 2026 recruiting class.
The draft’s format has been trimmed from the previous 40‑round structure to a 20‑round affair, a change that reflects MLB’s effort to streamline the process and emphasize higher‑quality selections. Consequently, many of the remaining eligible players will have to weigh the prospect of signing professionally against the decision to return to college for another season.
Beyond the three headline names, Tennessee’s roster features ten additional prospects ranked within MLB Pipeline’s top 250, giving the program a breadth of talent that could translate into several mid‑round selections. Whether those players choose to sign or continue their collegiate careers will be decided in the weeks following the draft.