One Vanderbilt player, two Vanderbilt commitments and one Tennessee player were selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft on Sunday.
The Detroit Tigers selected outfielder Max Clark, a Vandy commit, with the third pick of the first round, while the Colorado Rockies picked Vols pitcher Chase Dollander at No. 9, the Baltimore Orioles chose Commodores outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. at No. 17 and the New York Yankees drafted shortstop George Lombard, a Vandy commit, at No. 26.
Bradfield’s selection marked the fifth straight year Vanderbilt has had a player drafted in the first round. The previous four were outfielder Spencer Jones (New York Yankees, 2022), pitcher Kumar Rocker (New York Mets, 2021), shortstop Austin Martin (Toronto, 2020) and outfielder J.J. Bleday (Miami, 2019).
“He is a premium college player from the most premium conference there is from the most premium program that there is, and he’s been excellent for three years there,” Orioles General Manager Mike Elias told media.
The 6-1, 170-pound Bradfield won two Gold Gloves at Vanderbilt and set the school’s stolen-base record with 130. In three seasons, he had a .311 career average with 15 home runs, 31 doubles, 11 triples and 108 RBIs.
“If we’re correct that he’s a plus-plus center fielder — and it doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of controversy about that — that’s a really nice defensive profile to help carry you through the minors and into the major leagues,” Elias said. “We’re very happy that we have him. We’re adding him to what’s the top system in baseball, and he’s a big part of it now.”
The 6-2, 200-pound Dollander, an Evans, Ga., native, was 17-6 in two seasons at Tennessee, posting a 3.64 ERA. He struck out 228 in 168 innings, while walking 43, allowing 133 hits and surrendering 68 earned runs.
But Dollander, a hard-throwing right hander who transferred from Georgia Southern after his freshman season, had much better numbers as a sophomore than as a junior.
In 2022, Dollander was 10-0 with a 2.39 ERA. In 79 innings pitched, he struck out 108, walked 13 and allowed opponents to hit just .175.
In 2023, Dollander was 7-6, with a 4.75 ERA. In 89 innings pitched, he struck out 120, walked 30 and allowed opponents to hit .243.
Dollander is the fourth first-round pick in coach Tony Vitello’s six seasons, joining outfielder Drew Gilbert (Houston, 2022), outfielder Jordan Beck (Colorado, 2022) and pitcher Garrett Crochet (Chicago White Sox, 2020).
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Clark, a Franklin, Ind., native, was named the 2022-23 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year, given to the top high schooler in the nation.
He will have the option to go pro or choose Vanderbilt, and is expected to opt for the former.
A center fielder, Clark batted .646 with six home runs, 33 RBIs and 45 runs scored during his senior season, leading Franklin High to the Class 4A sectional semifinals. He posted an .808 on-base percentage, 1.215 slugging percentage and stole 35 bases.
Lombard will have the same choice to make as Clark.
The 6-3, 190-pound shortstop/third baseman showed plenty of power potential last year at Gulliver Prep in Miami. He’s the son of former major leaguer George Lombard, who was drafted by Atlanta in 1994 and played six years in MLB. The senior Lombard is now a bench coach for the Detroit Tigers.
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