The Tennessee Volunteers baseball program has seen a historic rise in players drafted recently, with 28 players selected since 2020. For a handful of these former Vols, they spent the majority of their seasons in various leagues in the Southeast and Midwest in Single-A and High-A. Here's how some head-turning prospects and Rocky Top fan favorites performed in the 2023 Minor League season.
Seth Stephenson, OF, Tigers (7th-round pick in 2022 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 113 games, .280 AVG, .381 OBP, .400 SLG, .781 OPS, 95 R, 4 HR, 21 2B, 9 3B, 37 RBI, 70 SB
Stephenson used his ability to get on base, his speed, and his defense to establish himself as the left fielder and lead-off man on the Vols 2022 SEC Championship team, and he did the same thing in 2023 to break out as a notable outfield prospect in the Tigers system. Stephenson's baserunning ability put him on the map, as he finished the season with 70 stolen bases, which ranks 4th in all of Minor League Baseball.
Stephenson played the majority of the year with the Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers, and after an average start, he completely flipped the script for the second half of the year. From July 1st to the end of the season in September, he posted a .341/.433/.486 slash line for a .919 OPS with 42 of his 70 stolen bases and all 4 of his home runs. He earned Florida State League Player of the Month honors for August, and was rewarded with a call-up to the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps for the last 14 games of the season. He also was named a Florida State League All-Star, and was instrumental in a run that led to his Lakeland team to a playoff berth.
Defensively, Stephenson played mostly center field, but also played a handful of games at the corner outfield positions. He posted 11 outfield assists on the season.
Stephenson's speed can play at any level, and finishing in the top 20 in stolen bases and triples is a massive accomplishment in his first full year in the minor leagues. He should start the 2024 campaign with High-A West Michigan, and could reach Double-A quickly if he continues to produce.
Jorel Ortega, IF, Twins (6th-round pick in 2022 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 120 games, .257 AVG, .361 OBP, .445 SLG, .806 OPS, 84 R, 14 HR, 34 2B, 5 3B, 75 RBI, 27 SB
Most Vols baseball fans are familiar with Jorel Ortega's story: a kid who slept at Lindsey Nelson Stadium so he could get extra swings in, and broke out in 2022 with 18 home runs and 61 RBIs. He continued to play excellent baseball in his first full year in the minors, as he was one of only eleven players in the minor leagues with at 30+ doubles and 25+ stolen bases.
Ortega split the year evenly between the Single-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and the High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels, playing in 60 games for each team. He dominated Single-A pitching, with 31 extra-base hits, 17 stolen bases, and an .876 OPS before earning the promotion to High-A. While his production took a slight hit after the promotion (.736 OPS in 60 games), Ortega hit 8 home runs, stole 10 bases, and helped the Cedar Rapids Kernels clinch a playoff berth and win the Midwest League Championship.
The Twins value positional versatility with their prospects, and Ortega's provided that by spending time at third base, second base, and first base this season, with the majority of innings playing at third.
Jorel's path in the minors so far has been very similar to former Tennessee teammate and Twins prospect Jake Rucker, who also split his first season evenly between Single-A and High-A. If the Twins continue to follow this same approach, Jorel could start next season in Double-A Wichita.
Jackson Leath, RHP, Rangers (12th-round pick in 2021 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 7-2, 1.86 ERA, 48.1 innings pitched, 50 strikeouts, 21 walks, 2 saves
Jackson Leath was a highly touted JUCO addition to the Vols pitching staff in 2020, but the cancellation of the 2020 season and an early season injury when he was the Friday night starter in 2021 led to him pitching just 25 innings in orange and white. The Rangers took Leath on the third day of the draft in 2021 and converted him to a reliever, and he struggled when returning from injury in the 2022 minor league season. 2023 was the complete opposite, as he tore apart batters in Single-A and High-A while posting the lowest ERA of any Texas Rangers minor league pitcher with at least 35 innings pitched.
Leath started the 2023 season with the Single-A Down East Wood Ducks in Kinston, North Carolina, where he pitched in 2022 with a 8.42 ERA when returning from injury. His ERA in Single-A this season was a whopping 6 points lower than the previous year, as he pitched 30.2 innings with a 2.35 ERA for the Wood Ducks. On August 1st, he earned a promotion to the High-A Hickory Crawdads, where he was even better. In 17.2 innings for the Crawdads, he posted a 1.02 ERA while allowing only 4 hits.
The most mind-blowing stat from Jackson Leath's 2023 season was his stretch from July 1st to August 31st where he did not allow a single earned run over 22.2 innings. He struck out 24 batters and allowed only 7 hits over that same stretch.
Leath's turnaround from 2022 to 2023 should open some eyes in the Rangers organization, and he will likely get to return to his home state of Texas to play for Double-A Frisco in 2024.
Chase Wallace, RHP, Royals (undrafted in 2020)
2023 cumulative stats: 3-1, 3.18 ERA, 39.2 innings pitched, 42 strikeouts, 12 walks, 1 save
Wallace, a Sevier County alum, was an important bullpen arm on Tony Vitello's first Tennessee team in 2018, and started 4 games in 2020 before the season was cancelled. The 2020 MLB Draft was shortened to 5 rounds, and that led to Wallace going undrafted, when he surely would have been selected in a full-length draft. Wallace struggled between Single-A and High-A in his first 2 professional seasons, posting a 5.94 ERA in 86.1 innings, but he came out in 2023 and showed a much improved arsenal on the mound.
Wallace spent most of 2023 with the Single-A Columbia Fireflies, where he pitched his way to a 3.52 ERA in 30.2 innings. His control was a lot sharper than in past year, as he struck out 35 batters and walked just 9 in Columbia. His solid work out of the bullpen was rewarded with a late season promotion to the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits, where he allowed just 2 runs in 9 innings.
The Royals have shown patience with Wallace's early struggles, seeing potential in him that isn't typically there with undrafted free agents, and it looks like he's turning a corner with his control and confidence on the mound. He has a good chance to reach Double-A next season if he continues to develop.
Cortland Lawson, IF, Nationals (14th-round pick in 2022 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 77 games, .269 AVG, .363 OBP, .350 SLG, .713 OPS, 43 R, 11 2B, 5 3B, 32 RBI, 10 SB
Cortland Lawson was possibly the best 9-hole hitter in college baseball in 2022, and locked down the shortstop position all year for the Vols. He was the 10th Vol selected in the 2022 draft, and has been a solid middle infield option in the Nationals organization ever since.
Lawson started 2023 as a bench infielder for the Single-A Fredericksburg Nationals, which is common for a position player drafted in the 14th round, but he quickly showed he could be a contributor in the Fredericksburg lineup. He hit .308 with a .871 OPS and 10 RBIs in the month of May, and the Nationals named him the Single-A Hitter of the Month in their organization. He continued to perform, and was promoted to the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks on August 1st. The power he displayed when he hit 12 home runs at Tennessee didn't translate to the pros this season (0 HRs in 2023), but he still managed to come through with clutch at-bats when he got the opportunities.
In the field, Lawson split his time between shortstop and second base.
While the Nationals currently have one of the best farm systems in baseball, Lawson is at a good spot to continue to get playing time and develop. He will likely start 2024 in High-A with Wilmington, and could progress onto Double-A.
Max Ferguson, IF/OF, Red Sox (5th-round pick in 2021 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 91 games, .228 AVG, .346 OBP, .341 SLG, .687 OPS, 52 R, 5 HR, 17 2B, 2 3B, 34 RBI, 28 SB
Ferguson was a high-upside pick coming out of Tennessee in 2021, with top-end speed, defensive versatility, and flashes of power that made him an intriguing prospect. The San Diego Padres took Ferguson in the 5th round, and traded him to the Boston Red Sox at the 2022 trade deadline when they had to clear out the farm system to help bring in Juan Soto.
In 2023, Ferguson spent the majority of the year with the High-A Greenville Drive in South Carolina. Due to injuries elsewhere in the farm system, he was briefly called up to the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, where he played 5 games before being sent back to Greenville. Ferguson was a nice piece for Greenville, where he posted the best batting average and slugging percentage of his young career. He ended the year on the injured list, but his contributions helped push Greenville to the playoffs and an eventual South Atlantic League Championship.
Defensively, Ferguson assumed the utility role that he's played for most of his pro career. He played the majority of his games at second base and center field, but also saw time at shortstop and third base.
The Red Sox farm system is loaded with prospects in the outfield and middle infield, but Ferguson will probably see time in High-A and Double-A next season.
Liam Spence, IF, Cubs (5th-round pick in 2021 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 36 games, .213 AVG, .346 OBP, .303 SLG, .649 OPS, 15 R, 1 HR, 5 2B, 10 RBI, 2 SB
As the lead-off man for the 2021 Tennessee College World Series team, Spence showed a knack for getting on base and provided solid shortstop defense for the Vols. The Cubs selected him in the 5th round of the 2021 draft, but his Cubs career has gotten off to a strange start.
Since being drafted in 2021, Spence has appeared in only 118 career games in the Cubs organization, despite never being listed on the injured list. This year, he was assigned to the Double-A Tennessee Smokies for over a month, and was listed on the active roster. He never played a game for the Smokies. In High-A South Bend, he struggled to get into a rhythm at the plate because he was going extended periods without playing. He was drafted as a shortstop, but only appeared at first base, second base, and third base in the field this season.
However, Spence has had bright spots as a professional. He had a great season in the Australian Winter League, and was a member of Australian team in the World Baseball Classic this past spring. If he can find consistent playing time with the Cubs, we could start to see the player that was seen at Tennessee and in Australia.
Mark McLaughlin, RHP, White Sox (7th-round pick in 2022 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 1-8, 11.19 ERA, 50.2 innings pitched, 50 strikeouts, 44 walks
Mark McLaughlin was an excellent bullpen piece from 2020-22 for the Vols, posting a 1.91 ERA in 75.2 innings. He assumed a larger role in the bullpen in the 2022 season and performed, leading to the Chicago White Sox selecting him in the 7th round in the 2022 draft.
McLaughlin started 2023 with the Single-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, and struggled with control from the start. After the first month of the year, he was sent to the Rookie level ACL White Sox to retool his approach. While with the ACL White Sox, McLaughlin was shifted to a starter instead of a bullpen arm. He still struggled with control and with runners on base, but he had a handful of successful outings and was eventually sent back to Single-A in August.
The White Sox will work a lot with McLaughlin this offseason to develop his pitches and fix his control issues, and we should see him back in Single-A to start next season.
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