The Double-A level of Minor League Baseball was loaded with former Tennessee Volunteers in 2023, with 12 Vols spending significant time there this year. Here's how multiple Top 100 MLB prospects, and several Rocky Top legends performed in Double-A.
Drew Gilbert, OF, Mets (1st-round pick in 2022 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 116 games, .289 AVG, .381 OBP, .487 SLG, .868 OPS, 79 R, 18 HR, 26 2B, 3 3B, 59 RBI, 12 SB
The instant Drew Gilbert launched a hanging breaking ball into the Knoxville night in the 2021 NCAA Regionals, he became a Tennessee sports legend and one of the most recognizable names in college baseball. After a ridiculous 2022 season at Tennessee, the Houston Astros drafted him with the 28th overall pick in the MLB Draft. Early into the 2023 season, prospect evaluators tabbed Gilbert as the top prospect in the Astros system, and a consensus Top 100 prospect in baseball. However, top prospect status can make players desirable at the trade deadline, and the Astros sent Gilbert to the New York Mets in exchange for future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander.
Gilbert started the year with the High-A Asheville Tourists, where it was clear he was head and shoulders above the pitchers at that level. In 21 High-A games, he hit .361/.421/.686 with a 1.107 OPS, 6 home runs and 18 RBIs. The Astros rewarded his hot start with a promotion to the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks in early May, where he got off to a hot start for the first few weeks. In late May, it was reported that Drew was experiencing arm pain, stemming from an injury at the end of 2022 and overuse. Instead of hitting the injured list, Gilbert stopped playing in the field for a month and became exclusively a designated hitter. In that month, it was clear Gilbert was in a lot of pain and struggled at the plate. After that month, Drew Gilbert bounced back to his pre-injury form and was invited to play in the All-Star Futures Game, which showcases the top prospects in MLB with their own game at the All-Star Break.
At the August 1st trade deadline, the Astros sent Gilbert to the Mets as the headliner in a deal for Justin Verlander. He joined former Vols teammate Blade Tidwell on the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies, and immediately showed why the Mets valued him highly. In 35 games in Binghamton, he hit .325/.423/.561 for a .984 OPS and 6 home runs, and helped his team clinch a berth in the Eastern League playoffs.
In 2024, Drew should get a lot of work in Spring Training, and could possibly start the season in Triple-A. If he continues to play at the high level he has played out, there's a good chance he could make his MLB debut with the Mets in 2024.
Jordan Beck, OF, Rockies (1st-round pick in 2022 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 126 games, .271 AVG, .364 OBP, .503 SLG, .867 OPS, 84 R, 25 HR, 34 2B, 2 3B, 91 RBI, 20 SB
At Tennessee, Jordan Beck looked like a prototypical corner outfield prospect. He showed elite power and defense, and had the tools to impact the game at the plate, in the field, and on the bases. After an excellent 2022 campaign, the Colorado Rockies selected Beck at the end of the first round with the 38th overall pick.
The Rockies sent Jordan Beck to the High-A Spokane Indians to start the 2023 season, where he struggled early on, going just 1-30 at the plate to start the season. Beck continued to work through the slump with his hitting coach in Spokane, former Vols infielder Zach Osborne, and he completely flipped a switch. After his 1-30 stretch to start the year, Beck hit .313/.397/.610 with a 1.007 OPS, 20 HR, and 71 RBI in 70 games at High-A before getting the call to join the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats in July. His stretch in High-A was so dominant that he was awarded the MVP award for the Northwest League, despite playing just 76 games in Spokane.
Beck continued to impress once he got to Double-A, and the baseball world started to take note. He is currently ranked as the #83 prospect in baseball. His season of 25 home runs and 20 stolen bases was an exceptional accomplishment, as he was one of only eight players that hit that mark in the minor leagues in 2023.
Similar to Drew Gilbert, Jordan Beck has a great chance to start out in Triple-A in 2024. The Rockies lack established outfielders at the MLB level, so there's a possibility he could break through and make his MLB debut next year.
Trey Lipscomb, IF, Nationals (3rd-round pick in 2022 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 129 games, .272 AVG, .311 OBP, .419 SLG, .730 OPS, 59 R, 14 HR, 29 2B, 2 3B, 72 RBI, 10 SB
Trey Lipscomb waited his turn at Tennessee, and broke out in his final season with 22 home runs and 84 RBIs, resulting in shooting up draft boards and being selected with the 84th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He showed up in Spring Training for the Nationals, hitting 4-9 with a home run with the big league team, and was assigned to the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks for the start of the 2023 minor league season.
Wilmington is widely regarded as one of, if not the most pitcher-friendly ballparks in all of minor league baseball. Trey had a decent start to the season in Wilmington, hitting .251 with 4 home runs in 49 games before getting the call to join the Double-A Harrisburg Senators. He immediately started hitting the ball better, with his average jumping to .284 along with 10 home runs in 80 games for the Senators. His stretch in Harrisburg turned heads in the Nationals organization, and he was recently ranked the #14 prospect in the Nats system.
One of the biggest storylines in Trey's season came on the defensive side of the ball. In the back half of the season, highly ranked Nationals third base prospect and former Vols baseball commit Brady House joined Lipscomb in Double-A, and House took most of the innings at third base from that point. Trey had played all of his professional innings in the field at third prior to House's arrival, but the Nationals decided to try him at other positions. He ended up starting 15 games at first base, 11 games at shortstop, and 8 games at second base, and played the new positions really well, only committing 1 error at a new position. His defensive versatility led to him being named the Nationals Minor League Defensive Player of the Year.
Trey proved he could hit high-level pitching and broke out defensively, which is a great sign for his future in the Nationals organization. Lipscomb was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League in 2023, a league for prospects to continue to play after the regular season ends. He could start 2024 in Triple-A, and there are openings for him to break through to the MLB team in 2024.
Chad Dallas, RHP, Blue Jays (4th-round pick in 2021 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 9-3, 3.65 ERA, 123.1 innings pitched, 144 strikeouts, 49 walks
Chad Dallas stepped into the Friday night starter role for the Vols in 2021, and helped lead the team to the College World Series. The Toronto Blue Jays drafted him with the 121st overall pick in the following draft, and sent him to the High-A Vancouver Canadians for all of 2022. After an average 2022 season (4.60 ERA in 88 IP), he was sent back to Vancouver to start 2023, where he established himself as one of the top pitching prospects in the Blue Jays organization.
Dallas was on fire in High-A in 2023, with a 2.03 ERA in 5 starts and a Northwest League Pitcher of the Week award, and the Blue Jays quickly sent him to Double-A for more of a challenge. He got off to a hot start in Double-A as well, winning the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week in late May. He faded a little down the stretch, which isn't unusual for the jump in innings pitched, but still ended the season with a 3.65 ERA. He showed a much improved breaking ball to induce strikeouts, and he jumped up from an unranked prospect in the Blue Jays system to the #13 prospect in the system by MLB Pipeline.
With his improved strikeout numbers (10.5 K/9 innings in 2023, up from 8.8 in 2022) and ability to keep runs to a minimum, Dallas has entered the conversation for pitching depth for a Blue Jays team that expects to compete for a playoff spot in 2024. He should get opportunities to pitch in Spring Training, and could start the season in Double-A or Triple-A. His future may be as a multi-inning reliever at the big league level, and the Blue Jays could start to transition him from a starter to the bullpen in this next year.
Blade Tidwell, RHP, Mets (2nd-round pick in 2022 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 11-6, 3.57 ERA, 116.0 innings pitched, 153 strikeouts, 63 walks
Blade Tidwell entered 2022 as one of the highest ranked college pitching prospects in the draft, but a shoulder injury set him back, and he slipped to the second round where the New York Mets selected him with the 52nd overall pick. The Loretto native showed flashes in limited innings in the Mets organization in 2022, and he was assigned to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones to start the 2023 season.
Tidwell's 2023 campaign got off to a tough start, with a 8.35 ERA and 13 walks in his first 5 starts of the season. He found his stride in late May and didn't look back, with a 1.56 ERA and 85 strikeouts over his next 12 starts in High-A. Blade was rewarded for his performance with a promotion to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies at the end of July. Fatigue started to set in towards the end of the Double-A season, but he still struck out 41 batters in 34.1 innings.
Control was an issue for Tidwell in 2023, but he was able to lower his walk rate as the season continued. The Mets will want to see his control continue to improve, but his electric pitch mix can make batters look foolish at any level. The potential is through the roof for Tidwell, as he's currently ranked as the #10 prospect and #2 pitching prospect in the Mets system. He will likely start the 2024 season in Double-A, and is a more likely candidate to join the Mets major league staff in the 2025 season.
Will Mabrey, LHP, Diamondbacks (6th-round pick in 2022 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 7-1, 3.00 ERA, 66.0 innings pitched, 64 strikeouts, 30 walks, 4 saves
Will Mabrey pitched only 12 innings in his first two years at Tennessee, but he broke out as one of the Vols best bullpen options in the 2022 season. His 2.63 ERA in 41 innings led to him being picked in the 6th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2022 draft. Due to injury, he was the only member of the Vols draft class that did not debut in the 2022 season.
Mabrey started the year with the Single-A Visalia Rawhide, where he had a couple of rough outings in his first pro appearances. He found his footing, and was promoted to the High-A Hillsboro Hops on May 4th, where he had the best stretch of his young career. In 27 High-A innings, he had a 2.33 ERA with 31 strikeouts and 2 saves. After proving he could shut down the lower levels, he was promoted again to the Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles in mid-July.
Mabrey had a 3.20 ERA in 16 appearances in Double-A, and also started 2 games, which were his first starts in college or professional baseball. After bursting onto the scene the past few years, Mabrey has established himself as a reliable bullpen option in the Diamondbacks organization. The D-Backs have moved a few pitchers from Double-A to the MLB team quickly, and there's a decent chance that Mabrey could fit that mold in 2024.
Zach Daniels, OF, Astros (4th-round pick in 2020 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 84 games, .277 AVG, .349 OBP, .462 SLG, .811 OPS, 46 R, 13 HR, 21 2B, 52 RBI, 22 SB
Zach Daniels always had elite tools at Tennessee, and started to put everything in 2020 before the season was cancelled. The Houston Astros clearly valued his tools, and selected him in the fourth-round in the 2020 draft. He struggled with some injuries in the minors in 2021 and early in 2022, but everything clicked in the second half of 2022 for Daniels. He ended 2022 with 23 home runs, 22 stolen bases, a South Atlantic League All-Star Award, and a trip to the Arizona Fall League.
Following his breakout in 2022, Daniels started the 2023 campaign with the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, and was off to a hot start. In the fourth game of the year, he suffered an injury that kept him out for six weeks. After a few rehab games, he returned to Corpus Christi in early June and continued to hit the baseball. In the 75 games after returning from injury, Daniels hit all 13 of his home runs and knocked in 49 of his 52 RBIs.
When he's been on the field, Daniels has proven himself as a viable outfield option in the Astros organization. The Astros have a major league outfield with multiple All-Stars, so it may be tough for Daniels to break through at this time. However, he should still get extended at-bats at Triple-A next season, and may get some opportunities to join the big league team at some point soon.
Sean Hunley, RHP, Rays (19th-round pick in 2021 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 5-8, 4.92 ERA, 113.1 innings pitched, 99 strikeouts, 27 walks
Sean Hunley was an instrumental piece on Frank Anderson's early pitching staffs at Tennessee, and after four years, the Rays took a shot on him in the 19th round of the 2021 draft. This was probably the best professional fit for Hunley, as the Rays have a reputation for developing unheralded pitching prospects. The Rays switched him from a bullpen arm to a starter in the 2022 season, and he had a really solid year in Double-A.
Hunley remained with the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits at the start of the 2023 season, and he was unhittable out of the gate. He allowed just 4 runs over 34.2 innings in his first 6 starts, and he was awarded with a promotion to the Triple-A Durham Bulls. Hunley struggled with the jump to Triple-A, and after 5 games, was sent back to Double-A. He was able to recapture some his early-season form, and ended the year with a 3.62 ERA in 22 Double-A starts.
Hunley bounced back at the end of the year, and proved that he could still dominate batters after a tough stretch. He should get another opportunity in Triple-A next season, and with good performances, the Rays could select him and allow him to make his MLB debut.
Alerick Soularie, OF, Twins (2nd-round pick in 2020 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 79 games, .231 AVG, .356 OBP, .409 SLG, .765 OPS, 41 R, 11 HR, 5 2B, 33 RBI, 22 SB
Soularie was debatably the best position player on the 2019 and 2020 Tennessee teams, and was named to the 2019 All-SEC First Team while showcasing an exciting power-speed combination. After the 2020 season was cut short, the Minnesota Twins selected him with the 59th overall pick in the draft. Due to injury, he didn't play significant innings until the 2022 season, and was assigned to the Double-A Wichita Wind Surge to start 2023.
Although Soularie missed some time for injury and personal reasons, he put together his best pro season yet. He flashed his power with 11 home runs and stole 22 bases, and he showed elite plate discipline with a 0.52 BB/K ratio. He also was very solid defensively, where he played almost exclusively right field after spending extended time at second base and other outfield positions in past years.
Soularie's performance since being drafted was a question mark coming into the 2023 season, especially for a player with his draft pedigree, but he answered those concerns and showed he was still capable of improvement. If he is able to stay on the field consistently, he should be able to reach Triple-A in 2024, and the big leagues not long after that.
Jake Rucker, IF/OF, Twins (7th-round pick in 2021 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 119 games, .248 AVG, .323 OBP, .381 SLG, .704 OPS, 51 R, 9 HR, 21 2B, 4 3B, 63 RBI, 10 SB
Jake Rucker came up big for Tennessee time and time again, including hitting two home runs in Game 2 of the 2021 Knoxville Super Regional to send the Vols to Omaha. The Minnesota Twins drafted him later that summer, and he's been an important piece in the organization since. After a late-season hot streak in 2022, he was sent to the Double-A Wichita Wind Surge for the 2023 season.
Rucker was a key player in the 2023 season for Wichita, leading the team with 63 RBI and finishing second with 119 games played. He also had 34 extra-base hits, many of which came in clutch situations to tie the game or take the lead. Rucker provided Wichita with positional versatility, playing first base, second base, third base, left field, and right field during the 2023 season.
While Rucker's numbers don't necessarily jump off the page, it's clear to anyone who watches that he impacts the game any way he can and comes up clutch. He should see plenty of opportunities to compete in Spring Training in 2024, and could start the next season in Double-A or Triple-A.
Andrew Schultz, RHP, Phillies (6th-round pick in 2019 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 1-3, 5.97 ERA, 37.2 innings pitched, 41 strikeouts, 33 walks
Schultz was one of the top bullpen arms on the 2019 Tennessee team, and after his breakout season, the Phillies picked him in the 6th round in the draft. He flashed a fastball up to 100 MPH and a wipeout slider in limited action early in his career. Because of injuries, he didn't throw any innings from August of 2019 to April of 2022, and had a nice 2022 season following his return. He was assigned to the Double-A Reading Fightin' Phils to start the 2023 season.
Schultz struggled early on in the 2023 season, as his control took a step back and his walk rate rose. However, it was a tale of two seasons for Schultz, as he was able to dial in towards to the second half of the year. From July 28th to the end of the year, he allowed 4 earned runs over 16 innings for a 2.25 ERA and 17 strikeouts to 11 walks. Those 4 runs allowed came in just 2 of his 14 appearances in that stretch.
Schultz's rebound stretch at the end of the year showed a lot of promise and perseverance, and the Phillies should be encouraged. He still has elite pitches in his arsenal, and is very hard to hit when he is able to locate his pitches. He will probably start 2024 in Double-A, and he could get up to Triple-A quickly if he can continue his late-season run.
Connor Pavolony, C, Orioles (7th-round pick in 2021 draft)
2023 cumulative stats: 27 games, .136 AVG, .262 OBP, .193 SLG, .455 OPS, 10 R, 1 HR, 2 2B, 4 RBI
Pavolony was one of the best defensive catchers in the country during his time at Tennessee, and his ability to get on base led to the Baltimore Orioles selecting him in the 7th round of the draft in 2021. He's been dealing with hand injuries since 2021 at Tennessee, and that trend unfortunately continued in the 2023 season.
Pav played in just 60 games in 2022 due to injury, and after a good performance at the end of the season, the Orioles assigned him to the Double-A Bowie Baysox in hopes of getting him plenty of action in 2023. After 5 games to start the year, he hit the injured list for over two months due to left hand soreness. He rehabbed and worked his way back up to Double-A in July, where he played 6 more games before missing extended time again. He came back again at the end of the season, playing in 9 games and hitting much better than he did earlier in 2023. He hit 9-33 with a home run and 3 RBIs to end the season.
Since Pavolony missed so much time, the Orioles decided to extend his season and send him to the Arizona Fall League to get more action. The Orioles have elite catchers in their system, and Pavolony has the chance to join that group if his injury troubles ease. He should start 2024 in Double-A, and he should be able to move up to Triple-A if he can stay healthy.
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