Tennessee signees and portal commits selected in the 2024 MLB Draft
With the No. 1 overall recruiting class in the nation, according to Perfect Game, Tennessee is expected to take some hits in terms of 2024 signees in this year’s Major League Baseball Draft. There’s also one transfer portal commit – Eric Rataczak – to keep an eye on as well.
The following is a running tab of Tennessee signees and transfer portal commits who have been selected in this year’s draft. Tennessee finished the draft with five signees selected and one transfer portal commit drafted.
SS Ty Southisene – CHC (4th Round)
Tennessee 2024 signee shortstop Ty Southisene has been selected in the fourth round of the 2024 Major league Baseball Draft by the Chicago Cubs with the No. 120th overall pick.
The 5-foot-9, 160-pound middle infielder is a part of the No. 1 recruiting class for the Vols, according to Perfect Game. The slot value for the 120th overall pick comes in at $600.80K, according to MLB.com.
Southisene is the first Tennessee signee to be selected in the 2024 MLB Draft, as he came into the showcase with a No. 111 ranking per MLB Pipeline. He comes from Basic High School in Henderson, Nevada.
Scouting Report (MLB.com)
Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45
“The top player in the state of Nevada for the 2024 Draft, Southisene has consistently performed well at showcase events, raising his profile by playing on USA Baseball’s 18U team in 2022 and participating in MLB events like States Play in 2022 and the 2023 Dream Series. His twin brother, Tee, is also a decent 2024 Draft prospect, while younger brother, Tate, might be one of the better prep options from the Silver State in 2025.
Southisene is undersized at 5-foot-9, but that won’t keep teams from being interested in his solid all-around toolset. He might be a plus hitter in time, showing an ability to make hard contact with an advanced approach at the plate and an affinity for breaking down his at-bats and swing. He can try to get big and sell out for power at times, but when he stays within himself he finds the barrel against all kinds of pitching with excellent bat speed and should naturally get to solid power.
A quick-twitch athlete, Southisene’s plus baseball IQ and instincts enable all his tools to play up. His arm might traditionally be a little short, but because of his release, his hands and footwork, he has every chance to stick at shortstop. Teams willing to look past the Tennessee recruit’s size could help him follow in the footsteps of such Nevada prep bats taken in the top three rounds as Justin Crawford and Tyler Whitaker.”
SS Trey Snyder – NYM (5th Round)
Tennessee shortstop signee Trey Snyder was taken by the New York Mets with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 MLB Draft. He becomes the second Volunteer prep signee drafted, joining fellow shortstop Ty Southisene, who was drafted by the Cubs in the fourth round.
The 6-foot-2, 197-pound middle infielder from Kearney, MO. attended Liberty North High school. He’s considered the sixth-highest signee for Tennessee in the class. The slot value for the 144th overall pick comes in at $476.20, according to MLB.com. Snyder was considered the Mo. 155 rated prospect entering the draft, according to MLB Pipeline.
Scouting Report (MLB.com)
Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40
“The Missouri high school ranks feature three interesting shortstops. The consensus is that Snyder’s polish and floor make him the best prospect of the trio, giving him the edge over Tytus Cissell’s athleticism and Drew Dickerson’s physicality. If he doesn’t go early enough in the Draft to sign, Snyder could make an immediate impact as a freshman at Tennessee next spring.
Gatorade’s Missouri high school player of the year, Snyder is a steady right-handed hitter who makes good swing decisions and provides consistent contact. He didn’t show much power on the showcase circuit last summer but has gained some strength and is hitting the ball harder this spring. His biggest backers believe he has 20-homer upside, though others think his pop is more fringy.
Similar questions surround Snyder’s ability to remain at shortstop. While he has flashed plus straight-line speed in the past, he has produced below-average home-to-first times this spring after adding muscle. He has reliable hands, solid arm strength and a good internal clock at shortstop, but diminished quickness could land him at third base.”
RHP Anson Seibert – DET (16th Round)
Tennessee signee right handed pitcher Anson Seibert was selected by the Detroit Tigers with the 476th overall pick in the 16th round of the MLB Draft. He entered the draft as the No. 108 ranked prospect, according to MLB.com
Scouting Report (MLB.com)
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45
“Seibert teamed with Royals 2021 second-rounder Ben Kudrna to lead Blue Valley Southwest (Overland Park) to the Kansas 5-A state championship as a freshman, then, as a sophomore, helped the Timberwolves repeat. He emerged early as a potential first-rounder for the 2024 Draft, though his stock dipped a bit during an inconsistent summer on the showcase circuit heading into his senior year. There still are few pitchers in this class who can match his combination of size and stuff when he’s on, though his status was clouded when he left a mid-April start with what initially was diagnosed as a flexor strain.
While Seibert’s fastball can climb to 97 mph, it’s more notable for the carry he creates with an extremely high slot and tremendous extension, products of his 6-foot-8 frame. He’ll sit at 92-94 mph in the early innings before his velocity tapers off, and the unreliability of his secondary pitches is also a concern. He lacks consistent feel for a low-80s slider that has good shape at times but also can get slurvy, and he doesn’t trust his mid-80s changeup.
At his best, Seibert has a well-above-average fastball and at least a solid slider. Considering his size and youth, he does a nice job of keeping his delivery in sync, but his control and command waver along with his stuff. If he attends Tennessee, he’ll be eligible for the 2026 Draft as a sophomore.”
1B Eric Rataczak – MIA (16th Round)
Tennessee transfer portal commit Eric Rataczak (Niagara) was selected by the Miami Marlins with the 484th overall pic in the 16th round of the MLB Draft.
Rataczak put forth one of the best seasons in Niagara baseball history, leading the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in batting average (.396), OPS, RBI (71) and on-base percentage (.485). He became the program record holder for single-season runs (59), hits (88), home runs (17) and 71 RBI to go along with 27 multi-hit games – including 13 three-hit contests.
The first baseman ended the season with a 19-game on-base streak and earlier tallied a 26-game on-base streak and 15-game hit-streak. On two separate occasions this spring, Rataczak drove in five runs in a single contest. The junior finished the season as the Conference Player of the Year and tallied two hits, one being a home run, and four RBI in the NCAA Tournament at the Stillwater Regional.
Prior to his redshirt junior season with Niagara in 2024, Rataczak played a combined 32 games at San Diego and Arizona Western College. He’s also spent summers playing in the Northwoods League, Western Canadian League and MLB Draft League.
OF Lucas Ramirez – Angels (17th round)
Tennessee signee Lucas Ramirez, the son of Manny Ramirez, was selected in the 17th round of the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angles with the No. 502 overall pick. Ramirez did not appear in the top-500 of Baseball America’s draft prospects.
OF Ethan Wagner – Astros (17th Round)
Tennessee baseball signee Ethan Wagner was selected by the Houston Astros with the No. 523 overall pick in the 17th round of the MLB Draft. A native of Jefferson City, Tenn., Wagner attended P27 Academy in South Carolina. Wagner did not appear as a top-500 MLB Draft prosect, per Baseball America.
Tennessee in the 2024 MLB Draft
INF Christian Moore: 8th overall, Round 1 (Angels)
1B Blake Burke: 34th overall, Round 1 (Brewers)
INF Billy Amick: 60th overall, Round 2 (Twins)
OF Dylan Dreiling: 65th overall, Round 2 (Rangers)
RHP Drew Beam: 76th overall, Round 3 (Royals)
INF Ty Southisene: 120th overall, Round 4 (Cubs) — high school signee
OF Kavares Tears: 134th overall, Round 4 (Padres)
RHP AJ Causey: 138th overall, Round 5 (Royals)
SS Trey Snyder: 144th overall, Round 5 (Mets) — high school signee
RHP Aaron Combs: 229th overall pick, Round 8 (White Sox)
RHP Anson Seibert: 476th overall, Round 16 (Tigers) — high school signee
1B Eric Rataczak: 484th overall, Round 16 (Marlins) — transfer portal commit
OF Lucas Ramirez: 502nd overall, Round 17 (Angels) — high school commit
OF Ethan Wagner: 523rd overall, Round 17 (Astros) — high school commit
