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What Tony Vitello said on Dylan Dreiling being drafted by the Rangers in the second round

On3 imageby:Eric Cain•07/14/24•

_Cainer

Tennessee's Dylan Dreiling. Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Tennessee's Dylan Dreiling. Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello, who was on set for the MLB Network broadcast of the first two rounds Sunday night of the 2024 MLB Draft, was able to witness and react in real time to four of his players drafted.

The Vols, in fact, led all college programs with four selections through the first two rounds. When Tennessee outfielder Dylan Dreiling was selected with the 65th overall pick of the second round by the Texas Rangers, Vitello was not surprised.

“Giddy up. He jumped up the board and really, the three guys who were at the top of the order have already gone off the board, but in the four-hole was Dylan Dreiling,” Vitello beamed. “He hits three homers to end the year in the championship series – was incredible for us. We talk about comps [comparisons] all the time, our strength coach [Quentin Eberhardt] would call him Honus Wagner. For those that don’t know, basically it’s an old school swing. But certainly, it works for him.”

Dreiling was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player after playing a key role for the Vols in Omaha while capturing their first ever national championship. The draft-eligible sophomore belted a seventh inning two-run home run in each of the three CWS Finals games against Texas A&M.

“It’s interesting. There’s a scout that I know who is one of the more reputable scouts I’ve ever come cross, he loved Dreiling out of high school,” Vitello continued. “He wanted to pay him close to a million dollars – it didn’t work out and now we see what he was talking about. He almost kind of foreshadowed when he saw him earlier this year that Dreiling was going to lead the way for us offensively. Down the stretch or in the biggest moments – the comeback against Florida State – he was the guy for us at the plate.”

He led the team with 75 RBI, launched 23 home runs and hit for an impressive .341 average in the cleanup spot. The Hays, Kan. native was named a Third Team All-American by D1 Baseball for his efforts this past season.  

“He just matured at a very quick rate. This was only his second year with us. He is a kid from Kansas,” the coach concluded. “A kid from a northern state who made a huge jump. In big, big moments, he’s super completive and confident, but the heart rate stays right where it needs to be.”

Dreiling was considered the 72nd-best draft prospect entering this weekend by MLB.com and ranked No. 73 from Baseball America. The projected slot value that comes with the 65th overall pick is $1,287,600, according to MLB.com.

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