Padres select Tennessee’s Kavares Tears in fourth round of 2024 MLB Draft
Tennessee outfielder Kavares Tears has been selected by the San Diego Padres with pick No. 134 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft.
The redshirt-sophomore left-handed hitter is the sixth Vol to be selected in this year’s draft, following Christian Moore (8th overall, Angels), Blake Burke (34th overall, Brewers) and Billy Amick (60th overall, Twins), Dylan Dreiling (65th overall, Rangers) and Drew Beam (76th overall, Royals). Signee Ty Southisene was also drafted 120th overall in the fourth round by the Cubs.
Finally healthy in 2024 after battling several minor injuries to begin his career, Tears went from not having a position defensively to becoming a member of the 2024 All-SEC Defensive Team in the outfield. He was the everyday right fielder for the Vols this season, but played great centerfield at times, including a pair of nice catches in Omaha while filling in for Hunter Ensley.
The slugger broke through at the plate this year as well, spending the first two-thirds of the season as the Tennessee cleanup hitter before shifting back to sixth in the order for the final stretch. Tears totaled a .324 batting average with 20 home runs and 62 RBI while walking 45 times and scoring 73 runs.
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Coming into the draft, Tears was considered the No. 66 draft prosect by MLB.com and No. 83 by Baseball America.
Scouting Report from MLB.com
Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50
“Tennessee has a history of players breaking out after having to wait their turn, including Trey Lipscomb, who barely played in his first three seasons with the Volunteers before becoming a 2022 fourth-rounder and landing in the big leagues less than two years later. The latest is Tears, who redshirted in 2022 and got just 56 at-bats last spring while dealing with oblique and hamstring injuries. He suddenly has emerged as one of the toolsiest players in college baseball and one of the most productive hitters on Tennessee’s College World Series championship team.
Tears has a relatively flat left-handed swing but creates at least plus raw power with his wicked bat speed and strength, generating a lot of hard line drives that carry over the fence to all parts of the ballpark. After often looking helpless against non-fastballs in the past, he’s making better swing decisions and more consistent contact this spring. He shows the ability to put together quality at-bats and works walks when pitchers won’t challenge him.
A physical athlete with an outstanding work ethic, Tears earns fringy to well-above-average grades for both his speed and arm strength. He’s slower out of the batter’s box and quicker once he gets going, though he’s not much of a basestealer. He has played mostly right field for the Volunteers, though some evaluators believe he could handle center field at the next level.”
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)
