For the third installation of the roster preview I will go over the outfield. This is likely Vanderbilt’s weakest position group. While it is defensively strong, there are real questions about whether there will be the offensive corner outfield production that most SEC teams have and Vanderbilt desperately needs. There were only 5 designated outfielders on Vanderbilt’s roster last year, part of why Jack Bulger and Braden Holcomb had to split time in LF and RF. There are similarly few this year, suggesting that we will likely see several infielders or utilitymen (who will be covered in the infield preview) in the corner outfield spots whether because of injury or disappointing performance.

As a side note, Vanderbilt landed Koby Kropf as a transfer in the offseason who hit 20 home runs for USC Upstate last season and was thought to be in contention for a corner outfield spot. He transferred from Vanderbilt to Winthrop in the winter portal. While hopes were high for Kropf coming into the season, he really struggled in fall ball in both inter and intra squad scrimmages. I do not think he projected to play much for Vanderbilt this season, which is likely the reason for his transfer.

Despite my spiel about the weakness of Vanderbilt’s outfield, it contains their best position player in right-handed hitter RJ Austin. Austin began last year in center field before injuries forced him to move to first and then second base. He looked strong defensively in center field, he has the speed, ball tracking skills, and arm to make a great outfielder. Despite this hectic defensive movement, Austin took a major step up and posted an extremely strong season offensively. He hit .335 with 14 doubles, 2 triples, and 5 home runs along with stealing 28 bases. We already know what Austin offers us, as he was by far the most consistent bat in Vanderbilt’s lineup last season, so I will speak not about what he has already done but about some potential changes to his game.

After the season Austin played for both USA baseball and in the Cape Cod League where he showed an interesting change in his game. Austin changed up his stance and swing a little bit, sacrificing some of his walks and OBP in favor of more power production. He hit multiple home runs for Team USA and had 8 XBH (including 2 home runs) in the Cape with wood bats. This is a massive change in performance from the college baseball season to the summer. He hit 4 home runs with a wooden bat in about 100 ABs compared to 5 home runs with a metal bat in 242 ABs. It will be interesting to see if he keeps this up during the season, as it reduces the effectiveness of arguably Austin’s biggest strength: his ability to get on base and then wreak havoc once he’s there. However, in modern day college baseball, it is commonly accepted that hitting 5-6 more home runs is much more valuable than stealing 8-10 more bases. I think that so long as Austin’s batting average does not drop precipitously (unlikely as he hit over .300 for both Team USA and in the Cape after these changes) he should hit for power. This will not only help Vanderbilt, but also increase his draft stock as his speed and hit ability are not the things in question. Look for Austin to potentially have a power breakout this season.

Behind Austin is right handed-hitter Jacob Humphrey who transferred to Vanderbilt from UMass Lowell last year. Humphrey had an up and down season, ultimately ending up with a relatively disappointing offensive output. He only hit .227 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, and 2 home runs, but where he thrived was in stealing bases where he went 12 for 15. Just from looking at this it is pretty easy to tell that Humphrey’s greatest strength is his speed, making him strong as a pinch runner and defensive substitution. We will certainly see Humphrey get some action for the ‘Dores this year, but if it is in any capacity greater than one of those two roles, this does not bode well.

Here we come to the part of the roster that nobody can figure out right now: the corner outfield spots. One of the players vying for a starting spot is Dayton transfer David Mendez. The right-handed hitter comes to Vanderbilt after a prolific freshman season for the Dayton Flyers. He won A-10 freshman of the year as he hit .342 with 9 doubles, 2 triples, and 6 home runs in 190 ABs. He also stole 24 bases and drew 30 walks while only striking out 29 times. Mendez is the classic Vanderbilt left fielder, a defensively sound player who is going to hit for a high average and steal some bases as best qualities are his hit tool and speed. Both of these are very useful for an outfielder, but not necessarily what is most effective in the modern game. Mendez looked strong in fall ball, hitting over .300 (although not producing much power) and playing very good defense. He will certainly be a serviceable option in left field if he starts there.

Another player fighting to start in left field is right-handed hitter RJ Hamilton. Hamilton was a very highly rated high school recruit in the 2023 high school class (he was actually rated above both Barczi and Kozeal) but tore his ACL in the fall and redshirted last season. Hamilton’s best quality is his speed, as it is truly elite (he runs a sub 6.3 60 yard dash), but he also has a solid hit tool. Him and Mendez are similar players, with Hamilton having a bit more speed while Mendez is the slightly better hitter. Hamilton also impressed in fall ball, hitting over .300 and producing more power than I thought he would. It’s anyone’s guess who will start here, and it may be done situationally based on what Tim Corbin thinks best exploits opponents’ weaknesses.

Despite the abilities of Hamilton and Mendez, we have seen that the teams having the most success in the SEC and greater college baseball have tended to sacrifice a bit of defense in favor of raw power and hitting prowess in the corner outfield spots. I believe that Vanderbilt needs more power than what Mendez or Hamilton offer at that spot (although they are by no means bad options). If they are playing in the outfield, I believe that Vanderbilt needs to have someone with major power potential in the right field spot, which would demand some shifting around.

Here there is a bit less confusion about who will start, although there are still big questions about whether an infielder/utilityman will be moved to the position as the season progresses. The likely starter in right field is senior left-handed hitter JD Rogers. Rogers might just be the best pure athlete in the history of Vanderbilt baseball, as he has won the Omaha challenge every year he has been on campus. That has not yet translated to major playing time, though, as he saw action for the first time sparingly last year. Rogers was solid in his time, as he hit .333 with a home run in 21 ABs. Rogers has great tools, he possesses above average speed, power, and arm strength, but we need to see them translate into production more consistently. That began to happen over the summer in the Cape, where Rogers was an All-Star who hit .287 with 3 doubles and a home run to go along with 12 stolen bases and 21 walks (Rogers may also have the best feel for the strike zone on the whole team). An interesting piece was put out about Rogers over his time in the Cape discussing his swing and offensive potential. It basically stated that Rogers’ extremely flat swing disadvantages him in the modern game and he would be well served to change his attack angle and offensive philosophy. The reason this bears mentioning is that with a new hitting coach there is a real chance that we could see a change in Rogers’ swing. I will be very interested to see if Coach King can help him tap into his notable raw power by tweaking some things with his swing. In all, Rogers is a veteran who has put in the time and work to get a real shot at starting for the year, I expect Corbin to give him that opportunity.

Behind Rogers, the only designated outfielders are freshmen who do not project to play this season. Frankly, if they are playing then Vanderbilt is in trouble. Instead, Rogers’ likely “backups” are RJ Hamilton, Jacob Humphrey, or Braden Holcomb, all of whom have a different skill set than Rogers and have experience playing in the outfield.

Overall, the outfield is a concern due to both lack of depth and talent. While it is certainly possible that one of Vanderbilt’s unproven outfielders can step their game up and produce for the ‘Dores, it seems unlikely that this will happen across the board. Look for Tim Corbin to experiment a lot with who he puts in the corner outfield spots in order to find the best possible offensive and defensive lineup.