The Vanderbilt Commodores, for the fourth time in consecutive years, failed to escape the regional round of the NCAA tournament. While there is a solid foundation laid for Tim Corbin to build upon, there are some massive gaps that him and the VandyBoys staff will have to fill.

The most glaring issues this year came with a position player. While the defense was outstanding, offensively, the group left much to be desired. On top of that, Vanderbilt is losing senior shortstop, Jonathan Vastine, senior right fielder, Jacob Humphrey, junior outfielder RJ Austin. First base Riley Nelson may depart for pro ball, but that is not a certainty. This piece will address both possibilities of him either staying or leaving.

Regardless of Nelson’s status, Vanderbilt has one very clear need: power hitting outfielders. With 2/3 of their outfield, almost certainly departing, Vanderbilt would need those positions regardless. But the offensive struggles of the team dictate that a particular type of outfielder is required at both positions.

For center field, well some may disagree with this, I won’t be mad if Tim Corbin opts for an elite defender. His track record shows that this will likely be the case. However, that elite defender had better be great at getting on base. One of Vanderbilt’s biggest issues this year is that their elite defensive players and base running threats simply did not get on base enough. Whether it is because I’ve an elite hit tool or an ability to draw a prolific amount of walks, the center fielder had better do a good job of getting on base.

For a corner outfield spot, I am not willing to make the same sacrifice. I’ll put this in the simplest terms possible: Vanderbilt needs a slugger. Almost every single elite team has a corner outfielder who can absolutely smash the cover off the ball and does so consistently. Vanderbilt has not had that since RJ Shreck in 2022. Vanderbilt needs an elite bat, and this is arguably the best position to find one.

Moving on from the outfield, it is very likely that Vanderbilt will take at least one left-side infielder in the portal. They already have third baseman Max Jensen coming in from Cornell, but given that he is coming off a season ending injury and has only ever faced Ivy League competition, I would think that the staff will want at least one more player to provide some competition at 3B or SS. If I were Tim Corbin, I would move Brodie Johnston to the shortstop position because it is such a massive asset to have a viable power bat at a traditionally more defensive position. Doing this would allow you to pursue a third baseman, another position traditionally filled by a power hitting, bat-first kind of player. This would likely optimize the offensive potential of the 2026 iteration of the VandyBoys while, admittedly, sacrificing a little bit of defense.

Now, I would not feel obligated to take any more players, should Riley Nelson return. However, as it is a possibility that he doesn’t, I will now go over the doors that open in his absence. If Nelson opts to go pro, the positional flexibility of Braden Holcomb comes into play. He is both a strong defender as an outfielder and at first base. Due to that, if Nelson leaves I would go after the best corner outfield and first base bats out there and simply move Holcomb based upon who you reel in. If you land another corner outfield, Holcomb moves to first. If it’s a 1st baseman, then he stays in right or left field. It’s really as simple as that.

There are not as many gaping holes in the pitching staff as there are with the position player group, but Vanderbilt still does need some transfers. Vandy is losing JD Thompson, Sawyer Hawks, and Cody Bowker in all likelihood, but there is a very solid group behind them. Austin Nye and Connor Fennell project as really good weekend starters, and Canderbilt returns a large number of good to great bullpen arms.

Their first and biggest need is to land another proven weekend starter. They only have two at the moment and there is not an obvious candidate to move into that third spot. If I were Vanderbilt, I would shoot big here. If you can land a true ace, you may just have the best pitching staff in the country. If not, though, as long as Vandy can acquire a proven starter, the staff will be in really good shape.

After that, I think Vanderbilt needs one elite bullpen arm. Whether it is a Sawyer Hawks type who can come in and shut down games for multiple innings, or a true elite closer it does not matter. As long as they can land someone to fill either of those roles, the bullpen is deep and talented enough to be elite with no other additions. Their only weakness this year was that there was not a true closer, and then they are losing their shut down guy in Hawks. I think you need to find someone to fill one of those two roles in the portal this year.

It’s not a massive number of transfers that Vanderbilt needs, but each one of them is at a crucial position. I do not think it is not at all hyperbolic to say that Vanderbilt‘s performance in the portal this year and ability to fill those gaps will be the difference between a return to Omaha and yet another disappointing season. Tim Corbin and Ty Blankmeyer have their work cut out for them, but it’s doable. All Vandy fans will anxiously wait to see what they can do in the summer of 2025.