After a day in which Vanderbilt had four commits and a current player selected, it had five current players selected on Monday and received a significant piece of good news as it pertains to one of its top commits.
Monday went much better than Sunday did for the Commodores.
Good news
After a day of bad news on Sunday, Vanderbilt finally got some fantastic news on Monday.
On Monday afternoon, Braden Holcomb announced that his intention is to play at Vanderbilt next season rather than signing with an MLB team.
Holcomb was a player thought of as a someone that could potentially be selected on day two, therefore being someone that wouldn't make it to campus. Luckily for Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin, that wasn't how this one ended.
Instead, he has another big-time bat in his lineup that can play multiple positions and could be the Vanderbilt freshman that contributes the most in 2024.
Holcomb has notoriously impressive power, a 6-foot-4, 215 pound frame and a highly-regarded arm that could allow him to stick on the left side of the infield long term or move to a corner outfield spot.
That power will be valuable for a Vanderbilt team that has lost plenty of it, including its two home run leaders in RJ Schreck (14) and Parker Noland (9).
Holcomb is the type of player that Vanderbilt hopes to sneak through the draft every season but isn't always able to. This feels especially significant.
Five current players selected
As expected, day two of the draft included plenty of selections of players from Vanderbilt's 2023 roster.
After Enrique Bradfield Jr.'s selection on Sunday, highly-regarded lefty Hunter Owen went in the 4th round with the 106th pick of the draft to the Kansas City Royals. Owen could've gone higher but likely fell due to injury concerns. Owen started 12 games for Vanderbilt in 2023 and posted a 4-0 record along with a 3.52 ERA.
Vanderbilt's talented swingman, Patrick Reilly, was taken next by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fifth round. Reilly struggled to settle in as a starter in his time at Vanderbilt but has projectable stuff that teams seem to feel can eventually translate into results at the next level.
After a season in which he posted a 1.45 ERA and recorded eight saves Nick Maldonado went in the eighth round to the Miami Marlins. Maldonado leaves Vanderbilt with 17 saves, which ranks fifth in program history.
Maldonado's partner in crime in the back end of the bullpen, Thomas Schultz, was selected in the 9th round by the Washington Nationals. Schultz was thought of as a potential candidate to return for his final season of eligibility but will likely forgo that year and play professionally, instead. Vanderbilt will now have to fill that role via homegrown arms along with Air Force transfer Sawyer Hawks.
The last Vanderbilt player selected came 22 picks later with RJ Schreck going to the Seattle Mariners in the 9th round. Schreck played one season at Vanderbilt after going undrafted last season and will now have a chance to fufill his goal of playing professionally. Schreck was the only Vanderbilt player selected that did not have any remaining eligibility.
What to watch for on Tuesday
The draft will wrap up on Tuesday with rounds 11-20. As Tuesday approaches, Vanderbilt has plenty of answers but is not completely out of storylines.
For remaining commits such as Ethan McElvain, Camden Kozeal and RJ Hamilton, it feels as if the 11th round is the scariest round. Teams could jockey around some money, make some calls and get one signed if all works out. For Vanderbilt, that would be the worst case scenario after escaping today with all three still in the class.
McElvain is the one to really watch while Kozeal and Hamilton probably have more of a chance to reach campus.
Current players like Grayson Moore, Jack Bulger, Alan Espinal and Sam Hliboki are also players to watch as surprise selections.
Monday went about as well as Vanderbilt realistically could have hoped for, but Tuesday will be the final test before the dust is settled.
