Freshman All-American honor caps breakout year for Tennessee’s Cam Appenzeller

Even in an up-and-down first year of the Josh Elander era, Tennessee may have found its next big-time arm in lefty Cam Appenzeller. The 6-foot-5 southpaw was one of the best young pitchers in the nation last season.

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There’s a lot to like about what Appenzeller brought to the mound this spring, and it gets even better. Perfect Game announced its freshman All-America team, and Appenzeller made the list as a second-team relief pitcher, which is exactly what you want to see from a freshman arm.

It’s no surprise that Appenzeller is on this list. Against Vanderbilt, he went 6.0 innings, allowing four hits and no runs. The next game, he threw 5.0 innings against LSU, giving up just one hit and no runs. He allowed only one earned run in 3.1 postseason innings and was a reliable arm out of the Tennessee bullpen all season long, providing stability for a unit that struggled for much of the year. Seeing him earn more recognition is further proof that Elander has a young star in the making.

Tennessee's Cam Appenzeller has lived up to the hype

Coming out of high school, he was the No. 22 overall recruit according to Perfect Game, and he has lived up to the hype. He posted 64 strikeouts to just 15 walks, which is very impressive, especially for a freshman. He has overpowering stuff along with the command to consistently locate it in the right spots. His ERA wasn’t great, but that is expected in SEC play against strong hitters every weekend. The real takeaway is that he has the kind of foundational stuff that should only improve as he matures physically and fills out his frame.

What really stands out is his ability to get right-handed hitters out. Appenzeller had a 3.77 FIP with a 1.13 WHIP against right-handed batters this year. One of the most telling signs of a dominant lefty is the ability to consistently handle right-handed hitters, and he had no issues doing so as a freshman.

What I’d like to see next season is Appenzeller improve a bit with runners in scoring position, where he had a 1.5 WHIP and a 5.55 FIP. Obviously, getting outs in pressure situations like that is difficult, but if he can clean that up, he has the potential to be an All-American next year. His stuff is that good.

Tennessee has plenty to be excited about moving forward, and Cam Appenzeller is at the center of it all.

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