Over the years, Tennessee has been known as “Pitcher U” with names like R.A. Dickey, Garrett Crochet, and Chase Dollander. Tennessee may be adding to that list with ace right-hander Tegan Kuhns entering the MLB Draft this year.
Freshman All-American honor caps breakout year for Tennessee’s Cam Appenzeller
Kuhns, a 6-foot-3 righty from Gettysburg, PA, spent two seasons at Tennessee, where he was especially dominant this year, posting a 3.56 ERA with 106 strikeouts to just 16 walks over 81 innings. Kuhns’ rise came from his improved fastball command, as his walks per nine dropped from 3.49 in his freshman season to 1.8 in his sophomore year.
Mock drafts are starting to reflect Kuhns’ rise. FanSided released its MLB mock draft, and they have Kuhns going No. 27 overall to the Mets. Author Mark Powell said:
“I’m a firm believer in Kuhns, who could be one of the steals of the draft if he can put it all together. Kuhns has a 60-grade fastball and one of the best breaking pitches in this class—his 60-grade curveball. Kuhns’ curveball has sharp break, and the best part is that he can control it. If he falls into the Mets’ lap, which we’ve projected in the last two mocks, David Stearns would be thrilled.”
Tegan Kuhns is a first round MLB talent
Every Friday, it was clear that Tennessee was in good hands when Kuhns took the mound. He made the 2nd Team All-SEC and took home wins against some of the best teams in the country, like Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Oklahoma. Without Kuhns, there’s a strong argument Tennessee may not have made the tournament. He was that good.
Even more important, as Powell mentioned, is his ability to locate his secondary pitch, the curveball. When Kuhns was at his best, he was piling up strikes with his mid-90s fastball and getting hitters to chase the curve. If he can continue building consistency with his slider, there’s no reason he can’t become a future MLB starting rotation arm.
The improvement of his command is something that will really make him intriguing to scouts, as he went from mediocre to very good in a matter of one season. Teams love a guy who can learn and adapt, and an athlete like Kuhns has shown he can adapt on the fly. In pretty much every notable stat, Kuhns improved on, and with him only being 20, there is still significant room for growth.
We are now just a month away from the MLB Draft, and Kuhns has positioned himself as a potential late first-round steal who could pay off in a big way at the next level.
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