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Two Tennessee baseball players projected to be drafted in first round of MLB Draft

By Colton Pickard

Tennessee's Christian Moore (1) celebrates a home run with Tennessee's Billy Amick (11) during a NCAA baseball tournament Knoxville Super Regional game between Tennessee and Evansville held at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Friday, June 7, 2024.
Tennessee's Christian Moore (1) celebrates a home run with Tennessee's Billy Amick (11) during a NCAA baseball tournament Knoxville Super Regional game between Tennessee and Evansville held at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Friday, June 7, 2024. / Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA
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Tennessee baseball is coming off its first national championship in program history. Now, Vols that have graduated and declared for the MLB Draft are looking forward to their future at the next level. 

Christian Moore, Billy Amick, Blake Burke, and Drew Beam will head the Vols in the 2024 MLB Draft, and at least two Vols could be drafted in the first round. 

MLB staff writer Jonathan Mayo updated his 2024 draft projections on MLB.com with his penultimate draft projection ahead of draft night on July 14 in Arlington, Texas. 

Christian Moore is Tennessee's highest-ranked player in the MLB's 2024 prospect ranking. Moore is ranked No. 13 overall and the fifth-highest player out of the SEC. 

Moore is also the first of two Vols to be taken off the board in the first round, according to Mayo, who projects the Tennessee second baseman to be drafted No. 12 overall to the Boston Red Sox. 

"The Red Sox would love it for one of the dozen players selected above to reach them, and let's face it, that usually happens," Mayo writes. "But in this scenario, Moore appears to be the best of the next group, which is very college-hitter-heavy. Boston might also look at Florida State's Cam Smith from that demographic or Yesavage from the college arm bucket."

Mayo also mentions that Moore could be a top-ten pick if the Pittsburgh Pirates choose to take Moore at No. 9 over Florida State outfielder James Tibbs. 

The second Vol to be drafted in the first round based on Mayo's projections is Billy Amick, who falls just outside the top-30, to the Baltimore Orioles at No. 32. Amick is the No. 32 ranked prospect, and Mayo also likes the possibility of Amick going to the Minnesota Twins at No. 21. 

Tennessee has five other players in the MLB's top-250 draft prospects, including three in a row. Drew Beam is the No. 64 ranked prospect, Blake Burke is ranked No. 65, and Kavares Tears is ranked No. 66. All three of those players could be second-round draft picks in this year's draft. 

The Vols have two more players ranked inside MLB's top 250 who could go later in the draft. Dylan Dreiling is ranked No. 72, and AJ Causey is ranked No. 242. 

This year's MLB Draft will take place throughout MLB's All-Stare Game festivities in Texas. The Texas Rangers are hosting the 2024 All-Star Game, and the draft will take place down the road in Fort Worth starting Sunday, July 14, at 5:00 PM ET and going through Tuesday, July 16. 

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