Tennessee signee Jared Grindlinger signs with Los Angeles Angels as No. 12 overall pick in MLB Draft

Jared Grindlinger has signed with the Los Angeles Angels for $5,889,300, the full slot value of his spot in the 2026 MLB Draft. The outfielder and left-handed pitcher had signed with Tennessee baseball before being picked at No. 12 overall in the MLB Draft. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Grindlinger is the highest-ranked prospect in Tennessee’s 2026 class. He committed to UT in April over Georgia and Mississippi State. Grindlinger is the younger brother of Tennessee freshman catcher Trent Grindlinger. The left-handed pitcher and outfielder was the No. 16 prospect in the draft according to MLB.com and was ESPN’s No. 11 prospect. Grindlinger is ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the nation in the 2026 class, according to Perfect Game. The Huntington Beach, California, prospect reclassified to the 2026 class from the 2027 class in February. He was the third-ranked recruit in the 2027 class. Tennessee players who were picked in MLB Draft Tennessee signee and outfielder Trevor Condon was the No. 13 overall pick in the first round, selected immediately after Jared Grindlinger at No. 12. Tennessee right-hander Tegan Kuhns was the No. 32 overall pick to the St. Louis Cardinals. Right-handed pitcher Tyler Putnam, another Tennessee signee, was picked in the fifth round by the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. Third baseman Henry Ford was picked in the sixth round by the Seattle Mariners and right-handed pitcher Bo Rhudy was picked in the seventh round by the Philadelphia Phillies. Catcher Garrett Wright went in the eighth round to the Los Angeles Angels and first baseman Cody Boshell, another Tennessee signee, was an 11th-round pick for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Left-hander Brandon Arvidson was picked in the 12th round by the Chicago Cubs and left-hander Evan Blanco was picked by the Athletics in the 13th round. Jake McCoy, a Tennessee signee out of the transfer portal, was picked in the 18th round by the Toronto Blue Jays. Tennessee signees, commits who withdrew from MLB Draft Tennessee signees or portal commits who opted to play for the Vols over MLB opportunities include infielder and right-handed pitcher Michael Teasley, right-hander Shawn Sullivan, right-hander Gannon Grant, catcher Sean Dunlap, right-hander Gary Morse, outfielder AJ Curry, shortstop and right-hander Cole Koeninger, shortstop Jack Dugan, outfielder Andrew Duncan, infielder Travis Sanders, right-hander Parker Detmers and left-hander Ricky Ojeda. The Vols went 38-22 in coach Josh Elander‘s first season. They went 15-15 in SEC play with notable series wins against top-10 opponents in Mississippi State and Texas. They were the only program in the nation to go unbeaten in midweek games with a 14-0 record. UT’s season ended in the Chapel Hill Regional after it reached the postseason for the seventh straight season.