KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – With the second half of the 2024 season kicking off Friday afternoon, former Tennessee Volunteers across the nation continue to well-represent their alma mater throughout the professional ranks, including one’s upcoming enshrinement into the sport’s lore forever.
Garrett Crochet’s meteoric rise has been the talk of baseball through the first half of the season. He became the eighth VFL in program history to be selected for the MLB All-Star Game before pitching a scoreless fourth inning in Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic, which was won by the American League. His inning was highlighted by a strikeout of Teoscar Hernandez, who won the Home Run Derby the night before.
Entering the break, Crochet led the majors in strikeouts (150) and ranked fifth in opponent batting average (.199). He was named AL Pitcher of the Month in June and ranks in the 90th percentile for eight different advanced metrics, according to Statcast.
Ben Joyce has also been on a tear since being recalled to the Angels on June 2. The Volunteer Fireman sports a 2.76 ERA over 16.1 innings of work and threw the fastest pitch of the 2024 season thus far, a 104.5 mph fastball, in a 6-5 victory over Seattle on July 12.
“There’s no doubt about it,” Angels’ manager Ron Washington said. “He’s growing, man. He’s starting to believe in himself and his ability to throw the ball over the plate. If he can do that, he’s going to be a real good one.”
Last Saturday, July 13, Chase Dollander got the start in the MLB All-Star Futures Game for the National League, posting a scoreless first inning of work at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. It was announced after the game that he would be promoted to Double-A Hartford after posting a 2.83 ERA in 70 innings at High-A Spokane. In those 70 innings, he had a league-best 111 strikeouts (14.27 K/9).
Most notable of all, Tennessee legend Todd Helton will be enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, July 21, in Cooperstown, New York. The Knoxville native was drafted by the Colorado Rockies No. 8 overall in 1995 and spent 17 years with the club, earning five All-Star selections, four Silver Sluggers and the 2000 Hank Aaron Award. Helton amassed 2,519 hits in his career, with 369 home runs and 1,406 RBIs. His triple-slash line finished at .316/.414/.539.
The 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday and will be broadcast on the MLB Network.
Information on all 33 VFLs in Major and Minor League Baseball can be found below. Also set to join this group soon are the eight Volunteers selected in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft. For more information on the 2024 draft class click HERE.
Vols in the MLB
Jordan Beck – OF, Colorado Rockies
10-Day Injured List
Season: 23 G, 79 AB, 15 H, 25 TB, 4 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 30 K, 2 SB, .190 AVG, .198 OBP, .316 SLG
Has been on the 10-day injured list since May 26 with a broken hand, but recently begun baseball activities and is nearing a return to game-action. Prior to his injury, Beck was finding his rhythm, logging a six-game hitting streak from May 11-17 which included a three-hit game, and his first big-league home run, at San Diego on May 15, then another long-ball on May 17 at San Francisco.
Still eligible due to service time, Beck is the No. 56 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline and Colorado’s third-best organizational prospect.
Garrett Crochet – LHP, Chicago White Sox
Season: 20 App, 20 GS, 6-6, 3.02 ERA, 107.1 IP, 79 H, 37 R, 36 ER, 23 BB, 150 K, 0.95 WHIP, .199 BAA
One of the top pitchers in all of baseball this year, Crochet was named an American League All-Star for the first time in his career and recorded a scoreless fourth inning, striking out Teoscar Hernandez. Crochet was named the AL Pitcher of the Month for June and leads the majors in strikeouts currently, notching 150 through 20 starts. He sports a 0.95 WHIP and a .199 opponent batting average and is the most coveted pitcher available on the trade market this season.
Ben Joyce – RHP, Los Angeles Angels
Season: 14 App, 1 GS, 1-0, 3 HLD, 2.76 ERA, 16.1 IP, 13 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 6 BB, 16 K, 1.16 WHIP, .217 BAA
Has been excellent for the Angels since being recalled on June 2, recording 11-consecutive scoreless outings. Joyce delivered the fastest pitch in the majors this year, clocking a 104.5 mph fastball on July 17 against Seattle, and he has not walked a batter in any of his last six appearances.
Trey Lipscomb – 3B, Washington Nationals
Season: 46 G, 145 AB, 17 R, 34 H, 39 TB, 2 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 11 BB, 29 K, 11 SB, 2 CS, .234 AVG, .296 OBP, .269 SLG
Recalled to the big-league club on July 2 and has hits in five-of-eight games. Lipscomb has had a particularly strong impact on the basepaths for the Nationals, leading the team in stolen-base percentage among players with 10 or more attempts at 84.6 percent. Already with 11 this season, Lipscomb compiled seven stolen bases in his four-year career at Tennessee.
Nick Senzel – 3B, Chicago White Sox
Season: 64 G, 206 AB, 25 R, 43 H, 74 TB, 10 2B, 7 HR, 18 RBI, 28 BB, 53 K, 1 SB, 3 CS, .209 AVG, .303 OBP, .359 SLG
Signed by the Chicago White Sox on July 17 after a stint with the Washington Nationals, Senzel looks to infuse some power into the Chicago order like he did in his white-hot month of April. The third baseman currently ranks in the 86th percentile in walk rate and 77th percentile in chase rate, according to Statcast.
Vols in the MiLB
Maui Ahuna – SS, San Jose Giants (Single-A SF)
Season: 32 G, 120 AB, 19 R, 32 H, 48 TB, 4 2B, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 15 BB, 41 K, 7 SB, 1 CS, .267 AVG, .360 OBP, .400 SLG
Has found his groove in Single-A San Jose going 11-for-29 (.276) at the plate in July with an eye-popping on-base percentage of .447. Ahuna crushed a grand slam on July 1 against Stockton for his fourth home run of the season.
Chad Dallas – RHP, Buffalo Bison (Triple-A TOR)
Season: 15 App, 15 GS, 2-4, 6.28 ERA, 61.2 IP, 72 H, 44 R, 43 ER, 23 BB, 57 K, 1.54 WHIP, .290 BAA
Came off the injured list on June 20 and finished out the month strong in Triple-A, conceding just one run over two starts for Buffalo while fanning seven batters over nine innings.
Dallas is ranked as Toronto’s No. 15 prospect.
Zach Daniels – OF, Corpus Christi Hooks (Double-A HOU)
60-Day Injured List
Season: 20 G, 71 AB, 9 R, 12 H, 20 TB, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 6 BB, 29 K, .169 AVG, .234 OBP, .282 SLG
Saw regular action throughout the month of May for Double-A Corpus Christi, primarily in left field, before landing on the injured list on May 28.
Jared Dickey – OF, Quad Cities River Bandits (High-A KC)
Season: 73 G, 255 AB, 32 R, 68 H, 106 TB, 11 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 31 BB, 58 K, 7 SB, 2 CS, .267 AVG, .364 OBP, .416 SLG
Continues to develop as the year progresses, hitting .326 (14-for-43) in July after a .278 (20-for-72) month of June. In those two months, the outfielder has nine extra-base hits and 18 RBIs. Dickey blasted a three-run homer, his seventh of the season, in his final game before the All-Star break against Peoria.
Chase Dollander – RHP, Spokane Indians (High-A COL)
Season: 14 App, 14 GS, 4-1, 2.83 ERA, 70 IP, 60 H, 26 R, 22 ER, 28 BB, 111 K, 1.26 WHIP, .228 BAA
One of the most exciting pitching prospects in the game, Dollander has continued to turn heads every time he takes the mound, leading the Northwest League in strikeouts (111). The fireballer has logged a 2.05 ERA since the beginning of June, amassing 51 strikeouts over 30.2 innings, including a pair of double-digit strikeout performances on June 14 at Vancouver, then again on July 2 at Tri-Cities.
Dollander started the 2024 All-Star Futures Game for the National League squad and pitched a scoreless frame. Following the contest, it was announced that he would be promoted to Double-A Hartford to begin the second half of the season.
Dollander is also highly touted according to MLB Pipeline, earning the No. 36 ranking on the Top 100. He also ranks as the Rockies top prospect and the sixth-best right-handed pitcher.
Max Ferguson – 2B, Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A BOS)
60-Day Injured List
Season: 7 G, 20 AB, 6 R, 5 H, 8 TB, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 8 K, 5 SB, .250 AVG, .348 OBP, .400 SLG
Transferred from the seven-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 7.
Jake Fitzgibbons – LHP, ACL D-backs (Rookie ARI)
Season: 4 App, 0-0, 9.82 ERA, 3.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, 1.91 WHIP, .167 BAA
Activated from the injured list on July 12 and has delivered a pair of scoreless outings since returning to action for the ACL D-backs, fanning three across two innings of work.
Drew Gilbert – OF, Syracuse Mets (Triple-A NYM)
Rehab Assignment
Season: 11 G, 34 AB, 4 R, 6 H, 9 TB, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 6 BB, 12 K, .176 AVG, .317 OBP, .265 SLG
Begun a rehab assignment on July 11 with the Mets’ complex league team. Gilbert has been sidelined since April 7 with a hamstring injury.
Gilbert remains in the MLB Pipeline Top 100 as the No. 39 prospect in baseball. He was also recently elevated to the No. 10 outfield prospect and ranks No. 3 in the Mets’ organization.
Seth Halvorsen – RHP, Hartford Yard Goats (Double-A COL)
Season: 29 App, 3-1, 8/10 SV, 3 HLD, 4.99 ERA, 30.2 IP, 28 H, 19 R, 17 ER, 17 BB, 17 K, 1.47 WHIP, .246 BAA
Excellent in the month of June for Hartford, locking down 6-of-7 save opportunities with a 1.80 ERA over 10 innings. Halvorsen has been terrific in high-leverage spots for the Yard Goats recently, successfully converting 8-of-9 saves over an 11-game stretch beginning on May 31 against Reading. At the break, Halvorsen sits tied for second in saves among Eastern League pitchers.
Sean Hunley – RHP, Durham Bulls (Triple-A TB)
Season: 20 App, 3 GS, 4-1, 0/2 SV, 1 HLD, 2.20 ERA, 41 IP, 29 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 8 BB, 31 K, 0.88 WHIP, .200 BAA
Elevated to Triple-A Durham on July 9 after a fantastic start to the year in Montgomery where he was the Biscuits’ most dependable arm, leading the team in ERA among all pitchers (2.03). Hunley made just one appearance in Triple-A before the All-Star Break, finishing the game at Charlotte on July 12.
Bryce Jenkins – RHP, Brooklyn Cyclones (High-A, NYM)
Injured – Full Season
2023 Season: 5 App, 0-1, 2 HLD, 9.00 ERA, 4 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 4 K, 2.50 WHIP, .316 BAA
Placed on the full-season injured list on May 15.
Zach Joyce – RHP, Inland Empire 66ers (Single-A, LAA)
7-Day Injured List
2023 Season: 11 App, 0-1, 1/1 SV, 3 HLD, 2.53 ERA, 10.2 IP, 9 H, 12 R, 8 ER, 14 BB, 26 K, 1.25 WHIP, .138 BAA
Remains on the seven-day IL for Single-A Inland Empire.
Cortland Lawson – SS, Harrisburg Senators (Double-A WAS)
Season: 62 G, 211 AB, 19 R, 42 H, 52 TB, 8 2B, 1 3B, 14 RBI, 14 BB, 58 K, 4 SB, 3 CS, .199 AVG, .250 OBP, .246 SLG
Entered the All-Star Break on a five-game hit streak which commenced during a three-hit night on July 6 at Altoona. For the month of July, Lawson is hitting .303 (10-for-33) with three doubles and three RBIs. He has served as the primary shortstop for the Senators this season.
Jackson Leath – RHP, Hickory Crawdads (High-A TEX)
7-Day Injured List
Season: 2 App, 0-0, 1 HLD, 0.00 ERA, 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1.00 WHIP, .286 BAA
Pitched a pair of scoreless innings during the month of June but was placed on the seven-day injured list on June 27.
Andrew Lindsey – RHP, Charleston RiverDogs (Single-A, TB)
Injured – Full Season
Season: 2 App, 1 GS, 1-1, 3.38 ERA, 8 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 9 K, 1.38 WHIP, .179 BAA
Placed on the full-season injured list on May 24.
Lindsey currently ranks as Tampa Bay’s No. 29 overall prospect.
Andre Lipcius – 2B, Oklahoma City Baseball Club (Triple-A LAD)
Season: 86 G, 349 AB, 62 R, 100 H, 179 TB, 18 2B, 2 3B, 19 HR, 64 RBI, 38 BB, 84 K, 8 SB, 3 CS, .287 AVG, .356 OBP, .513 SLG
Continues to consistently produce for Triple-A Oklahoma City, compiling an OPS of .869 at the midway point of the season. Lipcius has seen a notable uptick in his power numbers this season, already setting a new high-water mark in home runs for his minor league career with 19 in just 86 games, surpassing the 12 he had in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Lipcius leads the club in hits, while ranking second in homers and RBIs.
Will Mabrey – LHP, Amarillo Sod Poodles (Double-A ARI)
Season: 27 App, 2-2, 1/1 SV, 7 HLD, 3.30 ERA, 30 IP, 29 H, 14 R, 11 ER, 21 BB, 32 K, 1.63 WHIP, .244 BAA
Picked up his first save of the season on June 1 at Arkansas and has seen his strikeout numbers tick upward since last season. Mabrey stands as the team leader in holds.
Mark McLaughlin – RHP, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Single-A CWS)
Season: 21 App, 2-2, 4.20 ERA, 2 HLD, 40.2 IP, 32 H, 20 R, 19 ER, 21 BB, 28 K, 1.30 WHIP, .215 BAA
Has been a solid multi-inning reliever for Kannapolis and had a particularly strong month of June where he registered 15 innings with a 1.80 ERA and 13 strikeouts. McLaughlin limited opposing hitters to a .176 batting average during the month and kicked off July by tallying the victory against Fayetteville.
McLaughlin and the Cannon Ballers were first-half winners in the Carolina League and, in doing so, punched their ticket to the postseason.
Jorel Ortega – SS, Wichita Wind Surge (Double-A MIN)
Season: 75 G, 224 AB, 30 R, 44 H, 75 TB, 9 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 27 RBI, 29 BB, 68 K, 6 SB, 3 CS, .196 AVG, .298 OBP, .335 SLG
Started to find his groove in the power department, crushing five homers since June 6. Ortega has been particularly impressive in the field for Wichita, logging 406 error-free innings at both shortstop (231 inn.) and second base (175 inn.) in 2024.
Connor Pavolony – C, Bowie Baysox (Double-A BAL)
Season: 46 G, 142 AB, 16 R, 31 H, 47 TB, 10 2B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 23 BB, 50 K, 1 SB, .218 AVG, .335 OBP, .331 SLG
Has been back-and-forth between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk since the end of May but has shown lots of success with the Triple-A club, posting a .297.409/.459 triple-slash line for the Tides in 13 games. Also at the Triple-A level, Pavolony cut down 6-of-8 potential base stealers from behind the plate.
Jake Rucker – 2B, Wichita Wind Surge (Double-A MIN)
Season: 80 G, 300 AB, 40 R, 85 H, 116 TB, 14 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 47 RBI, 26 BB, 48 K, 4 SB, 3 CS, .283 AVG, .349 OBP, .387 SLG
Continues to be one of the most consistent and dependable bats in the order for Wichita, posting an average of .260 or higher each month of the season thus far. Rucker has the second-most hits and RBIs in the Texas League at the break and his first-half was highlighted by a two-homer, four-RBI game at Northwest Arkansas on June 8.
Andrew Schultz – RHP, Reading Fightin Phils (Double-A PHI)
Season: 24 App, 1-1, 2/3 SV, 1 HLD, 4.44 ERA, 24.1 IP, 19 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 11 BB, 30 K, 1.23 WHIP, .213 BAA
Fantastic since the start of June, Schultz has posted a 1.38 ERA over 13 innings with just eight baserunners allowed. The recent string of success has resulted in higher leverage situations for the hard-throwing right hander who closed out a pair of saves in his last three outings.
Alerick Soularie – OF, Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A SF)
Season: 54 G, 129 AB, 27 R, 24 H, 39 TB, 4 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 17 BB, 40 K, 15 SB, 6 CS, .186 AVG, .292 OBP, .302 SLG
Began anew with the San Francisco Giants organization on May 30 and started in Double-A Richmond on June 4. Soularie’s first home run with his new club was a grand slam, coming July 3 at Bowie.
Garrett Stallings – RHP, Nashville Sounds (Triple-A MIL)
Season: 19 App, 9 GS, 1-1,2 HLD, 5.18 ERA, 57.1 IP, 61 H, 36 R, 33 ER, 28 BB, 51 K, 1.55 WHIP, .275 BAA
Traded from Baltimore to Milwaukee on May 25 and has been effective as both a starter and a reliever for Triple-A Nashville. Stallings entered the All-Star Break on a high note, earning the victory on Sunday, July 14, after tossing 5.1 innings and allowing just one run against the Iowa Cubs.
Drew Steckenrider – RHP, Las Vegas Aviators (Triple-A OAK)
Restricted List
Remains on the restricted list with Las Vegas.
Seth Stephenson – OF, West Michigan Whitecaps (High-A DET)
Season: 71 G, 275 AB, 44 R, 68 H, 91 TB, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 25 BB, 65 K, 43 SB, 5 CS, .247 AVG, .344 OBP, .331 SLG
Tied for second in all of Minor League Baseball in stolen bases with 43, Stephenson has been unstoppable on the basepaths in 2024, swiping bags at a 89.5 percent success rate. He has also been highly dependable in the field for West Michigan, recording a .992 fielding percentage across all three outfield positions.
Blade Tidwell – RHP, Syracuse Mets (Triple-A NYM)
Season: 15 App, 12 GS, 2-6, 3.84 ERA, 72.2 IP, 56 H, 34 R, 31 ER, 38 BB, 69 K, 1.29 WHIP, .214 BAA
Earned a promotion from Double-A Binghamton to Triple-A Syracuse on May 21 and made eight appearances for the Mets (seven starts) before the All-Star Break. Tidwell burst on the scene in Triple-A, logging a 1.54 ERA in his first two starts. His second start was electric, tossing six innings of scoreless baseball and allowing just four hits against Buffalo on May 29.
Tidwell ranks as the Mets’ No. 11 prospect in the system.
Chase Wallace – RHP, Quad Cities River Bandits (High-A KC)
Season: 23 App, 1-3, 2/3 SV, 3 HLD, 3.27 ERA, 33 IP, 21 H, 16 R, 12 ER, 10 BB, 33 K, 0.88 WHIP, .175 BAA
Logged an excellent June where he sported a 2.35 ERA and an opponent batting average of .148. Wallace has also started earning time in high-leverage situations, picking up his first save of the season on June 17 at Great Lakes. He locked down another on July 1, posting a perfect ninth against Cedar Rapids.
