Tennessee baseball is leaving its imprint on America’s pastime.
It’s only been several weeks since the start of the 2026 MLB regular season, but Tony Vitello has already made his presence felt on and off the diamond.
While Vitello and the San Francisco Giants embark on their campaign, a handful of other Tennessee baseball alumni continue their professional paths. Former Vols standout Drew Gilbert is a member of that group, the 2022 first-round pick recently returning to the big leagues to join his former collegiate head coach.
Here’s a look at how some of Tennessee baseball’s past names are faring at the game’s highest level.
Tony Vitello, Drew Gilbert and Blade Tidwell – San Francisco Giants
Gilbert was recalled to the major leagues on April 15, and it wasn’t long before cameras captured a viral exchange between the outfielder and his new, but all too familiar, manager.
Vitello and Gilbert engaged in a playful shadow-boxing match, the duo of high-energy personalities expressing their pleasantries with one another in a way only they could.
On the field, the Giants have started the season 10-13, and there has been no shortage of storylines out of the first-year manager’s dugout. A postgame brawl after a series loss against the Cincinnati Reds, and a series of in-house issues within the San Francisco clubhouse are just a few of the headlines.
In Vitello fashion, he spun the spar in a way meant to motivate his team.
”I do think this is a team that’s already got strong camaraderie,” Vitello said after the scuffle in Cincinnati. “I do think there does need to be a little bit more battle. It doesn’t mean breaking a bat or starting a fight or anything like that, and I don’t think that was necessarily the intent, but just a little more competitive edge to them in all situations.”
Blade Tidwell, a second-round selection in the 2022 MLB Draft, earned his first career save on April 2nd when he posted three scoreless innings to close things out against the New York Mets.
Through eight innings this season, Tidwell has allowed two earned runs, good for a 2.25 ERA and a .75 WHIP. Both earned runs came in one appearance against the Baltimore Orioles on April 10.
Chase Dollander and Jordan Beck – Colorado Rockies
After an up-and-down 2025 season with the Rockies, first-round pick Chase Dollander was moved to the bullpen to start his second season and has seen growth in his numbers.
While no longer starting, Dollander gave the Rockies some length on April 16 when he posted 5.1 innings of relief, allowing one hit and striking out nine.
Alongside the former Vols hurler, Jordan Beck has struggled to find consistency in the early parts of his third professional season.
Over 48 at-bats this season, Beck has just one home run and seven RBIs, hitting .167 with a lowly .212 on-base percentage. On April 20, Beck led off for the Rockies, where he finished with three hits, giving the 2022 first-round selection just his second multi-hit game of the season.
