Tennessee players drafted in Day 1 of 2024 MLB draft ft. Christian Moore
National champions Tennessee Volunteers had their Big Four drafted on Day 1 of the 2024 MLB draft on Sunday night at the Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth Texas. They were Christian Moore, Blake Burke, Billy Amick and Dylan Dreiling.
Moore was selected eighth overall in the first round by the Los Angeles Angels while Burke was taken as the 34th pick by the Milwaukee Brewers as its competitive balance draft selection. Amick came in 26 picks later as the second-round choice by the Minnesota Twins. The Texas Rangers went for Dreiling five picks later.
The quartet was instrumental in helping the Volunteers win the national championship over the Texas A&M Aggies and gain an SEC record of winning 60 games in a season.
Tennessee players drafted on Day 1 of the 2024 MLB draft
#1. Christian Moore, Round 1, 8th overall, Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels have found a power hitter that will complement longtime franchise player Mike Trout in the next one or two years. Christian Moore was one of Tennessee's power batters in its title-winning run. The second baseman was the No. 13 prospect in MLB.com's Top 250 but the Angels saw Moore as a franchise foundation who could rake multiple RBIs and smack game-changing home runs.
This past season, the six-foot-one Brooklyn, New York native hit .375 and smashed 34 home runs and 74 RBIs in 72 games. He scored a career-high 83 runs and had a slugging percentage of .797 and an on-base percentage of .451. Moore needs to improve on his fielding defense as he committed 12 errors which reduced his fielding percentage to .953.
#2. Blake Burke, Competitive Balance Round A, 34th overall, Milwaukee Brewers
Blake Burke brings accurate hitting, championship experience and excellent fielding to the Milwaukee Brewers' mix when he got drafted on Sunday as a competitive balance selection. Burke started for 72 games with the Volunteers in the 2024 season and had a batting average of .379 with 20 homers and 61 RBIs. He had an on-base percentage of .449 and slugging rate of .701.
The six-foot-three player puts the ball on the ground or the air as he only recorded 48 strikeouts in the just-concluded season. He had 11 stolen bases. Burke was excellent on defense with 497 putouts and 48 assists. He only committed six errors for a .989 fielding percentage.
#3. Billy Amick, Round 2, 60th pick, Minnesota Twins
Billy Amick was one of the vital pieces of Tennessee's championship run in the 2024 season. The third baseman started in 65 games and hit .306 this past season with 23 home runs and 65 RBIs. Amick had an on-base percentage of .387 and slugging rate of .639.
The six-foot-one transferee out of Clemson concluded the season with 53 strikeouts had 29 walks. Amick's defense needs some improvement going into the major leagues. During his time with Tennessee, he had a fielding percentage of .926 on 26 putouts and 74 assists to compensate for the eight errors he committed the whole year. Amick will need to improve on his defense to move up to the major leagues as he will be in a battle with Royce Lewis and Jose Miranda for third base.
#4. Dylan Dreiling, Round 2, 65th overall, Texas Rangers
Dylan Dreiling was the last pick of the second round. Texas would welcome this development as the Tennessee outfielder brings his hitting prowess and above-average defense to the Rangers' lineup.
The five-foot-eleven Dreiling hit .341 and smacked 23 home runs and 75 RBIs this past season. He had an on-base percentage of .459 and a slugging rate of .715 for the record-breaking Volunteers squad. In defense, Dreiling had a fielding percentage of .963 as he had four errors to go along with 103 putouts and two assists. The Rangers need another power bat in its roster and Dreiling is a good fit for the team.