Tennessee Signee Jared Grindlinger Heavily Linked to MLB Team
Tennessee Signee Jared Grindlinger Heavily Linked to MLB Team
Jared Grindlinger is a Tennessee signee, but he is also a part of the 2026 MLB Draft class, and one team has been heavily linked to the two-way star.Wesley Powell|
Tennessee baseball had a very disappointing 2026 campaign. Josh Elander will look to bounce back in year two as head coach with a talented group of returning players, transfers, and the incoming 2026 recruiting class.
Jared Grindlinger is one of the top 2026 signees in Tennessee's recruiting class. However, there is a good chance he never plays a game for the Volunteers, as he is currently projected to go very high in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Jared Grindlinger Projected to be Taken High in MLB Draft
According to SI’s Brad Wakai, the Washington Nationals have been heavily linked to drafting the young star, along with multiple mock drafts predicting him to end up in the nation's capital. Whether or not he is actually taken by the Nationals, he will still likely be drafted very high despite his young age.
Even though in recent years MLB teams have been trending towards drafting more college players, in Sports Illustrated’s recent mock draft, Grindlinger went 13th overall to the St. Louis Cardinals and was the third high school player taken.
The 17-year-old has attracted a lot of interest because of his two-way ability. He recently clocked a 96 miles per hour fastball.
If you would like to know more about Grindlinger and where his head is ahead of the MLB Draft, Vols on SI recently spoke with him about it. More about that can be read by clicking here.
Grindlinger as a Prospect
Here’s what MLB.com had to say about Grindlinger as a prospect:
A year ago, Trent Grindlinger was a well-regarded prep catcher out of Huntington Beach HS in California, one who went on to play college ball at Tennessee. Scouts in southern California were abuzz when Trent's younger brother, Jared, reclassified in February from 2027 to be a part of this year's Draft class. The 17-year-old is legitimate two-way player for the Oilers, and evaluators seem to prefer his left-handed ability on the mound.
One of the youngest players in the class -- he just turned 17 in April -- Grindlinger is all about projection on the mound. His present stuff doesn't jump off the page, but it's very easy to dream on a lot more to come as he fills out his 6-foot-3 frame. His fastball has been clocked up to 95 mph at times -- touching 96 mph last summer -- but he typically sits around 90-93 mph, with good arm speed and strength that some scouts think points to a future plus heater. He's been using an 80-82 mph kick changeup lately, though some favored his feel for a traditional circle change he'd used previously, and he'll occasionally try to throw two brands of slider, with the short, bullet one better than the sweepier version. He tends to be around the plate with his stuff.
As a hitter, Grindlinger has a contact-oriented swing, albeit without much impact now, though some feel there is power to come, which would help him fit a likely corner outfield or first base profile better. His name was rushing up Draft boards, but if somehow things didn't work out, he could get the chance to keep playing both ways with his brother at Tennessee next year.
Published 1 hour ago
WESLEY POWELLHome/Recruiting
Serena Williams Didn’t Win in Wimbledon Return. But She Didn’t Lose Either
Serena Williams Didn’t Win in Wimbledon Return. But She Didn’t Lose Either
The 44-year-old fell to 20-year-old Maya Joint in a respectable showing after nearly four years away from major competition. Jon Wertheim|
For all its hidebound traditions, Wimbledon decided to do something different this year. The tournament turned back the clock on Tuesday at the All England Club. There on Centre Court (in, symbolically, diminishing evening light), was the familiar sight of Serena Williams, ankles taped, clad in Nike, brandishing a Wilson racket, crowding the baseline, serving in excess of 120 mph, fixing her eyes on targets and rocking her arms as she prepared to return serve.
The nostalgia and throwback only went so far. Serena played more than respectably—surely one of the world’s all-time best players north of 40 years old. She served well, moved respectively, and, at times, did a convincing Serena impersonation. But in the end, the mighty Serena Williams lost to Maya Joint, a game 20-year-old from Australia, 6–3, 6–7, 6–3. And with that, considerable amounts of air left this tournament.
Ever since she announced her comeback, Serena has been the talk of Wimbledon, the biggest source of star wattage and the reason ESPN’s ratings may be higher for this first-round match than for the finals 10 days from now. This is a familiar story of a generational athlete returning, braided with themes of motherhood, self-agency and even the power of GLP-1s.
But, viewed objectively, this match was more about the opponent than the headliner. A former star at Texas, Joint turned pro as a teenager and cracked the top 30 in the WTA rankings. This year, at 20, she’s struggled mightily, having lost 12 of the past 13 matches she’s played. But tonight, in the strangest and most pressure-stuffed match of her career, she was the player who imposed herself, who protected her second serve, won the majority of the long rallies and handled the occasion with poise to burn.
Four years ago at Wimbledon, Serena lost to France’s Harmony Tan, moving sluggishly, making scads of errors and playing at a level unworthy of a GOAT. On Tuesday, she would have beaten that player handily. Against a player half her age, she hung in rallies, clubbed seven aces and showed flashes of brilliance. She also suffered from the lack of match play, made a series of questionable decisions, played too many balls to the middle of the court and missed too many second-serve returns. “Respectable” was a word scribbled in my notes more than once. Not dazzling. Not embarrassing. Respectable.
Where does Serena go from here? The first answer is the Wimbledon doubles draw, where she will pair with her sister, Venus, their combined age being 90. The bigger question: Was this a fun detour and experiment, a chance for a player to test herself and play in front of her kids when they could appreciate Mom’s aura? Or will this fail to slake her thirst for competition, and she’ll start training for the U.S. hard-court season?
Speculating about anything Serena-related is a fool’s errand. Always has been. But if she continues this comeback, she’ll need more match play, a bit more movement and better returning.
This we can say with certitude: Serena didn’t lose on Tuesday. Not in the big picture. But she didn’t win either. Her career singles record coming in was 858–156. It is now 858–157.
Meanwhile, the doubles team of time and biology remains, of course, unbeaten.
More Tennis from Sports Illustrated
Published 9 minutes ago | Modified 9 minutes ago
JON WERTHEIMJon Wertheim is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and has been part of the full-time SI writing staff since 1997, largely focusing on the tennis beat, sports business and social issues, and enterprise journalism. In addition to his work at SI, he is a correspondent for “60 Minutes” and a commentator for The Tennis Channel. He has authored 11 books and has been honored with two Emmys, numerous writing and investigative journalism awards, and the Eugene Scott Award from the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Wertheim is a longtime member of the New York Bar Association (retired), the International Tennis Writers Association and the Writers Guild of America. He has a bachelor’s in history from Yale University and received a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in New York City and Paris with his wife, who is a divorce mediator and adjunct law professor. They have two children.
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What a Jaylen Brown Trade Would Cost the Jazz–– And Why They'd Regret It
What a Jaylen Brown Trade Would Cost the Jazz–– And Why They'd Regret It
Could the Utah Jazz get involved in the Jaylen Brown trade sweepstakes?Jared Koch|
In this story:
Utah JazzThe Jaylen Brown trade sweepstakes are heating up, as the Boston Celtics appear to be listening to offers for their five-time All-Star after failing in their efforts to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier this offseason.
Brown could be an intriguing fit for several teams, considering he's fresh off a career-best season in Boston in the wake of Jayson Tatum's Achilles recovery, and would be an instantly impactful player for wherever he ends up if he is dealt away from Boston after nine seasons.
"In some cases, the Celtics have asked for at least four first-round picks for Jaylen Brown." @ShamsCharania on a potential Jaylen Brown trade 👀 pic.twitter.com/seGNQWJBBX
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 26, 2026
One team that's been subtly connected to Brown, simply because of the Boston connections within the front office and coaching staff, has been the Utah Jazz––who have former Celtics execs Danny and Austin Ainge running their basketball operations, and might be a dark horse in the race to push for a deal surrounding the All-NBA talent.
But what would a trade look like for the Jazz if they were in the market to try and land Brown? And even if they were, would pulling the trigger on a deal make sense from their perspective?
Let's break it all down:
What a Jazz Trade for Jaylen Brown Would Look Like
The Athletic's Sam Vecenie recently laid out a half-dozen trade ideas for Brown that could make sense with the recent reports that the 2024 Finals MVP is being shopped by the Celtics.
One of the suitors mentioned in those trade frameworks was none other than the Jazz, who Vecenie sees as an ideal partner for the Celtics to deal with for a package centering around Lauri Markkanen:
This seems like a fair ask from the Celtics if they were to inquire with the Jazz about a deal. They get a returning centerpiece that matches Brown's salary in Markkanen, a young bench scorer in Sensabaugh, and a couple of draft picks that sweeten the pot.
On the other side of the equation, the Jazz could land a top-15 player in the league in return, a true number one option to lean on for their offense who's still got several years left in his prime, and give their defensive side of the ball a lift with the impact Brown provides on that end as well.
The logic makes some sense for both sides. So maybe the deal shouldn't be totally counted out as a possibility. However, that doesn't mean the Jazz should rush to make a deal like this happen.
In fact, Utah might be better off steering clear of pushing their chips in for a move like this, rather than trying to make a splashy acquisition for the Celtics star.
Why the Jazz Should Hold Off on a Jaylen Brown Deal
While a superstar acquisition like Brown is sure to draw some initial intrigue, especially for a team like the Jazz who have the assets to make it happen, Utah is in no rush to make a swap like this happen.
In reality, the Jazz are in year one of facilitating a competitive, playoff-level roster this year. They've spent time building up their chemistry around the roster, have a great combination of veteran and young talent, and have future flexibility in terms of draft capital to bolster things even further down the road.
2026-27 Utah Jazz:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 24, 2026
— Darryn Peterson
— Jaren Jackson Jr
— Lauri Markkanen
— Walker Kessler
— Ace Bailey
— Keyonte George
— Isaiah Collier
— Kyle Filipowski
Playoff team? pic.twitter.com/Y5aO11V11C
Nothing about the Jazz's situation screams, "we have to go get Jaylen Brown." They're actually in a polar opposite position. While they're in a solid spot to win next season, their timeline allows them to remain patient, see how this current core shakes out next year, and then potentially re-evaluate for further moves next offseason.
Lauri Markkanen is also a huge part of the equation for the Jazz as well. Brown might be the better player in a vacuum, but Markkanen has remained outwardly committed Utah since they first started their rebuilding process.
Markkanen's is locked in with Utah for his future until 2029 thanks to the $238 million deal he signed in 2024, is still at the prime of his career, coming off a strong 2025-26 campaign, and has the playstyle and versatility to be an ideal fit in several different variations of this Jazz lineup and roster both now and moving forward.
Unless the deal was one that the Jazz simply couldn't refuse, there's no real incentive for the Jazz to pivot off of Markkanen now. A deal for Brown may provoke some thought in a Utah front office with history in Boston, though still doesn't seem like enough for them to pull the trigger.
All of that being said, Jazz fans probably don't have to worry about a Brown deal being on the way anytime soon this offseason. And in any case that it does come to form, it might not take long for Utah to regret pushing their chips in so soon.
Published 1 minute ago
JARED KOCHJared Koch is the deputy editor of Utah Jazz On SI. He's covered the NBA and NFL for the past two years, contributing to Denver Broncos On SI, Indianapolis Colts On SI, and Sacramento Kings On SI. He has covered multiple NBA and NFL events on site, and his works have also appeared on Bleacher Report, MSN, and Yahoo.
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