Welcome to the Music City Sports Report.
With both the MLB and WNBA returning to action this week, let’s take a look at the local connections throughout both leagues.
The MLB kicks off its season on Thursday with a doubleheader featuring the New York Yankees at the defending champion Washington Nationals and the San Francisco Giants at the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Even with there being way fewer picks than usual, several local players were selected in the 2020 MLB Draft. Of those 11, five are on opening day rosters.
2020 MLB Draft picks from Local schools on opening-day rosters
Austin Martin | SS | Toronto Blue Jays | Vanderbilt
Landon Knack | P | Los Angeles Dodgers | ETSU/Johnson City HS
Bryce Jarvis | P | Arizona Diamondbacks | Brentwood Academy
Robert Hassell | OF | San Diego Padres | Independence
Garrett Crochet | P | Chicago White Sox | Tennessee
Other MLBers with Tennessee connections on opening day rosters include:
Four-time All-Star, 2018 AL MVP, and Nashvillian Mookie Betts will be making his debut in the Dodgers outfield. Joining him on the Dodgers - Belmont alum Matt Beaty (IF) and former Vanderbilt pitcher Walker Buehler. Five-time All-Star David Price, another former Vanderbilt pitcher and also acquired in the same trade as Betts, has opted to sit out the season.
Buehler and Price aren’t the only Vanderbilt alum in the MLB. 12 Commodores are on opening day rosters. UT was second among Tennessee schools with four. No one else had more than one.
Vanderbilt
2x All-Star Sonny Gray | P | Cincinnati Reds | Smyrna HS
Tony Kemp | UTL | Oakland A’s | Vanderbilt/Centennial
1x All-Star Mike Minor | P | Texas Rangers | Vanderbilt/Forrest
Tyler Beede | P | San Francisco Giants
Curt Casali | C | Cincinnati Reds
Carson Fulmer | P | Chicago White Sox
Bryan Reynolds | OF | Pittsburgh Pirates
Dansby Swanson | SS | Atlanta Braves
Kyle Wright | P | Atlanta Braves
Michael Yastrzemski | OF | San Francisco Giants
Tennessee
Yan Gomes | C | Washington Nationals
Nick Senzel | OF | Cincinnati Reds | Farragut
Drew Steckenrider | P | Miami Marlins
Christian Stewart | OF | Detroit Tigers
Everyone Else
Zach Cozart | IF | Arizona Diamondbacks | Collierville HS
Ryne Harper | P | Washington Nationals | Austin Peay/Clarksville HS
Dakota Hudson | P | St. Louis Cardinals | Sequatchie HS
Brett Martin | P | Texas Rangers | Walters State/Morristown East
Alec Mills | P | Chicago Cubs | UT Martin/Montgomery Central
Daniel Norris | P | Detroit Tigers | Science Hill
Drew Pomeranz | P | San Diego Padres | Collierville
1x All-Star Robbie Ray | P | Arizona Diamondbacks | Brentwood HS
Justus Sheffield | P | Seattle Mariners | Tullahoma HS
Lane Thomas | UTL | St. Louis Cardinals | Bearden
Tyler Rogers | P | San Francisco Giants | Austin Peay
Steve Cishek | P | Chicago White Sox | Carson-Newman
In the WNBA, the Lady Vols reign supreme with six players on rosters, including two-time league MVP Candace Parker.
Tennessee
2x All-Star Glory Johnson | F | Atlanta Dream
Shekinna Stricklen | F | Atlanta Dream
1x All-Star Diamond DeShields G | Chicago Sky
Isabelle Harrison | C | Dallas Wings | Hillsboro
5x All-Star Candace Parker | F | Los Angeles Sparks
Mercedes Russell | C | Seattle Storm
Everyone Else
Cheyenne Parker | F | Chicago Sky | MTSU
Alysha Clark | F | Seattle Storm | Belmont/MTSU/Mount Juliet
Crystal Dangerfield | G | Minnesota Lynx | Blackman
Looks like we’re jumping on the Atlanta Dream/Seattle Storm and Los Angeles Dodgers bandwagons if we’re basing this purely off numbers.
Links
Derrick Henry and the Titans agreed to terms on a multi-year deal shortly after it was reported that they hadn’t.
Speaking of the Titans, The Ringer’s Robert Mays wrote about whether the Titans and Ryan Tannehill could replicate last season’s success.
The Draft Network on Jonnu Smith’s potential breakout season.
And one last Titans item. The national media were stumping for the Titans last week:
Some great work from Chris Lee with all the details on Vanderbilt’s decision to axe the sports communications team. A bewildering read.
A fun, thoroughly reported history of the Nashville Metros from Speedway Soccer.
The Tennesssean’s Drake Hills spoke to Soccer Moses!
Metro Nashville Sports Authority approved the MLS soccer stadium construction agreement.
One of the absolute best feature writers in sports, Bleacher Report’s Mirin Fader, with a mini-story on Ja Morant.
Swimming World Magazine did a feature on Alex and Gretchen Walsh, sisters from Harpeth Hall looking to make next summer’s Olympic squad.
Baseball America’s top high school and college prospect lists were both topped by local connections: Tennessee commit Brady House and Vanderbilt star pitcher Kumar Rocker, respectively.
And finally, some exciting news in the local media sports landscape: the debut of a new outlet called Broadway Sports. They’ve brought along some great writers/content creators. Should be exciting to see what they have in store.