7 Vanderbilt Commodores picked in 2025 MLB Draft

Yahoo

15-07-2025

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Seven Vanderbilt Commodores were selected in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft.
Three of them were selected on Sunday night, which featured the first four rounds, and four more were taken on Monday, which consisted of the fifth round through the 20th and final round.
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It's the fifth consecutive MLB Draft that at least six Vanderbilt players have been selected. The program has had multiple players selected in every draft since 2004.
Here's which Commodores were drafted and what organization they'll be representing:
LHP JD Thompson, Milwaukee Brewers – Round 2, Pick 59
UTL RJ Austin, Baltimore Orioles – Round 3, Pick 93
RHP Cody Bowker, Philadelphia Phillies – Round 3, Pick 100
INF Riley Nelson, Cleveland Guardians – Round 5, Pick 162
RHP Sawyer Hawks, Arizona Diamondbacks – Round 6, Pick 183
LHP Levi Huesman, Washington Nationals – Round 16, Pick 471
INF Jonathan Vastine, San Diego Padres – Round 19, Pick 580
Vanderbilt's ace in 2025 in Thompson was the first Commodore off the board in the draft after tossing 219 strikeouts to just 61 walks in 164 innings over three seasons in Nashville.
Austin's selection in the third round comes after he became the fifth Vanderbilt player to win a Gold Glove. Dominant in centerfield in 2025, he saved nearly 10 defensive runs while adding 14 home runs, 139 RBI, 54 stolen bases and 134 runs scored on offense.
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Bowker was off the board to Philadelphia just seven picks later. He threw 99 strikeouts in 72 innings for Vanderbilt in 2025.
Cleveland selected Nelson in the fifth round after he led the Commodores with a .344 batting average while adding eight home runs, 47 RBI and 13 doubles.
Hawks is heading to the Diamonbacks organization after a 4-0 record and six saves in 2025 with a 1.6 ERA in 18 games, holding hitters to a .167 batting average with 59 strikeouts and 11 walks. He finished with several conference and national honors.
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The Washington Nationals took Huesman in the 16th round. In 2025, he made 18 appearances, finsihing with a 2.81 ERA, 20 strikeouts, four walks and held opponents to a .228 batting average with five runs over 16 innings.
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Vastine was the final Commodore selected in the draft, heading to the San Diego Padres organization. He played in over 200 games for Vanderbilt and finished with a .279 batting average, 24 home runs, five triples, 44 doubles and 117 RBI. On defense, he finished with a .970 career fielding average with 18 errors over four seasons.
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