Tennessee Vols baseball commit reportedly makes MLB decision after getting selected in draft

Infielder Trey Snyder was one of several Tennessee Vols baseball commits who were selected in the 2024 MLB Draft earlier this month.

Snyder, the No. 1 overall player in the state of Missouri, was selected by the New York Mets in the fifth round. 

According to The Courier Tribune, Snyder plans to sign with the Mets instead of playing college baseball at Tennessee. 

Snyder will join several former Vols in the Mets' system, including RHP Blade Tidwell and outfielder Drew Gilbert. 

From The Courier Tribune: Although Snyder initially signed a letter of intent to play college ball with the University of Tennessee, he will instead sign with Mets, but said it was a tough decision.

Snyder now heads to Port St. Lucie, Florida to compete in the rookie-level circuit, the Florida Complex League. He will eventually look to work his way up to Low-A, High-A, Double-A, Triple-A and eventually the major leagues.

“I think I’m still kind of taking it in,” he said. “I’m super excited just to start playing, I think that’s the main thing. I love playing and I’m ready for games and ready to get to work.”

One of the oddities of recruiting in college baseball is that the more successful the program is, the tougher it can be to land your top recruiting targets. It's a delicate balancing act for coaches. You always want to recruit the best players, but often, those players end up getting selected high in the MLB Draft and they eschew their commitment for a shot at reaching the big leagues quicker. 

Fortunately for Tony Vitello and his staff, there's no shortage of elite players (via either high school recruiting or the transfer portal) who want to wear the orange and white.