Riley Nelson Drafted in Fifth Round by Cleveland Guardians

Vanderbilt first baseman Riley Nelson will bypass the MLB Draft and will return to Vanderbilt for his senior season, a source told Vandy on SI. 

Nelson was projected to be picked on day two of the draft, but will wait another season before beginning his professional baseball career. The Vanderbilt first baseman projects to bolster Vanderbilt’s lineup after a junior season in which he led the team with a .344 batting average and hit eight home runs as well as 13 doubles. 

“​​He loves being at the facility and is always working on his game,” Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said of Nelson in a release prior to the 2025 season. “He reminds me of a Sean Casey-type hitter. Very good bat-to-ball skills, with the ability to drive the baseball. His competitiveness at the plate is undeniable. He can play both corner positions in the infield and has a very good acumen for the game.”

The Trophy Club, Texas, native bypassed the Cape Cod League this summer in order to work out on Vanderbilt’s campus alongside Vanderbilt’s returning players. The rising senior is said to appreciate Vanderbilt taking a chance on him as a junior college transfer after being overlooked by Division-I schools throughout the first few years of his college career, both of which he spent at junior colleges. 

Now he’ll look to get Vanderbilt back to Omaha for the first time since 2021.