Source: Riley Nelson to Sign With Cleveland Guardians, Bypass Final Year of College Eligibility

It felt as if Vanderbilt had a 50/50 chance to get star first baseman Riley Nelson through the MLB Draft, but its days of optimism are over. 

Nelson will sign with the Cleveland Guardians after they drafted him in the fifth round of Monday’s MLB Draft, he tells Vandy on SI. 

The former Vanderbilt first baseman worked out on Vanderbilt’s campus this summer and is said to love the program, but his draft slot–which included a signing bonus of over 418,000 dollars–made a return difficult to imagine. 

Nelson’s junior season at Vanderbilt was his first as a Division-I player. 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.”

Now he’ll take his chances as a professional player.