NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Five Commodores were selected in the 2026 MLB Draft on Sunday.
Mike Mancini – San Francisco Giants (Round 9, Pick 268)
Braden Holcomb – Chicago White Sox (Round 12, Pick 345)
Alex Kranzler – Boston Red Sox (Round 17, Pick 514)
Luke Guth – Chicago Cubs (Round 19, Pick 577)
Connor Fennell – Chicago White Sox (Round 20, Pick 585)
There have been multiple Commodores taken in every MLB Draft since 2004 with five or more Dores being selected in six consecutive drafts. Vanderbilt has produced 164 draft picks since 2003.
Mike Mancini hit .305 this spring with 15 home runs, tied for the team lead. He drove in 47 RBI, second most on the team, and recorded a team-high 20 stolen bases. He became the first Commodore since Jeren Kendall in 2017 to tally 15 or more homers and 15 or more steals in a season. Mancini was named to the All-SEC Second Team and All-Defensive Team. For his college career, the New York native played in 219 games for Vanderbilt and James Madison, totaling 36 home runs with 153 RBI and a .919 OPS.
Braden Holcomb enjoyed a breakout season as a junior, hitting .352 with 14 home runs, 19 doubles and 54 RBI. He ranked first on the team in average, RBI and doubles and ranked third in home runs. He was also the team’s top hitter in conference games, owning a .331 average against SEC opponents. He was one of two Commodores in 2026 to start all 58 games. In three seasons at Vanderbilt, Holcomb hit .306 with 28 homers, 105 RBI and a .948 OPS.
The first of three Vanderbilt pitchers selected in the 2026 draft, Alex Kranzler made 19 appearances as a junior in 2026. The right-hander tossed 43.2 innings with 54 strikeouts and recorded one save. He registered 118 strikeouts to 35 walks in three seasons while throwing 101.1 innings over 51 appearances including four starts. He finished his junior campaign with a career record of 9-5 with a 4.88 ERA and four saves.
Luke Guth recorded 70.2 innings over 54 appearances in three seasons with Vandy. Guth posted a 4.08 ERA with a 7-3 record. In 2026, the right-hander made 23 appearances, tied for the team lead. He struck out 40 batters and finished the season with a 2-1 record. As a sophomore in 2025, Guth went 4-0 over 19 appearances and didn’t allow an earned run in 18 of those games, finishing the season with an ERA of 0.93.
Another right-handed pitcher, Connor Fennell, was Vanderbilt’s third arm selected in the 2026 draft and second Commodore taken by the White Sox. Fennell was one of college baseball’s most electric arms in the last two seasons after transferring to Vanderbilt from Dayton. He earned third-team All-America honors from the NCBWA in 2025 after posting 84 strikeouts to just 11 walks over 53.1 innings. He went in 32 appearances for the Commodores over two seasons, Fennell went 10-2 with 186 strikeouts to 31 walks over 138.2 innings.