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Tennessee baseball's Henry Ford was drafted by the Seattle Mariners with the No. 191 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2026 MLB Draft on July 12.
Ford was the second Tennessee player selected in this year's draft, following pitcher Tegan Kuhns (No. 32, St. Louis Cardinals. The Vols have now had multiple players drafted every year since 2013.
Ford transferred to Tennessee from Virginia ahead of the 2026 season after coach Brian O'Connor was hired by Mississippi State. He was a staple in the middle of Tennessee's lineup, leading the Vols with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs as their starting third baseman.
Ford entered the draft ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 148 prospect in the draft and was ESPN's No. 183 prospect.
The No. 191 overall pick has a slot value of $335,900.
Ford's power from the right side is notable, evidenced by his 48 college homers in three seasons. This past season was his best from a power perspective, and his hard-hit rate of 55 percent was impressive. Those traits should translate no matter the level.
They did come with a trade-off, though; Ford's batting average of .293 was a sharp decrease from his two prior seasons where he hit .336 and .362. It was also accompanied by a career-high strikeout percentage of 19.9 percent. A slight downturn in power his sophomore season was a primary factor in him not being drafted in 2025, so perhaps teams see this as a necessary sacrifice.
Nonetheless, Ford's bat is a plus, and he showed no troubles adjusting to SEC pitching. It was all the more impressive considering he was battling an illness early in the season.
Ford showed defensive versatility in college, playing both corner infield positions and the outfield. Although his defense at third was passable, most expect him to land at first base or a corner outfield spot as a pro.
Ford started his college career at Virginia. He started all 61 games of his freshman season, mostly playing first base, hitting .336 and setting program freshman records for home runs (17) and RBIs (69) as the Cavaliers made the College World Series. He spent more time in the outfield as a sophomore and hit .362 with a team-leading 11 homers.
At his one season at Tennessee, Ford found a home at third base and was the team's top power threat, totaling 20 home runs and 57 RBIs with a .293 average and .963 OPS. He had a fielding percentage of .942.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Pros, cons of Mariners picking Tennessee's Henry Ford in 2026 MLB Draft
Continue reading...
Ford was the second Tennessee player selected in this year's draft, following pitcher Tegan Kuhns (No. 32, St. Louis Cardinals. The Vols have now had multiple players drafted every year since 2013.
Ford transferred to Tennessee from Virginia ahead of the 2026 season after coach Brian O'Connor was hired by Mississippi State. He was a staple in the middle of Tennessee's lineup, leading the Vols with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs as their starting third baseman.
Ford entered the draft ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 148 prospect in the draft and was ESPN's No. 183 prospect.
The No. 191 overall pick has a slot value of $335,900.
Pros, cons of Mariners picking Henry Ford in MLB draft
Ford's power from the right side is notable, evidenced by his 48 college homers in three seasons. This past season was his best from a power perspective, and his hard-hit rate of 55 percent was impressive. Those traits should translate no matter the level.
They did come with a trade-off, though; Ford's batting average of .293 was a sharp decrease from his two prior seasons where he hit .336 and .362. It was also accompanied by a career-high strikeout percentage of 19.9 percent. A slight downturn in power his sophomore season was a primary factor in him not being drafted in 2025, so perhaps teams see this as a necessary sacrifice.
Nonetheless, Ford's bat is a plus, and he showed no troubles adjusting to SEC pitching. It was all the more impressive considering he was battling an illness early in the season.
Ford showed defensive versatility in college, playing both corner infield positions and the outfield. Although his defense at third was passable, most expect him to land at first base or a corner outfield spot as a pro.
Henry Ford stats at Tennessee, Virginia
Ford started his college career at Virginia. He started all 61 games of his freshman season, mostly playing first base, hitting .336 and setting program freshman records for home runs (17) and RBIs (69) as the Cavaliers made the College World Series. He spent more time in the outfield as a sophomore and hit .362 with a team-leading 11 homers.
At his one season at Tennessee, Ford found a home at third base and was the team's top power threat, totaling 20 home runs and 57 RBIs with a .293 average and .963 OPS. He had a fielding percentage of .942.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Pros, cons of Mariners picking Tennessee's Henry Ford in 2026 MLB Draft
Continue reading...
