Blake Grimmer reveals final decision for 2027 ahead of MLB Draft
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Blake Grimmer is running it back another year on Rocky Top. The Tennessee star revealed on Wednesday that he is withdrawing from the 2026 MLB Draft to play for the Volunteers again in 2027.
“Weighing my options, I think the best decision for me and my family was to come back and give it another year with the new coaching staff and all the returning players,” Grimmer told Mike Wilson of Volquest.
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Grimmer returns after a standout 2026 season. As a redshirt sophomore, he set career-highs in hits (52), RBIs (36), home runs (13) and runs scored (45). A 48-game starter, Grimmer slashed .283/.385/.538 and posted a .984 fielding percentage with 181 putouts and 64 assists to just 4 errors.
Grimmer saw his first action in 2025, Tony Vitello’s final season at UT. Last year, he played in 27 games with 9 starts. He showed some impressive offensive numbers in limited action, slashing .318/.464/.591 with 15 RBIs. Grimmer returns for 2027 because he’s a big believer in Josh Elander as Vitello’s successor enters Year 2 as the Vol skipper.
“The support that they showed me was incredible. I didn’t expect anything less from Coach Elander,” Grimmer told Wilson. “He obviously wants what is best for me. That is why I love Tennessee and that is why I love coach E. I love playing for him.”
The Grimm Reaper is BACK!!#GBO🍊 pic.twitter.com/lJaCnlReKW
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) July 1, 2026
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
