Vanderbilt Baseball’s pitchers were its saving grace in the 2024 season, but that all changed when Bryce Cunningham, Carter Holton and Devin Futrell — three staples on the mound at Hawkins Field — were selected in the 2024 MLB Draft. JD Thompson will be back and projects to be a game-changer for head coach Tim Corbin’s group, but the rest of the team’s starters will be new to starting in the SEC.
Sophomore arms Brennan Seiber and Miller Green should be assets out of the bullpen, but Vanderbilt will need a few new faces to step up as leaders in the rotation. The Black and Gold will waste no time jumping into the fire when they travel to the MLB Desert Invitational in Phoenix, Arizona, from Feb. 14–16. The Hustler’s Sports staff breaks down what this season will look like for the Commodores’ arms.
Friday starter – JD Thompson
Thompson enters 2025 as Vanderbilt’s undisputed ace — perhaps the program’s first true frontline starter since Kumar Rocker’s departure. The junior cemented himself as one of the SEC’s best pitchers last season, posting a 5-2 record with a 4.15 earned run average, a mark inflated by a single rough outing vs. Coastal Carolina in May. The southpaw has a 3-pitch mix, led by a filthy fastball that generated an elite 37.3% whiff rate and 32.5% chase rate last season. His changeup and curveball, while less polished, compliment his fastball and turn him into a complete pitcher. Beyond the analytics, Thompson has all the intangibles of an ace, repeatedly delivering in high-pressure situations in 2024. After an offseason carving up hitters in the Cape Cod League, Thompson will look to solidify himself as one of the SEC’s top pitchers at the top of the Commodore rotation this season.
— Dylan Tovitz, Senior Staff Writer
Saturday starter – Cody Bowker
Cody Bowker was Vanderbilt’s first transfer this offseason, arriving from Georgetown and cementing himself as a weekend starter thanks to a strong fall. Originally a two-way player at Georgetown, he focused on pitching in 2024, when he posted a 3.00 ERA after posting an impressive 2.57 ERA in 2023. In the David Williams Fall Classic, Bowker impressed with two starts, six scoreless innings and nine strikeouts. Bowker used a diverse pitch combo (fastball, slider and cutter), resulting in a high strikeout rate with batters whiffing on his cutter and chasing his slider. The junior also has a changeup he used at Georgetown that can also be an effective complement to his fastball, which hovers around the low to mid-90s. Bowker’s high velocity and diverse variety of pitch types could make him one of the scariest pitchers on Vanderbilt’s roster.
— Nolawi Solomon, Staff Writer
Sunday starter – Ethan McElvain
Ethan McElvain is coming into his second season as a Commodore with the expectation to be a massive contributor to the pitching rotation. A local guy who attended Nolensville High School, McElvain had a sub-one ERA in his senior year, earning the 2023 Wilco Baseball Player of the Year and earning the No. 1 prospect title in all of Tennessee. In his first-year campaign, he lived up to the hype. McElvain pitched 25 innings, recording a 3.24 ERA, which ranked second on Vanderbilt’s entire team. His performance caught the eye of USA Baseball and he was one of four ‘Dores invited to the team’s training camp. If there’s anything to get excited for this season, it’s that McElvain is only going to get better. This summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League, McElvain recorded a 0.77 ERA in his 11.2 innings, including a WHIP of 1.2, according to Baseball Reference. Though only a small sample size, McElvain’s resume speaks for itself; he’s not a pitcher who goes down easy. Opposing bats are going to be quiet on Sundays.
— Connor Campbell, Senior Staff Writer
Midweek starter – Hudson Barton
The midweek starter spot has several contenders, but Barton stands out as the clear frontrunner. Still just 18 years old, the 6’3 right-hander has already made significant strides under Corbin’s pitching staff. Armed with a true four-pitch mix and a fastball that touches 96 miles per hour, Barton was a legitimate MLB draft prospect out of high school. After an impressive fall, Barton earned the nod for Game One of the David Williams Fall Classic, where he allowed one run in 2.1 innings. Whether as a starter or key bullpen arm, Barton is poised to play a significant role in the Commodores’ pitching plans this season. Other midweek starter options include Deegan Cordova, Luke Guth and Matthew Shorey, but for now, Barton is the one to watch.
— Tovitz
Top relievers – Sawyer Hawks and Brennan Seiber
Sawyer Hawks is entering his second season with the VandyBoys. The Lakeland, Florida, native transferred from the Air Force Academy after a stellar sophomore season, when he posted a 2.84 ERA across 50.2 innings. He arrived at Vanderbilt lined up to be an instant bullpen contributor but saw his season cut short after only five games due to an arm injury. Nonetheless, Hawks comes into 2025 ranked as the No. 41 senior in the country by Perfect Game and the No. 69 reliever in D1 Baseball’s preseason ranking. Beyond Hawks’ output on the field, he’s also viewed as the spiritual leader of the pitching staff, with Corbin stating that he “has a strong connection with every member of the team.” Time will tell if he can work up to the closer role or stay as a setup guy, but he certainly has the physical traits and mental makeup to be an asset.
— Nicholas de la Guardia, Staff Writer
Seiber emerged last year as a reliable arm wherever he was put. Coming in as a mid-tier recruit and only healthy his senior year of high school, no one knew what to expect out of the 6’6 235-pound righty, but he exceeded all expectations. Seiber finished the 2024 season with a perfect 3-0 record and a 5.06 ERA across 42.2 innings pitched, giving up just 24 earned runs. His true three-pitch mix of a fastball, changeup and curveball makes him a threat to any batter. Seiber also found success on the Cape, where he appeared in seven games, three of which were starts, and finished with a 3.00 ERA. Expect Seiber to be his same aggressive and intentional self on the mound this year, with a little more refinement.
— Grace Hall, Deputy Sports Editor
Closer – Miller Green
Green, a Nashville native, is a premier left-hander with a dominating frame who really grew into himself last year on the mound. He finished last season with a 2-4 record and a 3.15 ERA across 31.1 innings pitched while also tallying 34 strikeouts. Green only showed two pitches last year — a fastball and a slider — which he has continued to work on with Vanderbilt pitching coach Scott Brown while adding a changeup to his arsenal. Green spent the summer at the USA Baseball League in Phoenix and with the Bourne Braves in the Cape, logging a total of 8.2 innings and a 7.04 ERA. He is a competitor on the mound who Corbin and Co. can rely on to come and log a save or gain a win.
— Hall
