VandyBoys Transfer Portal Wrap-Up
With the summer of 2025 officially winding down and the NCAA baseball portal long closed, let’s take a look at how Vanderbilt fared in the off-season.
I will take a look at Vanderbilt’s pitching and offensive acquisitions separately.
The Offense
After a very inconsistent 2025 season, it was clear that Vanderbilt needed to make changes to its offensive coaching in personnel. They did just this, bringing in a new hidden coach in Jason Esposito, and five new position players. While it’s hard to know what kind of an effect Esposito will have in his first season as Vanderbilt hitting coach, with the players, we can look at prior performance and project how they will fare in the SEC.
Max Jensen
Jensen, out of Cornell, committed to Vanderbilt during the 2026 season and we’ll fight for a starting corner infield spot. The 1B/3B was a strong hitter in the Ivy League, owning a career .314 average with career on base and slugging percentages over .400 and .500, respectively. While he had not been much of a power hitter in years prior, Jensen went to Driveline in between his junior and senior years and seemed to tap into some of that power. He hit five home runs in just 17 games before suffering a season ending ACL tear.
Ivy League transfers into the SEC have some of the highest hit rates of any non-P4 conference, with several stars starting their careers at Ivy League institutions. It seems as if the improved coaching and facilities often translates to improved performance for this group. While Jensen was not quite the superstar that other Ivy League transfers have been before coming to the SEC, he was still very good at that level. In a vacuum, I would project that he would likely start at first base for Vanderbilt after using his nine months of training productively. However, his ACL tear may keep him out until the spring, effectively limiting how much time he has to develop under Tim Corbin and Jason Esposito. This makes him much less of a sure thing in my eyes, and mainly her to underperform for the ‘Dores.
Mack Whitcomb
Whitcomb is arguably the biggest name to commit to Vandy in this cycle following an outstanding sophomore season for Tennessee Tech that led to him being named the 2025 OVC player of the year. Whitcomb hit .360 with 15 home runs as the Golden Eagles’ everyday starting catcher. By all accounts, Whitcomb has an elite bat that can handle velocity on top of solid defense as a catcher. The only question marks surrounding his game are how he will be able to handle elite offspeed pitches (which would be a question for any OVC to SEC transfer) and his positional fit. Colin Barczi is the incumbent starting catcher, and had a good, but not great, season last year.
Despite those questions, Whitcomb is a surefire starter for this team next year. Vanderbilt is in desperate need of a consistent bat with his level of power. If I had to guess, Whitcomb will primarily start as the DH while being the catcher during midweek/Sunday games to relieve Barczi of significant physical stress. Regardless of whether he starts at catcher or DH, though, Whitcomb figures to be a big part of the VandyBoys next year.
Logan Johnstone
The first of the two Johnstone brothers, Logan comes to Vanderbilt after a standout season for Washington State where he hit .337 with an OPS over 1.000 and led the Cougars in extra base hits. He was named a First Team All Mountain West Conference outfielder. Johnstone fills a massive position of need as a corner outfielder, and while he may not have the elite raw power of some SEC rightfielders, his versatile tool set will be a great asset for Vanderbilt.
Johnstone brings a great hit tool, solid power production, and plus defense for a corner outfielder to the Commodores. In my eyes, there is no “weakness“ to his game, he just doesn’t have much that screams “elite“ either. I view him as a day 1 starter and valuable contributor that will likely slot into the six or seven hole for Vanderbilt.
Carter Johnstone
The second Johnstone brother to transfer to Vandy this cycle, Carter joins the ‘Dores after a standout freshman season for Cal State Fullerton. He batted a .344 with an OPS just shy of 1.000 and a 1/1 BB/K ratio on his way to being named Big West freshman of the year. This may be the addition I’m most excited about. Johnstone has already demonstrated an elite hit tool and approach while beyond his years, and he has some raw power (as evidenced by a three home run game he had this season) if he can figure out how to tap into it more. Of mid major conferences, the Big West has some of the best pitching you can find. While SEC pitching will certainly be a step up, it is not as stark a difference as, say, going from the OVC to the SEC. all of this makes me think that with proper development from Jason Esposito, Carter Johnstone could develop into a superstar for Vanderbilt.
The defensive fit is there, too. Johnstone was primarily a third baseman for Cal State Fullerton, but can also play shortstop, 2B, or in the outfield. Sources close to the program have indicated that there will be an open competition between Brodie Johnston, Carter Johnstone, and Ryker Waite to see who will be the new shortstop, and whoever loses will have to play a secondary position. Carter’s versatility will keep him on the field no matter who is playing shortstop, and he should be a solid defensive option wherever he ends up at.
Cade Sears
Sears is the latest commit to Vanderbilt, and the one that is most unknown. After spending a year with FCS superpower South Dakota State as a wide receiver, Sears decided he wanted to play baseball and transferred to a JUCO in order to do so. He had .270 at ICCC, while playing center field.
Frankly, if Sears is a day one starter then that is cause to be concerned. His bat simply does not appear to be SEC level however, that does not mean he won’t be a contributor this year. He brings elite defense and top tier speed to the program. He ran a 10.6 100m dash in high school, and a 6.2 second 60m dash. This makes him the perfect candidate to be Vanderbilt’s designated defensive sub and/or pinch runner. I expect him to be used in a similar way that Jacob Humphrey was used in the 2024 baseball season.
The Pitching
Jacob Faulkner
Faulkner was the first transfer to commit to Vanderbilt this cycle. He joins the ‘Dores after four very strong seasons for Princeton as a reliever. He was an All Ivy League First Team selection the last two years. Faulkner is a change of pace guy with a funky delivery that makes up for a lack of innate stuff. Comparisons have been drawn between him and both Connor Fennell and Carson Ozmer.
It’s hard to know how well Faulkner will produce in the SEC. But if he produces at a level even remotely close to Ozmer or Fennell, that would represent a massive win for Vanderbilt. Even if he is just solid, though, he will be a welcome addition to what it’s already an extremely deep pitching staff.
Nate Taylor
Nate Taylor is arguably the most fascinating addition to the team this offseason. He was rarely used as a freshman at Georgia, but when he did pitch he was outstanding. He recorded a 1.08 ERA and 17 strikeouts to just two walks in 8.1 innings as a bulldog. He then went to the Cape Cod league and was a standout starting pitcher, recording an ERA just shy of 3 in several starts. His time on the Cape was highlighted by a perfect 4.0 inning start with 10 strikeouts.
Everything about Taylor suggests that he has what it takes to be an elite pitcher in the SEC. He has produced consistently when he gets on the mound, he has great stuff, and does not have any notable weaknesses. If I had to project his role next year, I think Taylor would replace Sawyer Hawks as Vanderbilt’s bullpen ace. I think that if he adds another strong off speed pitch, he could be a starting pitcher by his junior year.
