Skip to main content
Tennessee

Brandon Arvidson returning to Tennessee baseball in 2026

On3 imageby: Eric Cain07/14/25_Cainer
Brandon Arvidson. Credit: Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Brandon Arvidson. Credit: Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee’s pitching staff received some great news Monday of the Major League Baseball Draft as left-handed pitcher Brandon Arvidson told the program he is returning for the 2026 season, sources told Volquest.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder signed with the Vols late in the 2024 cycle after initially signing with Texas prior to the coaching change that brought in Jim Schlossnagle. Arvidson redshirted for the skipper at Texas A&M in 2023 before spending the 2024 season in junior college.

In 30 games this past season at Tennessee, the southpaw managed a 2-0 record and 4.19 ERA across 38.2 innings pitched with 70 strikeouts and 22 walks. Opponents tallied just a .196 batting average against him as he allowed only eight extra base hits all season.

Arvidson hit his stride in postseason play for the Vols this past season, throwing a career-high 5.1 innings of relief against Texas in the Southeastern Conference Tournament and striking out a career-best 12 against Wake Forest in the Knoxville Regional.  

The lefty was slated as the No. 230 draft prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 186 by Baseball America ahead of draft weekend.

Scouting Report from MLB.com

Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

“Arvidson battled the strike zone in 2023 at Texas A&M, where he redshirted, and last year at San Jacinto (Texas) JC, where he finished second among national junior college pitchers with 15.9 strikeouts per nine innings. He settled down some this spring at Tennessee, where he couldn’t crack a talented rotation but came up big in the postseason. He struck out nine in 5 1/3 innings against Texas in the Southeastern Conference tournament and 12 in 5 1/3 frames against Vanderbilt in the NCAA regionals.

Arvidson averaged 16.3 strikeouts per nine innings for the Volunteers, thanks primarily to a wicked 81-84 mph curveball that he can throw with two-plane depth for chases or tighten up for in-zone swings and misses. It plays well off his fastball, which sits at 92-94 mph and touches 96 with carry when he locates it at the letters. His heater can get straight, so it can get rocked it he doesn’t work it up in the zone.

Coming out of the bullpen, Arvidson worked mostly with his slider and fastball while occasionally mixing in a mid-80s changeup that he can’t land in the strike zone. Though his upright, high three-quarters delivery isn’t pretty and he doesn’t repeat it consistently, he did reduce his walk rate from 16 percent in 2024 to 13 percent as a redshirt sophomore. He should get a chance to start once he turns pro, and he could with Tennessee if he returns for 2026.”

You may also like