The Tennessee baseball team warming up in the fall. Photo by RTI/Ric Butler.
Tennessee baseball transfer commit Matt Barr signed with the Minnesota Twins Wednesday. The Twins selected Barr with the 13th pick in the fifth round of the MLB Draft last week.
Barr signed with Minnesota for $762,500 which was significantly higher than the $475,000 slot value assigned to the 149 pick in the MLB Draft. While losing the right-handed pitcher is undoubtedly a loss, Tennessee expected Barr to be drafted and sign professionally instead of making it to campus.
The 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher spent his freshman season at Niagara County Community College before committing to Tennessee in early Junce.
The freshman hurler ranked as the top junior college prospect in the country according to Perfect Game’s rankings, which were last updated in April. Barr tossed 57 innings for Niagara County CC this season, posting a 10-0 record, 1.74 ERA and 0.75 WHIP while striking out 94 batters.
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Barr is one of five pitchers Tennessee projects to lose to professional baseball. Prep LHP Kruz Schoolcraft, UNC Asheville RHP Clay Edmondson, MIT RHP Mason Estrada and Bowling Green two-way DJ Newman were all selected in the MLB Draft last season.
None of the other four pitchers have yet to sign their contracts but Schoolcraft, Edmondson and Estrada have all announced intentions to and the expectation is that Newman will as well.
Tennessee’s pitching staff overhaul was dramatic this offseason. Twenty Tennessee pitchers entered the portal this offseason though LHP Dylan Loy was the only pitcher who seriously contributed during the 2025 season. Tennessee returns just five pitchers from last season’s team: RHP Tegan Kuhns, LHP Brandon Arvidson, RHP Brayden Krenzel, RHP Anson Seibert and RHP Nic Abraham.
Kuhns, Arvidson, Krenzel all had key roles last season and will compete for a weekend starting position this offseason. Seibert missed the entirety of the 2025 season with an injury and Abraham had a minimal role. Tony Vitello also bolstered the Vols’ pitching staff through the portal landing Rutgers RHP Landon Mack, Virginia LHP Evan Blanco, Duke LHP Mark Hindy, Kennesaw State RHP Bo Rhudy and ETSU RHP Brady Frederick.