Connor Hamilton, a 14th-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates, will not be signing a professional contract and will play for Vanderbilt baseball in 2026, he confirmed to The Tennessean.
The deadline for drafted players to sign contracts is July 28 at 4 p.m. CT, but Hamilton, a Commodores signee, has already made the decision not to sign. The Pirates were unable to offer him enough money to pass up Vanderbilt.
“I really value my education and I want to be a first-rounder out of Vanderbilt,” Hamilton said in a statement to The Tennessean. “Coach (Tim) Corbin and (pitching coach Scott) Brown are gonna give me experiences and abilities I can’t get anywhere else.”
Hamilton, who pitched at Montgomery Bell Academy, posted a photo with the caption “Anchor Down” to his social media on July 24.
According to Perfect Game, Hamilton is the No. 191 player nationwide. He is the top pitcher and fifth-ranked player overall in Tennessee. At the MLB Draft Combine, Hamilton showed some of the most movement on both his fastball and breaking ball, and he has ramped his fastball up to 96 mph.
Hamilton will be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2027 with the Commodores.
Six of Vanderbilt’s 13 high school signees were selected in the 2025 MLB Draft. The other five − outfielders Sean Gamble and Slater de Brun, infielder Cooper Flemming and pitchers Seth Hernandez and Talon Haley − all signed professional contracts.
Players who went undrafted and will be coming to campus include left-handed pitcher Aiden Stillman; right-handed pitchers Tyler Baird, Nate Schlote, Wyatt Nadeau and Adria Casoliba; catcher Korbin Reynolds and utilityman Carson Quillen.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.