​Braden Holcomb, the Vanderbilt Commodores outfielder who led the team in several key offensive categories in 2026, was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 12th round of the 2026 MLB Draft on July 12. Holcomb topped Vanderbilt in batting average at .352, doubles with 19, and RBIs with 54, while placing second in on-base percentage at .434 and third in home runs with 14. The former top-50 high school recruit fully emerged in his junior season after posting a batting average below .300 with 14 homers combined during his first two years on campus.
Holcomb’s power stands out as his premier tool. At the MLB Draft combine, his 90th percentile exit velocity ranked eighth among 102 participants, underscoring the raw bat speed that scouts have consistently noted. MLB Pipeline rated him as the No. 226 prospect in the draft class. At Vanderbilt, his most memorable moment came in 2025 when he hit two walk-off home runs, one against Alabama and another versus Kentucky, delivering dramatic late-game heroics for the Commodores.
Standing 6-5 and weighing 245 pounds, Holcomb arrived at Vanderbilt as an infielder but has spent the bulk of his collegiate career in the outfield for the Commodores, with occasional stints at third base and first base. In 2026, he split time across the outfield positions, starting 24 games in left field, 24 in center field, and five in right field, along with five appearances at third base. Although he did not play first base in 2026, he had appeared there in 20 games over his first two seasons. Defensively, he has been considered below average in center field but above average in left field, accumulating 2.82 Defensive Runs Saved, according to D1Baseball.
This story is reported by Aria Gerson, who covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. For more information, contact agerson@gannett.com or follow on X at @aria_gerson. The article originally appeared in the Nashville Tennessean and discusses Vanderbilt baseball’s Braden Holcomb being selected by the White Sox in Round 12 of the 2026 MLB Draft, with emphasis on his offensive breakout, physical profile, and positional versatility.