While Clemson might have won 45 games this season, there was one thing that was missing from the Tigers’ lineup. Power.

After hitting 109 home runs as a team in 2024, Clemson hitters combined for just 73 this past season. That is a pretty steep dropoff. The Tigers didn’t even rank inside the Top 70 as a team when it comes to the long ball.

It’s an area Erik Bakich knows needs to be addressed, noting a need for more pop in the lineup after the Tigers’ season came to an early, disappointing end at home in regional play.

“Having guys that can change the game with one swing,” the head coach said after the season ended. “Guys that are explosive, can impact the ball and change the game with one swing.”

And address it, Bakich has. Over the past two weeks, Clemson has made several moves in the transfer portal to upgrade a lineup that experienced its share of struggles offensively, even outside of the lack of power.

One of the biggest additions is Ty Dalley. The 1B/OF hit 58 home runs over three seasons at Mercer, and has never experienced a season that saw him hit less than 18. He has a career slugging percentage of .628, which is almost 100 points higher than Cam Cannerella’s team-leading .530 slugging percentage in 2025.

As a junior, Dalley smashed 19 homers and drove in 61 runs. He also added 21 doubles. Only Cannarella had more than 15 for Clemson this season.

Nate Savoie is the latest addition, announcing a commitment late Thursday. Savoie was a first-team freshman All-American for Loyola-Marymount last season after hitting .300 with 20 long balls and 61 RBI. The WCC Player of the Year added 14 doubles and a triple, while slugging .675. He scored 42 runs in 51 games.

Clemson legacy Ryan Wideman is another big bat Bakich has added through the portal. He is the son of former Clemson basketball standout Tom Wideman. Last season at Western Kentucky, Wideman lit up opposing pitchers, hitting .398 with 10 home runs and 68 RBI. He had a .652 slugging percentage, totaling 36 extra-base hits. He also stole 45 bases.

Wideman was a third-team All-American in 2023 and a first-team All-American in 2024. He also ranked sixth nationally in stolen bases with 48 in 2024. While he doesn’t match the home run numbers from Dalley and Savoie, his slugging percentage tells the tale. However, Wideman is draft eligible, and that is a storyline to follow as the draft unfolds next month.

Those three players alone accounted for 49 homers last season, which is just 24 fewer than Clemson had as a team. While all three will certainly have to adjust to a step up in competition, these are the kinds of moves fans wanted to see the Tigers make.

Bakich also added SS Tyler Lichtenberger, who is another player who earned freshman All-American honors for his efforts this season. While he isn’t known as a power-hitter, he did hit .343 in his first and only season at App State, with three homers and 44 RBI. He also had 13 doubles and two triples, while sporting an OPS of .879. Again, while he hasn’t shown the pop of some of the other players that have been added, he does fill a void at the top of the lineup with Cannarella, as well as Dominic Listi moving on.

Another intriguing addition is Bryce Clavon, who is transferring in from Georgia. Clavon didn’t get much of an opportunity during his first year with the Bulldogs, but he was a big-time prospect coming out of high school. While it is a very small sample size, Clavon slugged .733 in his 15 at-bats in 2025.

At the end of the day, Bakich is doing what needs to be done when it comes to filling the holes in his lineup. While there are certainly no guarantees, on paper, this lineup is full of possibilities, and exciting ones at that.