From Baseball America’s draft report for the state of Georgia:
The state’s college clubs had solid talent, with Georgia Tech likely to produce its fourth first-round pick in the last decade in lefthander Jed Bradley. But freshmen made up half of the Yellow Jackets’ roster, so the team’s impact on the draft would not be as strong as usual.
The state’s top performer was Georgia Tech righty Mark Pope, who emerged as the Yellow Jackets’ Friday starter and ace by going 11-4, 1.74. Scouts cited his lack of swing-and-miss stuff (88 SO in 114 IP) and lack of ceiling, though they expected him to be drafted ahead of some of the higher-ceiling high school prospects.
NATIONAL TOP 200 PROSPECTS
1. Jed Bradley, lhp, Georgia Tech (National Rank: 14)
2. Dwight Smith, of, McIntosh HS, Peachtree City (National Rank: 49)
4. Tyler Gibson, of, Stratford Academy, Macon (National Rank: 85)
7. Mark Pope, rhp, Georgia Tech (National Rank: 164)
OTHER PROSPECTS OF NOTE
9. Matt Skole, 3b, Georgia Tech
14. Connor Lynch, c, Pope HS, Marietta
18. Jake Burnette, rhp, Buford HS
20. Jacob Esch, rhp/ss, Georgia Tech
24. Josh Heddinger, rhp, Buford HS
25. Cole Pitts, rhp, Colquitt County HS, Moultrie
26. Kevin Jacob, rhp, Georgia Tech
51. Jake Davies, 1b, Georgia Tech
Mark Pope, rhp
Georgia Tech
Pope was highly regarded out of high school in Atlanta, leading his Walton High team to a state title as a junior and a runner-up finish as a senior. He was a 17th-round pick of the Braves but went to Georgia Tech, where he was a closer as a freshman and mid-week starter as a sophomore. Few were prepared for Pope to become the Yellow Jackets’ Friday starter as a junior, pushing likely first-rounder Jed Bradley to the Saturday spot. He led the Atlantic Coast Conference in wins (11) and innings (105) while ranking third in ERA (1.54) through the end of the regular season, yet he wasn’t impressing scouts. While he hit the mid-90s in high school, he now works with an 88-92 mph fastball with average life and command. He has good feel for his slider, either as a strike or a chase pitch, and most scouts grade it as major league average, more notable for its command than its bite. He’s more of a groundball pitcher than a strikeout artist, and his changeup gives him a decent third option. Pope doesn’t get rattled and pitched with a lot of confidence this season. Some scouts think there’s more in his arm if he can pitch off his four-seamer more as a pro. He was rising as the draft approached, though he had to leave his regional start with a back injury, which could make it tough to guess where he gets picked.
Georgia Tech has its own once-touted prospect who has faltered in
