Mark Pope Scouting Report (2011)

Earlier in the college season, I was in attendance for an outstanding college pitching matchup featuring top-5 overall pick Danny Hultzen and Mark Pope, Georgia Tech's Friday starter who won 11 games and posted a stellar 1.74 ERA as a junior. And while Hultzen was the main attraction, Pope matched him pitch-for-pitch over six innings before struggling a bit the third time through the University of Virginia lineup.

Formerly considered a potential 1st round supplemental pick, Pope seems to have lost some fans even though he was just named 2nd team All-American and a semifinalist for USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award. And while the numbers and accolades are impressive, why has his draft stock dropped? How will his "stuff" play at the professional level?
  • Lean, athletic build; Looked his listed height/weight of 6-foot-2, 205 lbs.
  • Some stop/start in his delivery; Would like to see it smoothed out
  • ery good arm whip and leg explosion; Can seem a bit max effort at times
  • Aggressive mindset; Attacked hitters relentlessly throughout
  • Struggled 3rd time through the lineup; Could have used true third pitch
  • 89-91 MPH fastball, touching 92
  • Pitch features impressive arm side run and drop
  • Uses fastball effectively to pepper the zone and consistently work ahead of hitters
  • 80-81 MPH slider
  • Quick, sharp bite; More "downer" pitch than true slider
  • Upper 70's curveball
  • 2-plane break with true 12/6 movement
  • Slider and Curveball played as close variations to each other
  • Dabbled with a changeup 3rd time through the lineup
  • Underwhelming offering; Slowed arm action and left pitch up in the zone
One of the best pitchers in college baseball this season, Pope has certainly made a strong case to be drafted highly as a starter. However, I commented to a scout sitting in front of me that Pope struck me as a reliever in the end and I'm going to stick to that for now. the effort in his delivery, combined with his strong fastball/breaking ball mix would place him on an organizational fast track. And while it may not be the sexiest of outcomes, it's not often one sees a big leaguer at the college level; Even at larger schools.