2021 Baseball Season

jatchet

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Wooo! Renewals are open!

file-45c3f287-0e43-451f-933d-148cb9ea603f.jpeg
 
FredJacket

FredJacket

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eokerholm said:
preseason breakdown by D1Baseball. No access....
d1baseball.com

Top 25 Breakdown: No. 15 Georgia Tech • D1Baseball

Georgia Tech has its most talented, well-rounded roster in many years, and if its exciting young core can mature quickly, the Yellow Jackets have a chance to be special.
d1baseball.com d1baseball.com
Click to expand...
My biased interpretation/editorialized summary:
-On paper... the 2021 Ga Tech team is the best in many many years (I'll let someone else try to put a year to it?)
-The team is DEEP... everywhere. You have to search to find weak spots.. maybe "the corners" ... but there are good players there. Like I said... you have to search for a problem.
-A couple of freshman (C-Parada & OF-Deleo) are expected to start and contribute; but lots of talent on the bench too.
-Pitching staff is DEEP. [Note... this may be the year @GTNavyNuke gets his drumbeat of a 'quick hook' heard for real...on the regular]
-The ceiling on this team is Omaha in June if they manage to avoid significant injury and play well.
-The unknown... as good as we are on paper... how 'good' is everyone else around us/on our schedule?
-Did I mention depth at pitching? ...a NEW feeling! Feels good.
-We have Luke Waddell!

Looking forward to a fun/great season of baseball!!
Go Jackets! To HELL with Georgia!!
 

GT baseball fan

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
13
D1 baseball article Top 25 Breakdown: No. 15 Georgia Tech
SEASON PREVIEW Aaron Fitt - January 21, 2021
2020 Record: 11-5.
Coach (Record at school): Danny Hall (1,073–556–1 in 27 seasons).
Ballpark: Russ Chandler Stadium (4,157).
Postseason History: 32 regionals (active streak: 1), 3 CWS trips (last in 2006), 0 national titles.
More: Fall Report on Georgia Tech.
Schedule, Stats, Team News: Follow the Yellow Jackets all season long at our Georgia Tech team page.

Georgia Tech's Projected Lineup
Pos.Name, Yr.AVG/OBP/SLGHRRBISB
CKevin Parada, 1YR FRHS — Los Angeles
1BDrew Compton, 2YR FR.321/.420/.5893120
2BAustin Wilhite, 5YR SR.229/.325/.371130
3B*Justyn-Henry Malloy, 3YR SO.167/.487/.208021
SSLuke Waddell, 4YR JR.399/.419/.417192
LFTres Gonzalez, 2YR FR.368/.455/.474030
CFColin Hall, 4YR JR.228/.314/.4041100
RFJake DeLeon, 1YR FRHS — Avon, Conn.
DHStephen Reid, 2YR FR.273/.340/.6365100
*Stats at Vanderbilt
Pos.Name, Yr.W-LERAIPSOBBSV
LHP**Brant Hurter, 4YR JR2-22.4248.158140
RHPCort Roedig, 3YR SO1-24.3418.223120
LHPLuke Bartnicki, 3YR SO0-01.7615.11790
RPZach Maxwell, 2YR FR1-13.1414.120160
**Stats from 2019
Grading The Yellow Jackets
Just as scouts grade prospects using the 20-80 scouting scale, we use a 20-80 scale to evaluate teams in our top 25. A score of 50 in each category is average, relative to a typical NCAA tournament team; 55 is slightly above-average; 60 is above-average (plus); 70 is well above-average (plus-plus); 80 is top of the scale, historically strong. Accordingly, 45 is fringe-average or slightly below-average; 40 is below-average; 30 is well below-average; and 20 is the extreme in that direction.


Hitting: 60
Power: 65
Speed: 60
The Yellow Jackets must replace two outfielders from last year’s club — third-round pick Michael Guldberg and fifth-rounder Baron Radcliff — but the rest of the lineup returns intact, and another top-15 recruiting class added even more star power to a lineup that might have quite a bit of it. Power hitting has long been a hallmark of Georgia Tech’s program, and that should continue in 2021, but this kineup also has excellent athleticism, speed and versatility.

Everything starts with Waddell, a proven All-America-caliber shortstop who also rates as quite possibly the premier leadoff man in the country. Getting him back as a fourth-year regular was an unbelievable coup for Georgia Tech, resulting from the shortened five-round draft. Waddell really shines for his elite plate discipline and barrel skill, and the advanced metrics reflect his very low swing-and-miss and chase rates. He worked hard to drive the ball with more authority in the offseason, which only makes him more dangerous. He’s also a good runner with excellent savvy and aggressiveness on the basepaths.

Gonzalez, Hall and DeLeo are all plus or better runners, giving Georgia Tech the option to really wreak havoc on the basepaths if it chooses. Gonzalez, like Waddell, is a lefthanded slasher with good pitch recognition and improving strength, and he looks like a breakout candidate in his second year in the program. Hall, another lefty bat, added 15 to 20 pounds of strength and really emerged as a bona fide power/speed threat this fall, when he hit close to .500 in scrimmage action and ranked among the team leaders in almost every category. The son of head coach Danny Hall, Colin is also an instinctive baserunner who really knows how to use his speed. DeLeo, meanwhile, brings an exciting combination of physicality and quick-twitch athleticism, which could make him a superstar and a first-round pick by the time he’s draft-eligible in 2022. He might be the fastest runner on the team — which is saying something on this club — and his righthanded bat speed is electric. Wilhite, a seasoned fifth-year veteran, is another good runner, and so is 2YR FR Jadyn Jackson, his primary competition for the second base job. Jackson also brings a little more offensive impact potential than the slap-hitting Wilhite, and true freshman John Anderson is a hard-contact machine who could also factor into the infield mix, either at second or third base if Malloy should falter.


Georgia Tech slugger Stephen Reid (Aaron Fitt)
At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Malloy is built like like a prototypical third baseman, though he remains more of a line-drive, middle-away oriented hitter than a turn-and-burn slugger. He fits in well amongst Georgia Tech’s seemingly endless collection of physically imposing, powerfully built boppers at the corners and the catcher position. The switch-hitting Compton can hold his own at either corner defensively and has a game that evokes former Tech great Mark Teixeira, with exciting power potential and the ability to hit for average. The chiseled Reid has “generational power”, as the coaching staff put it, combined with “sneaky adjustability”. He can handle velocity and drive the ball with authority to all fields, and he’s become a much tougher out since he arrived on campus. Look for his fearsome righthanded stick to be in the lineup every day whether he plays right field or DH. Fellow 2YR FR Andrew Jenkins brings additional physicality to the first base/left field/DH mix, along with a mature gap-to-gap approach and a knack for turning in competitive at-bats. Parada brings yet another premium righthanded bat to the fold. One of the top recruits to set foot on a college campus this fall, Parada is a dynamic athlete who runs well and has the ability to hit for both average and power. He excelled against elite pitching in high school, and he continued to perform all fall for Georgia Tech, suggesting he’s ready to hit the ground running in the ACC this spring. As Danny Hall put it in the fall, “I think his bat just When Tech deploys Gonzalez, Hall and DeLeo in the outfield together, there might not be a better defensive trio in the country. Reid has worked hard to turn himself into a passable outfielder as well, shedding some bulk and improving his mobility. Waddell and Wilhite are as good a double-play tandem as you’ll find in college baseball, as both offer reliable hands and excellent instincts, range and body control along with above-average arm strength. Malloy impressed with his sound defense at the hot corner, which allows Tech to slide Compton across the diamond to first, making that a position of strength as well. Parada has the tools to be Georgia Tech’s next first-rounder behind the plate, with agility, soft hands and arm strength, but he’s still learning the nuances of the position at the college level, and 2YR FR Jake Holland’s advanced catch-and-throw skills should earn him significant playing time as well.

Starting Pitching: 60
The Jackets lost Friday starter Jonathan Hughes to pro ball, but they likely got an upgrade atop the rotation with the return of Hurter from Tommy John surgery. Hurter, a very physical low three-quarters lefty, has made a strong recovery, and he looked great in a five-inning start at the end of the fall, working at 91-93 mph early and settling in at 89-91 as his outing progressed. He showed feel for two quality offspeed pitches in his 79-82 mph slider with very good, tight tilt at times (up to 2730 rpm) and an 83-84 changeup with fade and sink. Simply put, he looked like a bona fide ACC Friday night ace, and he should be a strong contender for conference pitcher of the year honors.

Third-year sophomores Roedig and Bartnicki combined to make seven starts a year ago and figure to remain in the rotation in 2021. Roedig has always had exciting raw stuff, and it took another jump this fall, as he ran his heater up to 97 mph and pitched comfortably at 93-94. He can miss bats with both a hammer curveball and a tumbling changeup, and his herky-jerky, uptempo delivery makes for an uncomfortable at-bat. His upside is huge, and he’s just scratching the surface of his potential. Bartnicki, a sturdily built low-three-quarters lefty with funk and deception in his delivery, attacks at 88-92 and bumps 93 with a heavy fastball that induces loads of ground balls. He also effectively mixes in his 78-80 changeup and 80-82 slider, both of which are solid offerings but not wipeout pitches, though the slider has gotten better.


Georgia Tech lefty Luke Bartnicki (Aaron Fitt)
And Georgia Tech has two more very talented and capable candidates for the weekend rotation, ensuring a strong competition for those roles between now and opening day. 5YR JR righty Andy Archer returned from UCL repair surgery (non-Tommy John) to make four appearances last spring, and though he has worked exclusively out of the bullpen thus far in his career, Hall said he’s a candidate to start this spring. A physical 6-foot-4, 220-pounder with valuable veteran savvy, Archer sits in the low 90s and has bumped the mid-90s in the past, along with one of the nation’s best changeups at 79-83 and a sharp 73-77 curveball that continues to improve.

The other rotation option is blue-chip freshman righty Marquis Grissom Jr., an elite talent that reminds the coaches of Luis Severino. The son of the longtime major league center fielder by the same name, Grissom is a super-projectable 6-foot-3, 180-pounder with high-end athleticism, and he has impressed the coaches with his competitiveness and ability to pitch out of jams this fall. He’s also impressed with his stuff: a low-90s heater that bumps 94 and a filthy changeup. He worked hard with pitching coach Danny Borrell to improve his breaking ball in the fall, and Hall said it shows signs of becoming a plus pitch for him in time. Clearly, Grissom has superstar potential, and he will carve out a vital role as a freshman in some capacity.

Part 1
 

GT baseball fan

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
13
Part 2
Bullpen: 65
One of the five pitchers listed above will wind up as a big-time weapon in the bullpen, perhaps serving as a swingman or stopper (a role that has suited Archer very well in the past). This is a very deep bullpen filled with power righties and quality lefthanders, allowing Borrell to mix and match liberally. At the back end, the massive 6-foot-6, 271-pound Maxwell is an intimidating presence with some of the most overpowering raw stuff in all of college baseball. In the fall, he sat 95-97 and bumped 99, and his fastball exploded through the zone with an elite spin rate in the 2500-2700 range. He also can miss bats with an 83-84 mph slider with big tilt that consistently spun in the 2700 rpm range. If he can throw enough strikes, he could be a first-team All-America closer.

3YR SO Chance Huff, a Vanderbilt transfer like Malloy, could fit as the primary setup man after running his heater up to 97 and pitching at 91-94 this fall, along with the makings of two quality breaking balls and a functional changeup. 2YR FR righthander Jackson Finley should be another key late-innings option, a physical and athletic two-way talent who also has light-tower raw power at the plate. But he’s more advanced as a pitcher, and Hall predicted he “has a chance to really explode” in his second year at Tech. He showed 93-96 mph heat this fall, and he made huge strides with his breaking ball, which now can be a true out pitch.

Other key bullpen options from the right side include veteran Hugh Chapman, transfer John Medich, and freshman Dawson Brown. Chapman has battled the injury bug throughout his Georgia Tech career, but he had a very good fall, showing good command of an 89-92 fastball and a quality 12-to-6 curveball. His veteran presence is an asset. Medich, a transfer from Division III Rhodes (Tenn.) College, worked his way back from Tommy John surgery to pitch 10 innings last spring, and Hall said he was up to 95 mph this fall along with an improving breaking ball. Brown, the son of former Yellow Jacket great and major leaguer Kevin Brown, battled some arm soreness at times this fall, but he showed promising stuff at the end of the fall, working at 89-92 with a high spin rate up to 2522 rpm and a decent slider at 79-82. The coaches are excited about his upside.

Expect 4YR SO Sam Crawford, 2YR FR Dalton Smith and 4YR SO Joseph Mannelly to serve as the primary bullpen options from the left side — and that’s a nice group. Crawford and Smith combine to make 14 appearances last spring, and both posted sub-2.00 ERAs, while Mannelly was out with Tommy John surgery. Crawford has the biggest arm of the trio, with a fastball that bumped 94-95 this fall, along with a plus changeup at 80 mph with serious tumble and a solid sharp downer curveball at 76-78. His emergence is a great player-development success story, as he originally arrived at Tech as a walk-on throwing in the low 80s. Smith showed a plus changeup with fade, sink and deception this summer in the Coastal Plain League, making his 84-89 mph fastball play up some. He also is making progress with his sweeping slurve at 78-79. Mannelly was coming on strong before his injury, showing 92 mph heat, but he was 87-90 and topped out at 91 in our fall look. He offers a different look from a higher slot, and his calling card is a big downer curveball at 73-75 with tight spin up to 2875 rpm.

Experience/Intangibles: 50
Remarkably, for all its talent over the years, Georgia Tech has not won a regional since 2006, and that drought had started to feel like a heavy burden hanging over the program in recent years. It started to feel like Tech needs to prove it knows how to win in the postseason again — and it still does. But the culture has shifted, and there was fantastic energy around Russ Chandler Stadium in the final fall scrimmage (which was punctuated by the sounds of a construction crew hard at work on a major ballpark improvement project down the third-base side). It just feels like the program is trending in the right direction, particularly with Borrell leading the pitching staff and James Ramsey on board to spearhead the recruiting efforts and help lead the offense.

But this is still a pretty young and largely unproven team, and how the super-talented group of second-year and first-year players mature this spring will be the biggest key for Georgia Tech’s season. But it helps that Tech does have a veteran leadership core of proven upperclassmen like Waddell, Hall, Wilhite, Archer and Hurter to lead the way.
 

JacketOff

Helluva Engineer
Messages
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FredJacket said:
My biased interpretation/editorialized summary:
-On paper... the 2021 Ga Tech team is the best in many many years (I'll let someone else try to put a year to it?)
-The team is DEEP... everywhere. You have to search to find weak spots.. maybe "the corners" ... but there are good players there. Like I said... you have to search for a problem.
-A couple of freshman (C-Parada & OF-Deleo) are expected to start and contribute; but lots of talent on the bench too.
-Pitching staff is DEEP. [Note... this may be the year @GTNavyNuke gets his drumbeat of a 'quick hook' heard for real...on the regular]
-The ceiling on this team is Omaha in June if they manage to avoid significant injury and play well.
-The unknown... as good as we are on paper... how 'good' is everyone else around us/on our schedule?
-Did I mention depth at pitching? ...a NEW feeling! Feels good.
-We have Luke Waddell!

Looking forward to a fun/great season of baseball!!
Go Jackets! To HELL with Georgia!!
Click to expand...
I’ve said since last year that 2021 was going to be the year to go back to Omaha if there was ever going to be another one. Hurter and Roedig are likely to be every bit as good of a tandem as UGA’s Wilcox and Hancock last year. Both of those guys easily have ceilings that project them in the top 5 rounds of the draft, and with good years both guys definitely have the stuff to get them into the top 3. Bartnicki is still a wild card for me. I really haven’t seen enough of him to truly know what he’s capable of. Obviously he’s got electric stuff, but we haven’t seen him in a starting role to know if he’ll be able to provide 6+ quality innings every weekend. Same story with Maxwell. Either one of those guys should be good enough to start on Sunday’s, and the other will be a key bullpen piece. Haven’t seen any fall practice so I don’t know where either stand, but the team should be in good hands either way.
Archer will be hungry out of the pen. In year’s past with a 40 round draft, Hurter, Roedig, Bartnicki, and Archer all get drafted. Rumor has a 15-20 round draft this year, and I still think there’s a good chance they all still go in that scenario as well. Don’t really know what any of the true freshmen have to offer, but 2020’s freshmen will be back with a year of experience, and many of them were very impressive last year. Barring some significant injuries like we saw in 2019, this pitching staff could easily be in the top 2-3 in the ACC, and top 15-20 in the country. There’s enough experience and power in the lineup that I think the expectation should be hosting a super-regional, and not being a top 16 seed would be a disappointment. Of course, you gotta get to the postseason to get to Omaha so you can’t be completely disheartened with a 2-3 seed, but this team should be better than that.
 
GTNavyNuke

GTNavyNuke

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FredJacket said:
My biased interpretation/editorialized summary:
-On paper... the 2021 Ga Tech team is the best in many many years (I'll let someone else try to put a year to it?)
-The team is DEEP... everywhere. You have to search to find weak spots.. maybe "the corners" ... but there are good players there. Like I said... you have to search for a problem.
-A couple of freshman (C-Parada & OF-Deleo) are expected to start and contribute; but lots of talent on the bench too.
-Pitching staff is DEEP. [Note... this may be the year @GTNavyNuke gets his drumbeat of a 'quick hook' heard for real...on the regular]
-The ceiling on this team is Omaha in June if they manage to avoid significant injury and play well.
-The unknown... as good as we are on paper... how 'good' is everyone else around us/on our schedule?
-Did I mention depth at pitching? ...a NEW feeling! Feels good.
-We have Luke Waddell!

Looking forward to a fun/great season of baseball!!
Go Jackets! To HELL with Georgia!!
Click to expand...

Listening to Borrell, the only way all the guys he praises the innings he is implying is to have a quick hook. And not just because a pitcher is struggling but because we have better pitchers for the particular situation or don't need to have really good teams see a pitcher a third time in a game.

I really hope (and even think) that we will see a much better mix of pitchers this year. Partly because we have the talent but mostly Borrell has developed them and understands the situations he wants to put them in.

And yes I was frustrated in the past by our lack of pitching, pitching development and pitching use. One of the most telling things in a recent Borrell interview was how his job was not to screw up pitchers by changing what they are doing fundamentally. Change pieces but don't mess with their overall approach. Contrasts with a previous coaches' approach.

The biggest problem we have is where to play the talent we have at all positions, not just pitching. More on that later. We're down to 28 days and 18 hours till first pitch as I write this. https://beesball.com/
 

augustabuzz

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GT baseball fan said:
Part 2
Bullpen: 65
One of the five pitchers listed above will wind up as a big-time weapon in the bullpen, perhaps serving as a swingman or stopper (a role that has suited Archer very well in the past). This is a very deep bullpen filled with power righties and quality lefthanders, allowing Borrell to mix and match liberally. At the back end, the massive 6-foot-6, 271-pound Maxwell is an intimidating presence with some of the most overpowering raw stuff in all of college baseball. In the fall, he sat 95-97 and bumped 99, and his fastball exploded through the zone with an elite spin rate in the 2500-2700 range. He also can miss bats with an 83-84 mph slider with big tilt that consistently spun in the 2700 rpm range. If he can throw enough strikes, he could be a first-team All-America closer.

3YR SO Chance Huff, a Vanderbilt transfer like Malloy, could fit as the primary setup man after running his heater up to 97 and pitching at 91-94 this fall, along with the makings of two quality breaking balls and a functional changeup. 2YR FR righthander Jackson Finley should be another key late-innings option, a physical and athletic two-way talent who also has light-tower raw power at the plate. But he’s more advanced as a pitcher, and Hall predicted he “has a chance to really explode” in his second year at Tech. He showed 93-96 mph heat this fall, and he made huge strides with his breaking ball, which now can be a true out pitch.

Other key bullpen options from the right side include veteran Hugh Chapman, transfer John Medich, and freshman Dawson Brown. Chapman has battled the injury bug throughout his Georgia Tech career, but he had a very good fall, showing good command of an 89-92 fastball and a quality 12-to-6 curveball. His veteran presence is an asset. Medich, a transfer from Division III Rhodes (Tenn.) College, worked his way back from Tommy John surgery to pitch 10 innings last spring, and Hall said he was up to 95 mph this fall along with an improving breaking ball. Brown, the son of former Yellow Jacket great and major leaguer Kevin Brown, battled some arm soreness at times this fall, but he showed promising stuff at the end of the fall, working at 89-92 with a high spin rate up to 2522 rpm and a decent slider at 79-82. The coaches are excited about his upside.

Expect 4YR SO Sam Crawford, 2YR FR Dalton Smith and 4YR SO Joseph Mannelly to serve as the primary bullpen options from the left side — and that’s a nice group. Crawford and Smith combine to make 14 appearances last spring, and both posted sub-2.00 ERAs, while Mannelly was out with Tommy John surgery. Crawford has the biggest arm of the trio, with a fastball that bumped 94-95 this fall, along with a plus changeup at 80 mph with serious tumble and a solid sharp downer curveball at 76-78. His emergence is a great player-development success story, as he originally arrived at Tech as a walk-on throwing in the low 80s. Smith showed a plus changeup with fade, sink and deception this summer in the Coastal Plain League, making his 84-89 mph fastball play up some. He also is making progress with his sweeping slurve at 78-79. Mannelly was coming on strong before his injury, showing 92 mph heat, but he was 87-90 and topped out at 91 in our fall look. He offers a different look from a higher slot, and his calling card is a big downer curveball at 73-75 with tight spin up to 2875 rpm.

Experience/Intangibles: 50
Remarkably, for all its talent over the years, Georgia Tech has not won a regional since 2006, and that drought had started to feel like a heavy burden hanging over the program in recent years. It started to feel like Tech needs to prove it knows how to win in the postseason again — and it still does. But the culture has shifted, and there was fantastic energy around Russ Chandler Stadium in the final fall scrimmage (which was punctuated by the sounds of a construction crew hard at work on a major ballpark improvement project down the third-base side). It just feels like the program is trending in the right direction, particularly with Borrell leading the pitching staff and James Ramsey on board to spearhead the recruiting efforts and help lead the offense.

But this is still a pretty young and largely unproven team, and how the super-talented group of second-year and first-year players mature this spring will be the biggest key for Georgia Tech’s season. But it helps that Tech does have a veteran leadership core of proven upperclassmen like Waddell, Hall, Wilhite, Archer and Hurter to lead the way.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the post. It helps to get to know the players better this close to the season.
 
eokerholm

eokerholm

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21 & 22 seasons will be SOLID runs for Omaha.
With the depth and breadth of the pitching arsenal, the hook is in play but also you gotta give the guys a chance to adjust and learn.
But holy crap is it going to be an exciting year!!

Texas HS baseball season starts today.
Spring is practice for Summer and summer is short this year. Draft I heard is in July so June and July is going to be super hot in the ATL for baseball.
We'll be there!

Hoping to make some games this season.
 
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