Written by Greg Fertel
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27 January 2008
- Age: 21
- Height: 6'3"
- Weight: 190 lbs
- Position: Starting Pitcher
- Throws: Right
Scouting Report: Pope throws his fastball anywhere from 88 to 94 mph. He throws a slider, curveball, and changeup, but none are anything special. He has excellent control. Why is he rated this high? He's got the potential to be much, much better. I'm no expert on pitching mechanics, but Carlos Gomez is, and
he couldn't rave more about Ryan Pope. Watching his scouting video, Pope coils and unloads as fast as any pitcher that I've ever seen. Gomez compares him to Roy Oswalt. Pope was throwing 82 mph for the Savannah College of Art and Design three years ago, but reworked his mechanics. Gomez writes, "Pope is a steal in the third round. I believe he will gain more velocity as he gets more comfortable with his "new" mechanics. Remember, Pope has been pitching this way for only a couple of years." We could very well be seeing a more-muscled Pope throwing in the mid-90s as soon as next year. The Yankees are very good at teaching changeups and curveballs to good pitchers, so look for improvement there too.
History: Ryan Pope was an unknown pitcher pitching for an unknown college. There's not much to say. He impressed the Yankees, and they signed him. The Yankees had to have a lot of faith in him to go so far into left field. His numbers are ridiculous - 102 innings in 2007 with an ERA of 1.15, with 122 strikeouts (10.8 per 9) and a 16 (1.41 per 9) walks. In 2006, he pitched 85 2/3 innings with an ERA of 1.89 and 91 strikeouts (9.55 per 9) and 17 walks (1.98 per 9). The level of competition was pretty low, and his team in general posted stellar ERAs, but wow.
This Season: Pope signed early and was sent to Staten Island. He was very good. Pope pitched 43 1/3 innings with an ERA of 2.49. He struck out 46 (9.55 per 9) and walked 10 (2.08 per 9). While shorter, his season is comparable with the dominating performances of
George Kontos and Tim Norton just a year ago. He struggled against lefties (.329/.397/.486, .404 BABIP) vs. righties (.174/.200/.209, .263 BABIP), although the sample sizes are so small that the meaning of those numbers is inconsequential. It isn't inconceivable that Pope, who is trying to figure out his secondary pitches, would struggle against opposite-side hitters.
Outlook and Movement: While not nearly as polished as George Kontos or Tim Norton, Pope is arguably a much better pitcher. He was good enough in Staten Island to warrant an immediate promotion to Tampa.
As we've seen, there should be room for him. The Yankees will probably keep him there, close to their coaching nexus, to work on his all-around game for the full season.
Ranking: I've said it before: The Yankees must have seen something special to go for an unknown in the 3rd round. Ryan Pope seems to have the two most important pitching ingredients well accounted for: fastball and control. He used to them to great effect against tough competition in the New York-Penn League. Carlos Gomez' comments hold a lot of weight in my mind. Gomez is a tough guy to please, and he was much more than pleased about Pope. I'm more excited to see what he can do than anyone else in the Yankee system right now.
