Georgia baseball has been steadily improving ever since a string of sub-.500 finishes over the past decade. Consecutive appearances in the NCAA Regional Tournament shows the nation that Athens is once again a powerhouse. Even Major League Baseball is starting to take notice.
1. Aaron Schunk - 62nd pick, Colorado Rockies
Schunk was considered a two-way prospect going into the draft. He split his time between third base and closing pitcher. A winner of the Triple Crown award, Schunk had 15 home runs and 58 RBIs with a batting average of .339 as the Bulldog third baseman. As the closer, he had 12 saves with a 2.49 ERA. The position assigned to him by the Rockies was third base but he is likely to still get an opportunity to pitch in the minor league system.
2. Tony Locey - 96th pick, St. Louis Cardinals
A semifinalist for the 2019 pitcher of the year, Locey had a season ERA of 2.53 accompanied by an 11-2 record. His season was somewhat of a surprise after having a 3.92 career ERA at the collegiate level. MLB teams typically look at a number under 3.00 as being impressive. The Cardinals expect Locey to continue his upward trajectory.
3. Tim Elliott - 126th pick, Seattle Mariners
Another Bulldog pitcher comes off the board on the draft's second day. Elliott posted impressive numbers during his junior campaign with a 2.38 ERA and a 7-3 record. One of those seven wins came by way of the complete game which is becoming ever more rare in today's game. Originally coming to Georgia as a reliever, Elliott transitioned to a starter while posting a 3.10 career ERA across 41 appearances.
4. LJ Talley - 207th pick, Toronto Blue Jays
The best fielder on the team has shown yearly improvement with the bat which was the most crucial area needed for him to be on the MLB's radar. His fielding is solid with an appearance on the 2019 SEC All-Defensive team. Talley finished his senior season with a batting average of .332 accompanied by 8 home runs and 41 RBIs.
