RHP Zach Pop

Hometown: Brampton, Ont.

Bats/Throws: R-R

Height/Weight: 6’ 4,” 225 lbs. 

School: University of Kentucky. 

Coach: Nick Mingione 

Previous teams: Wareham Gatemen, St. Cloud Rox, Canadian Junior National Team, Ontario Blue Jays, DBacks Langley Blaze, Toronto Mets, Brampton Royals..

Previous coaches: Jerry Weinstein, Augie Rodriguez, Gary Henderson, Greg Hamilton, Chris Reitsma, Dan Bleiwas, Doug Mathieson, Ryan McBride.

Twitter Handle: @pop_zach  

On other lists: Rated 179th on latest Baseball America top 500 prospect list (05/05/17), down 36 spots ... Listed 95th on MLB Pipeline's top 200 prospects (05/06/17), down 12 spots ... Ranked 132nd on Perfect Game top 500 HSers and collegians list (26/05/17), down 14 spots ... Listed 143rd on Baseball America's top 200 combined list (05/04/17) ... Ranked 83rd on MLB Pipeline's top 100 (4/27/17) ... Listed 118th on Perfect Game's combined list of HSers and collegians (04/03/17), down 16 spots ... Ranked 46th on Perfect Game's top 100 junior collegians (1/24/17) .... Listed 74th on Baseball America's top 100 College list ... Ranked 102nd on Perfect Game’s top 250 combined list of collegians and HSers (11/29/16) ... Listed 49th on Perfect Game's top 100 college list ... Ranked 27th on Baseball America’s top 30 prospects from the Cape Cod league ... Listed on BA Watch List (06/13/16) ... Ranked sixth best Baseball America prospect on Northwood top 10 list.  

MLB Pipeline

95    Pop, Zachery    Kentucky    RHP    R/R    JR        6’4” 225lbs DOB: 09/20/96    
Canada’s top high school pitching prospect in 2014, Pop turned down the Blue Jays as a 23rd-rounder to attend Kentucky. He has one of the most powerful arms in the Southeastern Conference, though his inability to consistently harness it has led the Wildcats to keep him in the bullpen for most of the last three years. He showcased some of the best stuff among Cape Cod League starters last summer yet still profiles as a reliever, and his stock took a hit when he was sidelined with a forearm strain in May. In short stints, Pop works in the upper 90s and can reach 99 mph with nice sink on his fastball. In longer outings on the Cape, he operated at 92-96 mph. He also can overpower hitters with a slider that reaches the high 80s, though it stands out more for its velocity than its sharpness. Pop fiddled with a changeup as a Cape starter but it needs a lot of work and he doesn’t use it as a reliever. He doesn’t have a history of throwing a lot of strikes, and he gets hit harder than he should because he doesn’t command his pitches. Yet if a pro team can polish him up, he has the pure stuff to turn into a big league closer.

Perfect Game Scouting Report

133. Zach Pop, rhp, Kentucky (JR)
R-R, 6-4/225, Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
Previously Drafted: Never Drafted

A native Canadian, Pop has missed a fair amount of time with injury but is slated to return for the Wildcats' postseason run; where he's likely to resume his role as late-innings reliever in front of closer Logan Salow. At his best, Pop works from a very tough low three quarters arm slot with some crossfire deception to his delivery; aiding him in his effectiveness in short bursts, but likely precluding him from ever developing as a starting pitcher long term. 

He has some command concerns too; but in the scope of a power-armed reliever, scouts are optimistic he'll throw enough strikes. He can work in the mid-90's with his fastball consistently, touching as high as 97-98 mph at times--an extremely tough pitch considering the deception he creates with his angle and delivery. He'll flash a 55 slider (on the 20-80 scale) as well; diving it down under the hands of lefthanded hitters and really looking the part of a solid 7th-8th inning type of reliever at the next level. 

2017 junior season: At Kentucky ... Suffered mild flexor sprain April 29 ... Returned in second game of Super Regional against Louisville, allowing a run-scoring triple, four-pitch walk and hit a batter on a 1-2 count ... Worked 20 2/3 innings, allowing 10 runs -- eight earned -- with 33 base runners (19 hits, 14 walks) and fanning 20 on season ... 1-1, 3.48 in 22 games ... Pitched 2 2/3 against South Carolina before walking off the mound on April 29. Allowed one unearned run, walking two, striking out a pair ... Walked two, struck out one in scoreless outing against Xavier ... Retired one man in scoreless outing in win facing LSU ... Scoreless eighth -- two strikeouts -- in win against Louisville ... Pitched scoreless eighth in one-run loss to Missouri ... Scoreless 2/3 in win over Missouri ... Allowed two runs on two hits one walk in loss to Mississippi State ...  Scoreless 2/3 of an inning in win against Mississippi State ... Took loss against Vanderbilt allowing three runs on two hits and a walk in one inning. Fanned two and hit 99 MPH ... Pitched one inning (three strikeouts) allowing a run facing Cincy ... Scoreless eighth in win against Ole Miss ... Faced one man, allowed a hit in win over Ole Miss ... Scoreless eighth in win over Western Kentucky (one walk, one strikeoute) ... Scoreless outing in win over Texas A@M walked one, committed balk ... Scoreless eighth in 14-3 win over Miami ... Allowed an unearned run in the seventh in a 10-inning, 2-1 loss to Cincinnati ... Allowed two runs in 3-2 win over Santa Barbara ... Worked scoreless inning against Western Kentucky ... Pitched 3 2/3 scoreless for Wildcats first win, a 16-9 romp against St. Joe's. He allowed two hits, walked one and fanned four ... Worked 1 2/3 scoreless in 6-5 loss to Kentucky, allowing three hits (base hit, two walks) striking out one ... Recorded final out in 5-4 loss to North Carolina.

MLB Pipeline Scouting reports: Grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Control: 40 | Overall: 45

Canada’s top high school pitching prospect in 2014, Pop turned down the Blue Jays as a 23rd-rounder to attend Kentucky. He has one of the most powerful arms in the Southeastern Conference, though his inability to consistently harness it has led the Wildcats to keep him in the bullpen for most of the last three years. He showcased some of the best stuff among Cape Cod League starters last summer yet still profiles as a reliever.

In short stints, Pop works in the upper 90s and can reach 99 mph with nice sink on his fastball. In longer outings on the Cape, he operated at 92-96 mph. He also can overpower hitters with a slider that reaches the high 80s, though it stands out more for its velocity than its sharpness.

Pop fiddled with a changeup as a Cape starter but it needs a lot of work and he doesn’t use it as a reliever. He doesn’t have a history of throwing a lot of strikes, and he gets hit harder than he should because he doesn’t command his pitches. Yet if a pro team can polish him up, he has the pure stuff to turn into a big league closer.

VID ... vs. North Carolina.

2016 sophomore season: At Kentucky _ 0-2, 5.21 ERA in 19 games, making six starts ... Walked 17, struck out 24 in 38 innings. Held opponents to .263 batting average ... On Cape for Wareham: 2-3, 4.45 ERA in nine game, making six starts, walked 18, struck out 26 in 32 1/3 innings.

2015 freshman season: At Kentucky _ 0-0, 4.50 ERA in 11 games, made two midweek starts ... Allowed 20 hits, nine walks, struck out seven in 16 innings … Inherited eight runners, allowing six to score … Made collegiate debut at No. 16 UC Santa Barbara in Week 2 … Had four consecutive outings without allowing an earned run, including getting a key strikeout against No. 20 Mississippi State … Made first career start facing Morehead State allowing two earned runs in 3 2/3 innings … Started vs. Indiana, allowing three runs –- one earned –- in 2 2/3 innings … Finished with 1 2/3 scoreless vs. Georgia and three innings, one run against Northern Kentucky ... At St. Cloud, Northwoods League: Was 6-2, 2.56 ERA in 12 games making 11 starts ... Allowed 44 hits, 19 walks, fanned 40 in 52 2/3 innings … Worked four quality starts ... Worked 2 2/3 innings over two games in the NWL playoffs … Pitched in the Northwoods League Showcase, earning the start and win.

2014 season: Was at 93 mph with his fastball at Perfect Game’s National Pre-Draft Showcase.

Drafted: 23rd round by Toronto Blue Jays (2014) ... Was ranked 319th by Baseball America (10th round), second highest Canadian but fell as he either chose school route or asked for too much of a signing bonus -- depending upon who you ask.

Honors: 2015 freshman season _ SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll ... Summer ball: Northwoods League Major League Dreams Starting pitcher ... 2014 high school _ Perfect Game Preseason All American All Region First Team Canada/Puerto Rico ... Top 10 Fastball (Second of 10) National Pre-Draft Showcase ... All Tournament Team PG High School Showdown-Academies ... 2013 high school _ PG Preseason Underclass All American Honorable Mention. 

Baseball America Scouting Report By Teddy Cahill (2016) 27th: Pop has big stuff, though the former Canadian Junior National Team member has been unable to harness it consistently during his college career. He showed the same traits again this summer, impressing at times with his power arsenal but at other times struggling to throw strikes.

Pop throws his fastball in the low 90s and is capable of getting it up to 96 mph. He gets ground ball outs with the pitch thanks both to its sinking action and the downhill angle his 6-foot-4 frame creates. He combines his sinker with a solid slider and also shows a change up, though it needs further development. Pop’s delivery has some effort to it, which leads to his inconsistent command. If he’s able to smooth it out, he has the physical body and arsenal to give him a chance to start. Otherwise, his sinker-slider mix should play well in the bullpen.

Baseball America Scouting Report By Ian Frazer (8/24/2015): Kentucky has developed Canadians such as Andrew Albers and James Paxton into big leaguers, and Brampton, Ont. native Pop, drafted in the 23rd round by the Blue Jays in 2014, is looking to follow in their footsteps with the Wildcats. He pitched just 16 innings in the spring but logged 49 innings with a 2.55 ERA this summer. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder attacks hitters with long, sweeping arm action from sidearm slot. The action is smooth, however, and Pop throws across his body with a closed front side, which helps him hide the ball. His fastball has multiple shapes, showing sink and run when thrown to the arm side but straightening out when Pop pulls it more. There isn’t too much effort in Pop’s delivery, despite his long arm action, and he keeps his head still during it. He could repeat it better than he does, though, and can be inconsistent with his release point. Pop’s fastball was 90-94 mph with movement in an inning of action at the league showcase, and while he showed a slider at 83 mph with average movement, he didn’t command the pitch and it started breaking right out of his hand. He also lost velocity when he went to the stretch. Pop’s repertoire is still fairly raw, but his unconventional delivery and strong physical tools give him a profile worth following.

Canuck connections: Previous Canadian talents program Andrew Albers, Chris Bisson, James Paxton plus current UK OF Tristan Pompey. 

What they are saying: “Zach’s come a long way, he’s done really well. He’s got a power arm – he’s 91 to 93 MPH down there consistently and he’s got a power sinker, pretty good slider, and the makings of a half-decent changeup.” Chris Reitsma, Team Canada pitching coach. 

“My major-league comparison is Justin Masterson. He has a plus sinker with above average velocity. Resilient arm.” _ Jerry Weinstein, special advisor to scouting and player development for Colorado Rockies, as well as Pop’s Cape Cod league manager. 
 
Frank Juzenas _ Pop drafted by Blue Jays
 

Pop after win against Northern Kentucky

Hudson Belinsky, Baseball America: Pop makes Watch List