Jump To Top of Page

BSB: Sixteen Dawgs Play Pro Baseball with Five Invited to the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft Combine

A total of 16 former Bulldogs are playing professional baseball while five current Georgia standouts have received invitations to the upcoming 2025 Major League Baseball Draft Combine.

Here’s a brief look at the current Bulldogs in professional baseball:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL (MLB)

The Bulldogs at the MLB level include pitcher Jonathan Cannon (Chicago White Sox), infielder Kyle Farmer (Colorado Rockies) and pitcher Emerson Hancock (Seattle Mariners). 

Cannon, a third-round draft pick of the White Sox in 2022, was in the starting rotation until being placed on the 15-day injured list with a lower back strain on June 3. This season, he owns a 2-7 mark and 4.66 ERA in 12 appearances, including 10 starts. In 63.2 innings, he has registered 51 strikeouts, 21 walks, and a 1.40 WHIP. Opponents are batting .268 against him. The White Sox are 23-46.

Farmer, an eighth-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013, has made starts at every infield spot plus as the designated hitter for Colorado this year. He has appeared in 52 games and posted a .224 batting average with three home runs and 17 RBI. The Rockies are 13-55.

Hancock, a first-round draft pick of Seattle in 2020, is in the starting rotation, where he is 2-2 with a 5.04 ERA. In 11 starts, he has pitched 55.1 innings with 41 strikeouts, 20 walks and a 1.50 WHIP. The Mariners are 33-34.

TRIPLE-A

Pitcher Ben Harris, an eighth-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021, is a member of the Oklahoma City Comets. The 25-year-old left-hander has appeared in 21 games with two starts and owns a 1-0 mark and 4.63 ERA. In 23.1 innings, he has 32 strikeouts.

Infielder Aaron Schunk has spent time with the Rockies this season. However, he is now playing in Albuquerque, N.M. A second-round draft pick of Colorado in 2019, he played 11 games with the Rockies in 2025, seeing action at second base, third base and shortstop. In 28 at-bats, he hit .214. Last year, he made his MLB debut, playing in 39 games and posting a .234 batting average with two home runs and seven RBI. Currently, he is batting .263 with two doubles, two triples, four home runs and 21 RBI in 27 games with the Isotopes.

Ryan Webb is in his fourth season in the Cleveland Guardians organization after being a fourth-round pick in 2021. Now a member of the Columbus Clippers, the 26-year-old left-hander is 2-4 with a 5.67 ERA in 12 games, including nine starts. He has tallied 40 strikeouts in 46 innings. 

Righthander Cole Wilcox is in his fourth season of professional baseball after being a third-round pick of the San Diego Padres in 2020. He is now in the Tampa Bay Rays system, and since August, he has been in Triple-A with the Durham Bulls. The 25-year-old right-hander is 0-2 for the year with a 4.39 ERA and two saves in 18 appearances. In 26.2 innings, he has posted 29 strikeouts.

DOUBLE-A

Will Childers is again healthy and pitching in the Milwaukee Brewers organization for the Biloxi Shuckers. A former 30th-round pick of Arizona in 2019, the right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.53 ERA and five saves in 23 relief appearances. In 32 innings, he has tallied 40 strikeouts. Opponents are batting just .155 against him, and he owns a 1.06 WHIP.

Dylan Ross, a 13th-round pick of the New York Mets in 2022, finally made his professional debut at the end of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. After beginning the year in Brooklyn, the 6-5, 251-pound right-hander was promoted to Double-A Binghamton (N.Y.) in May. Overall, he is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA and four saves in 19 relief appearances. In 21 innings, he has amassed 39 strikeouts and a 1.19 WHIP.

Jaden Woods is in his third professional campaign and is back with the Altoona Curve, the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Currently, the left-hander owns a 4-3 record, appearing in 20 games in relief. In 28.1 innings, he has 30 strikeouts and a 1.48 WHIP.

SINGLE-A

A sixth-round draft pick of the New York Mets in 2024, Corey Collins now in his first full season of professional baseball. The 6-3, 236-pound first baseman is batting .170 with a home run and seven RBI in 53 at-bats for the St. Lucie Mets.

As the first-round pick of the Colorado Rockies in 2024, infielder/outfielder Charlie Condon is heating up with the Spokane (Wash.) Indians. After beginning this season on the injured list with a broken hand, the 22-year-old is batting .392 with two home runs and 14 RBI in 20 games with the Indians to go with a whopping 1.053 OPS.

Catcher Fernando Gonzalez, a 20th-round pick of the San Francisco Giants in 2024, made his professional debut with the San Jose Giants this season. Recently, he was placed on the seven-day injured list. He has appeared in 27 games and posted a .230 batting average with three home runs and eight RBI.

Chandler Marsh signed with the New York Mets as an undrafted free agent last July. The right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA and one save in 20 appearances with the Brooklyn Cyclones. In 25 innings, he has 32 strikeouts and an impressive 0.64 WHIP.

Christian Mracna signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent last year. Currently, the 24-year-old right-hander is on the injured list after seeing limited action with the Dunedin Blue Jays. He is 0-1 with a 12.15 ERA and one save in nine appearances covering 6.2 innings with six strikeouts.

A 23-year-old left-hander, Liam Sullivan, has returned to action after having his 2024 season end last April due to surgery. A 13th-round draft pick of the Washington Nationals in 2023, he is on a rehabilitation assignment for the FCL Nationals. He has made a pair of starts on pitch counts and has registered six strikeouts in 2.1 innings to go with a 3.86 ERA. In his career, Sullivan is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 11 appearances, including 10 starts, with 48 strikeouts in 28 innings.

Meanwhile, the fifth annual MLB Draft Combine will be held June 17-21 at Chase Field in Phoenix, and it will feature five Bulldogs, according to an announcement by MLB and USA Baseball. Georgia pitchers Brian Curley, Alton Davis II, Leighton Finley, Kolten Smith, and outfielder Tre Phelps are among the 322 players on the field.

The combined features include on-field workouts like batting practice, infield and outfield drills, bullpens and a high school game, in-person meetings, athletic testing and medical evaluations. Tuesday’s action will include a showcase that will be broadcast on MLB Network from noon to 6 pm ET. The 2025 MLB Draft will be July 13-15 in Fort Worth, Texas.

In related Bulldog baseball news, on Friday, it was announced by the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings that graduate designated hitter Ryland Zaborowski has been named a 2025 First Team All-American.

This is the latest honor for Zaborowski, who led Georgia with a .370 batting average, a .788 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage while tallying 17 home runs and 61 RBI in just 45 games. Earlier this week, he was named a First Team All-American by Perfect Game and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

The Bulldogs finished the season with a 43-17 record and played host to an NCAA Regional as a number seven national seed for the second consecutive year.

MBB: Dawgs’ Non-Conference Schedule Announced

 The Georgia Bulldogs’ quest to reach a second straight NCAA Tournament will begin by facing Bellarmine on Monday, Nov. 3, at Stegeman Coliseum, the first day of the 2025-26 NCAA basketball schedule. The matchup against the Knights was announced along with Georgia’s other non-conference home outings on Friday.

The Bulldogs are currently projected as a No. 10 seed for the 2026 edition of “March Madness” in Joe Lunardi’s May 20 Bracketology for ESPN.com.

Georgia will begin the season with five consecutive home dates. After Bellarmine, the Bulldogs will host Maryland-Eastern Shore on Wednesday, Nov. 5; Morehead State on Sunday, Nov. 9; Georgia Tech on Friday, Nov. 14; and Florida A&M on Monday, Nov. 17.

Georgia will then venture to Charleston, S.C., to take part in the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic on Friday, Nov. 21 and Sunday, Nov. 23. While matchups for the tournament have not been announced, the four-team bracket also includes Clemson, West Virginia and Xavier.

Georgia’s remaining four home games are against Tennessee Tech on Saturday, Nov. 29; Western Carolina on Thursday, Dec. 18; West Georgia on Monday, Dec. 22; and Long Island on Monday, Dec. 29.

The Bulldogs have been extremely successful at Stegeman during White’s three seasons at UGA. Georgia is 41-13 (.759) at home during that span, including a perfect 27-0 mark against non-conference opponents. White is 48-14 (.774) as a head coach at Stegeman, including a 7-1 mark at Louisiana Tech and Florida before coming to Athens.

Georgia is coming off of its best season in a decade, including the Bulldogs’ first NCAA Tournament bid since 2015. Georgia did so while playing one of the nation’s most challenging schedules. The Bulldogs faced a nation-leading eight top-10 teams during the regular season and, all told, played 20 of their 33 games (60.6 percent) against other NCAA Tournament teams.

The Bulldogs’ 2025-26 home schedule is expected to feature 18 games, including the matchup against arch-rival Georgia Tech and nine SEC dates. The renewal process for existing season ticket holders will begin in July. Information on new season tickets is available here.

Departed Dawgs: Who Left and Why?

Here’s a list of players present on the 2024 roster but not the 2025 roster, along with their ultimate destinations where known:

• Carson Beck – Quarterback (Transferred to Miami (FL))
• Mykel Williams – Defensive Lineman/EDGE (Declared for 2025 NFL Draft – San Francisco 49ers)
• Jalon Walker – Linebacker/EDGE (Declared for 2025 NFL Draft – Atlanta Falcons)
• Malaki Starks – Safety (Declared for 2025 NFL Draft – Baltimore Ravens)
• Tate Ratledge – Offensive Lineman (Declared for 2025 NFL Draft – Detroit Lions)
• Dylan Fairchild – Offensive Lineman (Declared for 2025 NFL Draft – Cincinnati Bengals)
• Jared Wilson – Offensive Lineman (Declared for 2025 NFL Draft – New England Patriots)
• Arian Smith – Wide Receiver (Declared for 2025 NFL Draft – New York Jets)
• Trevor Etienne – Running Back (Declared for 2025 NFL Draft – Carolina Panthers)
• Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins – Defensive Lineman (Declared for 2025 NFL Draft – Minnesota Vikings)
• Smael Mondon – Linebacker (Declared for 2025 NFL Draft – Philadelphia Eagles)
• Warren Brinson – Defensive Lineman (Declared for 2025 NFL Draft – Green Bay Packers)
• Dan Jackson – Safety (Declared for 2025 NFL Draft – Detroit Lions)
• Dominic Lovett – Wide Receiver (Declared for 2025 NFL Draft – Detroit Lions)
• Xavier Truss – Offensive Tackle (Undrafted Free Agent – Denver Broncos)
• Nazir Stackhouse – Defensive Tackle (Undrafted Free Agent – Green Bay Packers)
• Chaz Chambliss – Linebacker (Undrafted Free Agent – Minnesota Vikings)
• Ben Yurosek – Tight End (Undrafted Free Agent – Minnesota Vikings)
• Julian Humphrey – Cornerback (Transferred to Texas A&M)
• Michael Jackson III – Wide Receiver (Purdue)
• Troy Bowles – Linebacker (Transferred to Michigan)
• Jamaal Jarrett – Defensive Lineman (Transferred to USC)
• Justyn Rhett – Defensive Back (Transferred to Nebraska)
• Samuel M’Pemba – Outside Linebacker (Transferred to Texas A&M)
• Jake Pope – Safety (Transferred to UNLV)
• Anthony Evans – Wide Receiver (Entered Transfer Portal – Mississippi State)
• Damon Wilson – Outside Linebacker (Transferred to Missouri)
• Jaden Rashada – Quarterback (Entered Transfer Portal – Sacramento State.)
• Branson Robinson – Running Back (Entered Transfer Portal – Georgia State)
• Nitro Tuggle – Wide Receiver (Indefinitely suspended, Purdue)
• Marques Easley – Offensive Guard (Indefinitely suspended, Purdue)
• Colbie Young – Wide Receiver (Initially expected to depart, but gained an extra year of eligibility due to NCAA rulings and is expected to return for 2025)

Jump To Today’s Discussion Thread