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College  | Story  | 4/8/2021

Scouting Notebook: Georgia Tech

Drew Wesolowski     
Photo: Kevin Parada (GT Athletics/Danny Karnik)
College Player Report Database

Previously Featured:
April 1 Notebook: Brant Hurter
April 2 Notebook: Andy Archer, Cort Roedig
April 3 Notebook: Zach Maxwell



Players Covered: Kevin Parada, Luke Waddell, Tres Gonzalez, Andrew Compton

What Happened: The Jackets got off to a quick start as they picked up the first game before losing the last two. The offense was alive and well, but they gave up too many runs and ended up dropping the second conference series of the season. They have yet to be swept but have some questions to be answered moving forward. They will be on the road again at Notre Dame this weekend as they look to make up for lost ground.

Carrying Tools: Offensive Production. Tech has a number of key pieces offensively that will intrigue minds at the next level. They range from upperclassmen to freshmen, and they all have a part in generating runs. Freshmen Kevin Parada, Andrew Compton, and Tres Gonzalez have all been off to a hot start. Senior Luke Waddell leads off and does a great job of finding barrels and scoring on base knocks from the middle of the lineup. All in all, the Yellow Jackets have put up big numbers offensively and will look to continue that into the second half of the season.

Concerns: Bullpen. The starting rotation has been solid for the Jackets as Andy Archer, Brant Hurter, and Sam Crawford have given their squad a chance to win. We have seen some big run innings late in games as the bullpen has been a touch shaky to start. We know that the offense is going to put up runs but it will be up to Luke Bartnicki, Dalton Smith, and Zach Maxwell to pick up the slack and help propel Georgia Tech to wins late in games.

Best Player On The Field: Kevin Parada
Parada was no doubt the top prospect on the weekend. The catcher is nothing short of one of the most fundamentally sound backstops in the country. Excellent catch-and-release skills as he was only tested once by a stealing runner and he was quickly thrown out. Feel for framing it up and blocking baseballs as well. The bat was just as impressive as he found a barrel with every swing in the first few games before cooling off in the third. He’s hitting an easy .413 on the season with 21 RBI.


Kevin Parada, C, 2022 Eligible
Parada is already putting his name in the hat for one of the top prospects in the 2022 draft class. The catcher is very mature defensively as he started all three games behind the dish this past conference series against UVA. He has a great set of hands as he receives the baseball with feel on the corner, further proving his framing abilities. The arm strength is also present as he was only tested one time on the paths, and he threw the runner out at second by a couple steps. He doesn’t necessarily standout physically as he is 6-foot-1, but the strength in the lower half and hands make up for any size disputes.

Offensively, the freshman is one of the top bats, if not the top bat, in the country. The right-handed hitter utilizes a short, simple stride as he creates separation before throwing the bat head through the zone. He knows how to generate leverage and backspin the baseball deep into gaps. The maturity in the approach was also present as he knew when to choke up and find a barrel when behind in the count. Parada is hitting a stunning .413 on the season as he has knocked in 21 RBI and has four home runs to his name, one of which was an opposite field line drive that got out of the park in a hurry.

Parada was extremely impressive in all facets of the game, as he does a great job handling the staff behind the dish and swings it with authority in the middle of a strong lineup. In all honesty, he’s one of those guys you scratch your head on how he even made it to campus. Don’t be surprised to see his name atop draft boards when his time comes but for now, it will be fun to watch him continue to tear up the college level.


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