Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart selected #2 overall in MLB Draft

Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart has been selected with the second pick of the MLB Draft, heading to the San Francisco Giants to continue his baseball career. Bart becomes the highest-selected player in the history of Georgia Tech baseball.

His spot carries with it a suggested value of just over $7 million, though the exact amount that Bart will command from his new team remains to be seen. The Giants may choose to lowball him in hopes of offering more to later picks or could even offer more than the spot’s value depending on their gameplan.

Bart, a three-year cornerstone at catcher for Danny Hall’s Yellow Jackets, enjoyed a breakout season in 2018 after garnering national attention for his power ans defense in 2017. His phenomenal line of .359/.471/.632 with 18 homeruns, second only to Clemson’s Seth Beer in the ACC, vaulted him to the top of prospect rankings in advance of today’s draft.

In today’s MLB, a hitting catcher who plays good defense is a luxury that remarkably few teams enjoy. Of course, the Giants are one of the few — former Florida State catcher Buster Posey has held down the job in the Bay Area for years now. Bart’s arrival comes just in the nick of time, as Posey has begun to slow in recent years. Expect a player of Bart’s caliber to ascend the ranks of the minor leagues very quickly.

The Jackets will likely see a number of other current and potentially future players selected in this year’s draft, including the versatile Tristin English and rising freshman Luke Bartnicki of Walton High School.

Congratulations to Joey Bart and his family!