Baltimore Orioles: The Complete Guide to Orioles Acquired Players
By Ben Palmer
Zach Pop – RHP
Zach Pop has spent his professional career to this point as a reliever, but he’s been a really good one. Pop was drafted by the Dodgers in the seventh round of the 2017 draft and has had nothing but success in his professional career so far.
Between Low-A, High-A, and Double-A so far this year, Pop has pitched to a 1.52 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and a 9.75 K/9 over 43.1 innings pitched. This has been his first full professional season, as he pitched in just five games last year after he was drafted (though he didn’t give up a single run).
In fact, in High-A this year, Pop has a ridiculous 0.33 ERA through 27 innings. Since joining the Orioles, he’s pitched just four innings with a 6.75 ERA and a 9.00 K/9.
Pop throws a 92-96 MPH fastball with some sink to it and a nice slider. One note of concern though, Pop suffered a couple of injuries, including a forearm injury, in 2017, so staying healthy will be paramount for his success.