Drafted in the 6th round (191st overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2018 (signed for $200,000).
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A redshirt junior with the Seminoles, Karp was a big name out of high school and was drafted by the Cubs in the 34th round of the 2017 draft by the Cubs. He missed his freshman season at Florida State after a serious car accident during his senior year of high school, when he snapped his femur in half. He’s been up to 94 with an average breaking ball, but his stuff comes and goes, though he is coming off of a career-best year with FSU after posting a 3.32 ERA in 78.2 innings with 93 strikeouts and 15 walks.
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Karp broke his femur in a traumatic car accident during his freshman year that sidelined him for the 2015 season. He returned in 2016 and become a midweek starter for the Seminoles this spring. While Karp hasn't always been consistent, he has shown promising flashes. His velocity hasn't always been there, but on the right day Karp can sit at 90-93 mph with his fastball and throw quality strikes. His best offspeed pitch is his changeup, which some scouts grade as a plus pitch. It shows late tumbling action and Karp throws it to both lefties and righties. His curveball often shows soft, loose spin, but some evaluators think it could be effective enough to work as an early-count, show-me pitch to disrupt hitters' timing. Karp got off to a strong start this spring, but his overall results were underwhelming. He posted a 5.06 ERA and struck out 57 batters in 53.1 innings. Karp's shaky track record and suspect performance make him a risky pick, but he could be a nice value if the team that takes him is able to help him iron out his weaknesses.
While a number of Florida prep arms are expected to go ahead of Karp in a strong year for high school pitching, some scouts like him better than that because of his present stuff and advanced strike-throwing ability. Karp significantly changed his arm action from last summer, shortening up in the back and compacting his path. He consistently sits 89-92 mph, touching 94 while hiding the ball with a quick arm and easy delivery. His slider shows at least average potential, flashing better, and his changeup flashes average. While he aggressively fills up the strike zone and could develop above-average command, some scouts wonder whether his arm action will play as a starter because there are few big league starters with similar arm action. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Karp has an athletic build that offers present strength but not much projection. He draws praise because of his ability to compete, and he is an intelligent player who is academically inclined with a commitment to Florida State.
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