Andrew Sopko Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Andrew Philip Sopko
Born 08/07/1994 in Missoula, MT
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Gonzaga
Drafted in the 7th round (222nd overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015 (signed for $147,500).

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Sopko took a year to adjust to college ball after arriving from a Montana high school, but once he caught up he developed into one of the West Coast Conference's more consistent starting pitchers. He's similar in some ways to former Gonzaga star Cody Martin, who reached the major leagues with the Braves in 2015. Sopko has reached 94 mph in the past and, at times, sports an above-average slider as well out of a three-quarters arm slot. Most of the time, though, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder pitches with a fringe-average heater from 88-92 mph with just so-so life and has to be fine with it. His slider and changeup most frequently are average pitches at best, so he'll have to locate with precision to get outs regularly with three average pitches.

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Sopko arrived at Gonzaga from a Montana high school and eventually developed into one of the better starters in the West Coast Conference. He signed with the Dodgers for $147,500 as a seventh-round pick in 2015, then caught the attention of scouts with his feel for pitching in his first full season of pro ball. Like fellow Dodgers righthander Chase De Jong, Sopko stands out more for his pitchability than his pure stuff. Sopko lacks a plus pitch, but he's able to command his arsenal, hit his spots, moves the ball around the zone and change speeds. He works off a fastball that sits at 89-92 mph and can hit 94. It's not overpowering, but he pounds the zone and attacks hitters on the inner third. Sopko is able to land his curveball, slider and changeup for strikes, though without a true out pitch, Double-A hitters made him pay for mistakes he was able to get away with at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga. They're all fringe-average pitches, with his slider his best weapon against righties, while he uses the changeup and curveball more to attack lefties. Sopko, who likely returns to Double-A Tulsa in 2017, has the upside of a back-end starter.

Sopko took a year to adjust to college ball after arriving from a Montana high school, but once he caught up he developed into one of the West Coast Conference's more consistent starting pitchers. He's similar in some ways to former Gonzaga star Cody Martin, who reached the major leagues with the Braves in 2015. Sopko has reached 94 mph in the past and, at times, sports an above-average slider as well out of a three-quarters arm slot. Most of the time, though, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder pitches with a fringe-average heater from 88-92 mph with just so-so life and has to be fine with it. His slider and changeup most frequently are average pitches at best, so he'll have to locate with precision to get outs regularly with three average pitches.