Vandy’s consensus top 3 high school class just got even stronger. RJ Cope, the number 1 pitcher in Georgia and number 21 player in the class of 2026 committed to Vanderbilt this morning. This is the 8th top 100 player Tim Corbin and co. have landed in the class of ‘26, tying them with Texas for the 2nd most in the country (behind LSU’s 10).
The massive 6’8, 240 lb pitcher has a fastball that sits around 90-91 and can touch 93, one of the best changeups in the class, and a strong curveball that continues to develop. Lots of room for him to grow as well.
A quick search showed that he is not projected to land in the top 2 rounds of the MLB draft as of right now but he is obviously a big draft risk. Corbin and co. have seemingly adapted to the modern game and, like most other elite programs, have adopted the mindset of “get as many elite players as possible, no way they all get drafted”.
The massive 6’8, 240 lb pitcher has a fastball that sits around 90-91 and can touch 93, one of the best changeups in the class, and a strong curveball that continues to develop. Lots of room for him to grow as well.
A quick search showed that he is not projected to land in the top 2 rounds of the MLB draft as of right now but he is obviously a big draft risk. Corbin and co. have seemingly adapted to the modern game and, like most other elite programs, have adopted the mindset of “get as many elite players as possible, no way they all get drafted”.
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