Pair of Bulldogs sign MLB free agent contracts

ATHENS – University of Georgia pitchers Chandler Marsh and Christian Mracna will continue their baseball careers as the duo signed free agent contracts on Wednesday.

Marsh, a 6-4, 245-pound right-hander, signed with the New York Mets. In his Bulldog career, he was 7-4 with a 5.05 ERA in 59 appearances. He tallied 111 strikeouts in 76.2 innings pitched. The Wellington, Florida native is a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

In 2024, he posted a pair of wins and one save with 21 strikeouts over 15 innings. Marsh tossed 1.2 scoreless innings (all strikeouts) to secure the win over No. 4 Clemson in 15 innings. His second win of the season was over Georgia Tech in the NCAA Athens Regional Final.

Marsh will join teammate Corey Collins in the Mets’ organization. Collins was drafted by New York in the sixth round of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft.

Mracna, a 6-5, 220-pound right-hander, signed a free agent contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. He made 20 appearances in his Georgia career, including 10 starts, for a 4-2 mark and one save with a 5.32 ERA in 45.2 innings. He tallied 73 strikeouts and 25 walks as a Bulldog.

The Lake Worth, Florida native went 3-2 to begin the season, with a 3.86 ERA in first nine staff starts, before assuming a fireman role. Mracna made two appearances in the NCAA Athens Regional for a combined 2.1 scoreless innings and five strikeouts. He tallied a career-high eight strikeouts in a three-inning start against Stetson.

This week, MLB held its annual draft. Three Bulldogs were selected in the 20-round event. The Bulldogs have a string of 51 straight seasons with at least one player signing a professional contract. Also, Georgia has had at least one player drafted going back to 1987.