Georgia baseball coach Wes Johnson on salary increase and transfer portal

Life is pretty good right now for Georgia baseball coach Wes Johnson.

Johnson, who had just participated in the NCAA Super Regional with the Bulldogs for the first time since 2008, received a salary increase of nearly $300,000 and a one-year contract extension through 2030.

His star player from last season, Charlie Condon, is considered one of the top picks in the MLB draft on July 14.

He is happy with his revised squad for 2025, which, however, is still not complete even after double-digit transfer numbers.

They include Texas-Arlington second baseman Ryan Black and Wofford catcher Daniel Jackson, who are ranked 9th and 25th, respectively, in Baseball America's transfer rankings. Johnson said he could not comment on most of the transfer candidates because paperwork still needs to be completed.

“We have 12 young guys from the portal that we signed,” Johnson said. “We feel really good about them. You can never replace a Charlie Condon, you're never going to replace him. You don't even try to find one. There isn't one. So we took the Moneyball approach in the sense that we hit 151 home runs. We may not have a guy that hits 37 or 36 or 30 or even high 20s, but can we find enough guys that we think can hit 20? We think we've done that offensively.”

Others may be relaxing around the Fourth of July holiday, but Johnson still has a lot of work to do.

“Holidays are not an option for now,” he said on Tuesday afternoon.

Construction has resumed at Foley Field as part of $45 million in stadium improvements, meaning camps will be held at Athens Academy this summer.

“There are two cranes in the field… a cement truck,” he said.

Johnson plans to be there when the new Foley opens in the 2025 season.

His name appeared on several candidate lists for open positions at Texas and Texas A&M, but he said he was not involved in either position.

“Nobody has called me, but if they did, I would be really happy in Georgia,” Johnson said.

Johnson is set to receive $1 million per year, a new deal he said he discussed with athletic director Josh Brooks toward the end of the regular season.

Georgia lost to NC State in three games in the Super Regionals and finished the season 43-17.

“We were probably one arm short of getting to Omaha,” Johnson said. “We've added depth. We're not done with the mound in the portal. We can still get up to three. It's got to be the right three.”

He said he hopes to sign a pitcher who can be a “groundball guy,” something the team has lacked this season.

Additions to the Georgia Baseball Transfer Portal

Left-handed pitcher Alton Davis of Alabama is on Team USA's roster this summer, along with Georgia infielder Tre Phelps and pitcher Kolten Smith.

Davis went 4-2 with a 5.67 ERA and 4 saves last season.

“He's experienced some of the most pressure situations you can have at this level in our league,” Johnson said. “I think we can use him from the start and we're really excited about the potential he has.”

Ryland Zaborowski, a 6-foot-5 third baseman from Miami, Ohio, hit 30 home runs with 97 RBI over the past two seasons.

“He has the power of Charlie Condon and can play anywhere,” Johnson said. “Loves the game, is hot, wants to win, wants to play in the SEC.”

Black posted a team-best .278 batting average with five home runs and 41 RBIs as a sophomore last season and hit 21 doubles in a home stadium considered pitcher-friendly.

Jackson, a Sandy Spring product, could step in behind the plate. Last season, he hit .357 with 12 home runs and 69 RBIs.

Infielder Christian Adams led Florida Atlantic last season with a .343 average with eight home runs and 31 RBI.

Georgia also signs outfielders Robbie Burnett (UNC-Asheville) and JoJo Jackson (Georgia State), first baseman/catcher Brennan Hudson (Georgia State), and hard-throwing pitchers Brian Curley (VCU), Eric Hammond (Southern Cal), Davis Chastain (Georgia State), and Bradley Stewart (Eastern Kentucky).

How could the 2024 MLB Draft impact baseball in Georgia?

Georgia had five top 85 candidates as of June 22, according to 64analytics, the highest number in the top 100 nationally.

While Condon may be making headlines, three other Georgia players still eligible and five new additions are ranked among Baseball America's top 500 draft prospects.

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Georgia baseball coach Wes Johnson on salary increase and transfer portal

Anna Harden

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