Georgia Tech Pitcher Announces Signing Contract With Braves

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets star pitcher Jaylen Paden is going to stay nearby to begin his professional baseball career.

Paden signed a free agent contract with the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. With the deal, Paden became the fourth member of the Georgia Tech 2025 roster to join an MLB organization this summer.

The official Georgia Tech baseball X and Instagram accounts announced Paden's contract, which the pitcher reposted on his own social media accounts.

Our 2025 ERA leader @JaylenPaden has signed with the @Braves! Congratulations JP 🫡

📰 https://t.co/1acYu3E0Kz #StingEm🐝 x #ProJackets pic.twitter.com/NL4rAPmwcc
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) July 22, 2025

Paden went 5-1 with a 2.91 ERA, 1.315 WHIP and 51 strikeouts in 43.1 innings for the Yellow Jackets this past season. He started five games and made 10 relief appearances. As a reliever, Paden earned two saves.

The right-hander experienced problems with control at times, walking 25 hitters in his 43.1 frames. But he struck out more than 10 batters per nine innings and yielded only 6.6 hits per nine frames.

Paden posted those numbers coming off Tommy John surgery, which sidelined him for the entire 2024 season.

Prior to joining Georgia Tech for the 2025 season, Paden pitched for Georgia Southern. An Atlanta native, he also pitched for Decatur High School.

In three seasons for the Eagles, Paden posted a 8-4 record with a 5.62 ERA.

Over his entire college career, the right-hander went 13-5 with a 4.96 ERA, as he nearly split his time as a starter and reliever. In 2025 with Georgia Tech, though, Paden led the team in ERA.

"Paden was the backstop of the bullpen early in the season before transitioning to Sunday starter in April and May," the Georgia Tech official baseball website stated. "He picked up his second save of the year on the final day of the regular season, pitching the final 4.0 scoreless innings in the Jackets’ 8-2 victory at Duke, clinching the 2025 ACC regular season championship.

"Pitched a career-best 6.0 no-hit innings in his final start at Russ Chandler Stadium, helping the Jackets defeat No. 20 Louisville and giving Head Coach Danny Hall a victory in his final home game as the GT skipper."

The Braves signed Paden as an undrafted free agent the same day the organization signed all 21 of their 2025 MLB amateur draft selections.