<img alt="COLLEGE BASEBALL: MAR 03 Georgia at Georgia Tech" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DQTO4j0rAWR8-xwV0nuAi0DHLWw=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73458820/2049064177.0.jpg">
Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s a weak year for Georgia overall, but the state hosts arguably the top player in this draft in Charlie Condon The state of Georgia is often a hotbed of talent for the MLB Draft, featuring some of baseball’s top talent including current Braves stars Matt Olson and Michael Harris II both drafted out of Atlanta-area high schools. 2024 is a bit of a different story though, as the high school class overall is particularly weak and that is notably true in Georgia with no real first round talents at all outside of Georgia Bulldogs superstar Charlie Condon.
Charlie Condon - By most accounts the top player overall in this draft, there is zero chance that UGA’s slugging third baseman/outfielder makes it to the Braves. He is the most notable player out of the state by a large margin though, with the chance to go 1st overall though it seems Cleveland may be leaning towards one of the two infielders at the top of the draft. Condon is unlikely to fall from the top three, with elite power that allowed him to hit 37 home runs this spring and steadily improving contact skill that now has him grading out as a plus hitter. In a weak class overall he is seen as, narrowly, the best prospect and could command the highest signing bonus in draft history.
Conrad Cason - You’re going to see a bit of a theme with two-way players and two-sport stars out of the prep ranks, and that’s because the Braves tend to find favor in those players. Conrad Cason is seen by many as the top Georgia prep player in this class, though he isn’t really seen as a top 2 or 3 round player. Cason is an elite athlete with a future on both the mound and at shortstop, who has played three sports in high school, but I find more interest in him as a position player. He would be a developmental project, but has the athleticism and arm to stick at shortstop (or center fielder) and could grow into power as he matures.
Cade Brown - Brown has possibly the highest offensive ceiling from the state’s class this season, with big power potential from a right-handed swing. He is one of the few players that could reasonably project to a middle-of-the-lineup ceiling, and he has a quiet swing that gives confidence that he can project to contact ability as well. There are questions about Brown’s defensive home thanks to his lack of mobility, but the Braves have been willing to take risks on defense before and try to force players to higher difficulty positions, and Brown could be a candidate for them to try to develop at third base.
Tate Strickland - The Tennessee commit checks a lot of the boxes the Braves target when trying to find undervalued players. Strickland has a fastball that has peaked at 97 and sits in the low-90’s, while throwing a power slider. Strickland gets high marks for his athleticism and is developing a changeup as well. Strickland will need to calm his head down a bit in his delivery and has had an arm injury this spring (another thing the Braves sometimes look to in sliding players). He has a higher ceiling than you often see in players in the late day two stages of the draft, and if the price is right would be an interesting project for the Braves strong pitching development.
Chase Fralick - Another in the vein of a player who would be a steal if the Braves can develop him defensively, Chase Fralick is a prep catcher who has questions about his receiving and actions behind the plate. The Braves have target catchers with above average to plus raw power (Drake Baldwin, Tyler Tolve, Adam Zebrowski) in the past and feel confident in their ability to improve catchers. Fralick’s power would be rare for the position, and he has the arm strength to fit too, but all of the guys the Braves tend to grab behind the plate are college catchers.
Erik Parker - Parker is probably my personal favorite prep player from Georgia this year, and could fit with some of the traits the Braves target. Parker has the ability to stick at shortstop with plus speed and athleticism along with an above average arm, and Baseball America notes his good plate discipline and strike zone recognition. Parker is offensively a major projection risk, with raw power that doesn’t show up consistently in games but could project to average or better. It will all come down to hit tool and development, but the Braves could hope to make him their main over slot prep option this year if they like the traits.
Connor Shouse - Another two-way player, Shouse could be interesting as a pitcher for the Braves. Shouse has a 6’1 frame with above average extension and a low release point, showing off a flat approach angle that could be enticing for a team like the Braves that sees the value in that. He also can get into the mid-90’s and sit there, but most of his other traits are going to be developmental. He throws a hard slider but will need to improve the command of it and his fastball along with making advances on his changeup.
Joshua Evans - The Braves notably haven’t spent much on left handed pitchers in recent seasons, with Jared Shuster being the only lefty under Alex Anthopoulos’s watch to get a bonus of $500k or more. Evans is an interesting one though, as a high level multi-sport athlete who is new to pitching and has a frame that development staffs love to see. Evans is already throwing three pitches, though all are nascent in development, and has topped out in the mid-90’s though his fastball usually sits upper 80’s to low 90’s. This would be a major projection-based pick, but Evans has the athleticism and would be a blank slate for Atlanta’s pitching development.
Bryce Clavon - Another high school quarterback, this time we’re looking at an infielder in Bryce Clavon. Clavon is committed to Georgia, and has all of the athletic markers of a player who can stick at shortstop and hit. Clavon has bat speed and double-plus foot speed, along with a good throwing arm. Clavon could also project in center field. If a team drafts him they would need to make major improvements to his approach, but his bat speed gives him the chance to project to both improved contact and outsized power for his frame.
Corey Collins - There are some interesting college players the state this season, and Collins is one that while defensively limited could be an interesting pickup especially if Atlanta thinks he can play outfield or move back behind the plate. Collins has improved his contact skill this spring which allows his high level approach to play up, and he is now showing potentially above-average power. Collins needs to improve his contact skill as well. Collins is limited with his mobility, but has an above average arm and the Braves could also consider trying him out at third base at the professional level.
<img alt="COLLEGE BASEBALL: MAR 03 Georgia at Georgia Tech" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DQTO4j0rAWR8-xwV0nuAi0DHLWw=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73458820/2049064177.0.jpg">
Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s a weak year for Georgia overall, but the state hosts arguably the top player in this draft in Charlie Condon The state of Georgia is often a hotbed of talent for the MLB Draft, featuring some of baseball’s top talent including current Braves stars Matt Olson and Michael Harris II both drafted out of Atlanta-area high schools. 2024 is a bit of a different story though, as the high school class overall is particularly weak and that is notably true in Georgia with no real first round talents at all outside of Georgia Bulldogs superstar Charlie Condon.
Charlie Condon - By most accounts the top player overall in this draft, there is zero chance that UGA’s slugging third baseman/outfielder makes it to the Braves. He is the most notable player out of the state by a large margin though, with the chance to go 1st overall though it seems Cleveland may be leaning towards one of the two infielders at the top of the draft. Condon is unlikely to fall from the top three, with elite power that allowed him to hit 37 home runs this spring and steadily improving contact skill that now has him grading out as a plus hitter. In a weak class overall he is seen as, narrowly, the best prospect and could command the highest signing bonus in draft history.
Conrad Cason - You’re going to see a bit of a theme with two-way players and two-sport stars out of the prep ranks, and that’s because the Braves tend to find favor in those players. Conrad Cason is seen by many as the top Georgia prep player in this class, though he isn’t really seen as a top 2 or 3 round player. Cason is an elite athlete with a future on both the mound and at shortstop, who has played three sports in high school, but I find more interest in him as a position player. He would be a developmental project, but has the athleticism and arm to stick at shortstop (or center fielder) and could grow into power as he matures.
Cade Brown - Brown has possibly the highest offensive ceiling from the state’s class this season, with big power potential from a right-handed swing. He is one of the few players that could reasonably project to a middle-of-the-lineup ceiling, and he has a quiet swing that gives confidence that he can project to contact ability as well. There are questions about Brown’s defensive home thanks to his lack of mobility, but the Braves have been willing to take risks on defense before and try to force players to higher difficulty positions, and Brown could be a candidate for them to try to develop at third base.
Tate Strickland - The Tennessee commit checks a lot of the boxes the Braves target when trying to find undervalued players. Strickland has a fastball that has peaked at 97 and sits in the low-90’s, while throwing a power slider. Strickland gets high marks for his athleticism and is developing a changeup as well. Strickland will need to calm his head down a bit in his delivery and has had an arm injury this spring (another thing the Braves sometimes look to in sliding players). He has a higher ceiling than you often see in players in the late day two stages of the draft, and if the price is right would be an interesting project for the Braves strong pitching development.
Chase Fralick - Another in the vein of a player who would be a steal if the Braves can develop him defensively, Chase Fralick is a prep catcher who has questions about his receiving and actions behind the plate. The Braves have target catchers with above average to plus raw power (Drake Baldwin, Tyler Tolve, Adam Zebrowski) in the past and feel confident in their ability to improve catchers. Fralick’s power would be rare for the position, and he has the arm strength to fit too, but all of the guys the Braves tend to grab behind the plate are college catchers.
Erik Parker - Parker is probably my personal favorite prep player from Georgia this year, and could fit with some of the traits the Braves target. Parker has the ability to stick at shortstop with plus speed and athleticism along with an above average arm, and Baseball America notes his good plate discipline and strike zone recognition. Parker is offensively a major projection risk, with raw power that doesn’t show up consistently in games but could project to average or better. It will all come down to hit tool and development, but the Braves could hope to make him their main over slot prep option this year if they like the traits.
Connor Shouse - Another two-way player, Shouse could be interesting as a pitcher for the Braves. Shouse has a 6’1 frame with above average extension and a low release point, showing off a flat approach angle that could be enticing for a team like the Braves that sees the value in that. He also can get into the mid-90’s and sit there, but most of his other traits are going to be developmental. He throws a hard slider but will need to improve the command of it and his fastball along with making advances on his changeup.
Joshua Evans - The Braves notably haven’t spent much on left handed pitchers in recent seasons, with Jared Shuster being the only lefty under Alex Anthopoulos’s watch to get a bonus of $500k or more. Evans is an interesting one though, as a high level multi-sport athlete who is new to pitching and has a frame that development staffs love to see. Evans is already throwing three pitches, though all are nascent in development, and has topped out in the mid-90’s though his fastball usually sits upper 80’s to low 90’s. This would be a major projection-based pick, but Evans has the athleticism and would be a blank slate for Atlanta’s pitching development.
Bryce Clavon - Another high school quarterback, this time we’re looking at an infielder in Bryce Clavon. Clavon is committed to Georgia, and has all of the athletic markers of a player who can stick at shortstop and hit. Clavon has bat speed and double-plus foot speed, along with a good throwing arm. Clavon could also project in center field. If a team drafts him they would need to make major improvements to his approach, but his bat speed gives him the chance to project to both improved contact and outsized power for his frame.
Corey Collins - There are some interesting college players the state this season, and Collins is one that while defensively limited could be an interesting pickup especially if Atlanta thinks he can play outfield or move back behind the plate. Collins has improved his contact skill this spring which allows his high level approach to play up, and he is now showing potentially above-average power. Collins needs to improve his contact skill as well. Collins is limited with his mobility, but has an above average arm and the Braves could also consider trying him out at third base at the professional level.
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