<img alt="COLLEGE BASEBALL: MAY 24 SEC Baseball Tournament" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eZGF6L1XMs-TTSvbdNiBVzVlLKY=/0x0:6000x4000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73459929/2157778586.0.jpg">
Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Happy draft day everyone! It is the day I have long-awaited, the busiest time of the year, as the MLB Draft is taking place today! Now begins the long wait until we see who the Atlanta Braves select at 24th overall, but in the meantime let’s speculate on who the Braves are going to pick. Personally, I have my money on an underslot prep arm like Braylon Doughty, but the more knowledgeable may have other opinions. This is where we will do a roundup of all of the mock drafts and rumors as they come in, and we expect to have Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, ESPN, Fangraphs, and the Athletic to comb through. As always everyone let’s sit back and enjoy the draft, expect the unexpected, and not get too angry when the Braves pick the player you don’t want but have never actually seen play.
MLB Pipeline
Our first mock draft dropped early on Sunday, with Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline putting it out at 3 AM. Mayo projected Ryan Waldschmidt - a commonly connected outfielder from Kentucky who you can read about a bit in Matt Powers’s piece on the outfield depth from this draft. Waldschmidt is a data darling but many are concerned about his limited defensive ceiling as he is likely a left fielder in pro ball.
Callis had a bit more interesting projection in prep pitcher Dax Whitney. Whitney hasn’t been connected to Atlanta at all (that I’ve seen) in the pre-draft process, but Callis notes him as a big riser for the draft and another underslot option. Whitney is a big-bodied righty with a fastball that sits in the low-90’s, though his frame gives evidence he could add muscle and project to more velocity. He has a four pitch mix that centers around a slower curveball, a bit of an atypical breaking ball for a high Braves draft pick, but he also throws a slider and a changeup and has shown the ability to command all of those pitches. Callis still has Atlanta in on college hitting if it slides, and believes Seaver King to be the most realistic option there. If it is King that is my personal ideal outcome from this draft.
The Athletic
Keith Law checked in with his final draft in the morning as well, and has the Braves going Carter Johnson again. Johnson is an interesting prep shortstop out of Alabama, and there have been a few connections made by other sites in regards to Johnson and Atlanta. Johnson is seen as a great hitter with a good approach, who could grow into power as he adds strength in pro ball. The only concern is his foot speed and whether he can stick at shortstop, with most believing he ends up at second or third base especially if he does bulk up. Law saw he is hearing the Braves connected mostly to high school guys, which makes sense if there isn’t going to be one of the college guys they like available at 24 and they would end up going with an under slot option.
Baseball America
Carlos Collazo has his final mock draft up and available, with not a huge amount of change from their last mock draft. This isn’t a huge surprise as it’s only been a couple of days, and Carlos tends to update things quite often throughout the day so he is one worth keeping an eye out for. The Braves are the landing spot for Iowa righty Brody Brecht here, certainly a fall for Brecht but not a major one. I still think (and Carlos seems to agree) that even if Brecht is available at 24 it’s not the same level of a slam dunk pick as it would be if say Seaver King or Carson Benge were here. The prep arms are still intriguing, and given that it sounds like the Orioles have significantly backed off of Brecht in recent weeks I’m curious to know exactly what is going on there. In this draft Theo Gillen goes at 23, which would only increase my hatred for the Dodgers.
<img alt="COLLEGE BASEBALL: MAY 24 SEC Baseball Tournament" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eZGF6L1XMs-TTSvbdNiBVzVlLKY=/0x0:6000x4000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73459929/2157778586.0.jpg">
Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Happy draft day everyone! It is the day I have long-awaited, the busiest time of the year, as the MLB Draft is taking place today! Now begins the long wait until we see who the Atlanta Braves select at 24th overall, but in the meantime let’s speculate on who the Braves are going to pick. Personally, I have my money on an underslot prep arm like Braylon Doughty, but the more knowledgeable may have other opinions. This is where we will do a roundup of all of the mock drafts and rumors as they come in, and we expect to have Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, ESPN, Fangraphs, and the Athletic to comb through. As always everyone let’s sit back and enjoy the draft, expect the unexpected, and not get too angry when the Braves pick the player you don’t want but have never actually seen play.
MLB Pipeline
Our first mock draft dropped early on Sunday, with Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline putting it out at 3 AM. Mayo projected Ryan Waldschmidt - a commonly connected outfielder from Kentucky who you can read about a bit in Matt Powers’s piece on the outfield depth from this draft. Waldschmidt is a data darling but many are concerned about his limited defensive ceiling as he is likely a left fielder in pro ball.
Callis had a bit more interesting projection in prep pitcher Dax Whitney. Whitney hasn’t been connected to Atlanta at all (that I’ve seen) in the pre-draft process, but Callis notes him as a big riser for the draft and another underslot option. Whitney is a big-bodied righty with a fastball that sits in the low-90’s, though his frame gives evidence he could add muscle and project to more velocity. He has a four pitch mix that centers around a slower curveball, a bit of an atypical breaking ball for a high Braves draft pick, but he also throws a slider and a changeup and has shown the ability to command all of those pitches. Callis still has Atlanta in on college hitting if it slides, and believes Seaver King to be the most realistic option there. If it is King that is my personal ideal outcome from this draft.
The Athletic
Keith Law checked in with his final draft in the morning as well, and has the Braves going Carter Johnson again. Johnson is an interesting prep shortstop out of Alabama, and there have been a few connections made by other sites in regards to Johnson and Atlanta. Johnson is seen as a great hitter with a good approach, who could grow into power as he adds strength in pro ball. The only concern is his foot speed and whether he can stick at shortstop, with most believing he ends up at second or third base especially if he does bulk up. Law saw he is hearing the Braves connected mostly to high school guys, which makes sense if there isn’t going to be one of the college guys they like available at 24 and they would end up going with an under slot option.
Baseball America
Carlos Collazo has his final mock draft up and available, with not a huge amount of change from their last mock draft. This isn’t a huge surprise as it’s only been a couple of days, and Carlos tends to update things quite often throughout the day so he is one worth keeping an eye out for. The Braves are the landing spot for Iowa righty Brody Brecht here, certainly a fall for Brecht but not a major one. I still think (and Carlos seems to agree) that even if Brecht is available at 24 it’s not the same level of a slam dunk pick as it would be if say Seaver King or Carson Benge were here. The prep arms are still intriguing, and given that it sounds like the Orioles have significantly backed off of Brecht in recent weeks I’m curious to know exactly what is going on there. In this draft Theo Gillen goes at 23, which would only increase my hatred for the Dodgers.
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