March 5, 2012; Kissimmee, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher Christian Bethancourt (68) throws to second in the game against the Houston Astros at Osceola County Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
With the MLB draft coming up on June 6-8, the Atlanta Braves will have some decisions to make, and in my humble opinion they should be looking for players who can provide some pop offensively. I know that’s not the usual MO for the Atlanta Braves, who prefer to look for the best pitching candidates they can get in drafts, but I personally think the Braves have more of a need for position players going forward. If you take a look at Atlanta’s Top 10 of current prospects, there are only two position players who can provide any offensive help for the future. Christian Bethancourt and Jose Peraza‘s numbers, shown in the tables below, demonstrate that while they are not bad players, they are not necessarily future offensive material the Braves can rely on. Even if they develop into great players though, having just two position players with any offensive bat skill in our Top 10 is just not enough. All that said, I’m not going to look at the pitching prospects the Braves will most likely go after, but rather take a look at some regional position players I personally believe the Braves should take a serious look at.
Christian Bethancourt
| Year | Tm | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Mississippi | 71 | 288 | 268 | 30 | 65 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 11 | 45 | .243 | .275 | .291 | .566 |
| 2013 | Mississippi | 25 | 101 | 96 | 6 | 26 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 22 | .271 | .290 | .375 | .665 |
| 6 Seasons | 383 | 1537 | 1432 | 147 | 380 | 67 | 10 | 15 | 168 | 66 | 254 | .265 | .297 | .358 | .654 |
Jose Peraza
The lack of offensive power in the current top 10 makes the Brave’s needs going forward pretty obvious, at least to me, but with only two selections in the first 100 picks this year (31 and 65), the Braves may not be able to get who they would like to get. The Braves tend toward trying to get regional players whenever they can, so with the 31 and 65 spots, who might the Braves try to get regionally? The three I’m going to detail below are by no means the only players who are available, but in my opinion, are the best candidates for regional position players in this year’s draft.
Good Regional Prospects For the Braves
Travis Demeritte (Statham Georgia)
Position: SS
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: Winder-Barrow H.S. (Georgia)
6-1, 195 lbs
Travis is one of the best regional candidates for the Braves, with reportedly a lot of raw power, and good bat speed. He could be a force if he gets the proper training. He is currently a Shortstop, but most believe that his arm strength might lend itself more to a 3B position in the majors some day.
Highlights
2013 Rawlings 1st Team All-American
Southeast – All region 1st TeamZ
2012 Underclass 1st Team
2011 Undervclass 2nd Team
Josh Hart (Lilburn Georgia)
Position: OF
Bats/Throws: L/L
School: Parkview H.S. (Georgia)
6-1, 185 lbs.
Josh Hart reportedly is fast, and has potential to be powerful with the bat, but there have been mixed reviews about his power. He also reportedly has a good arm, and most would look for him to play center field with his good range and good arm. It remains to be seen whether he will develop into that kind of player, but he is good enough that he should go in the first round. He is committed to playing at Georgia Tech if he doesn’t get signed.
Highlights
2013 Rawlings 1st Team All-American
Southeast – All region 1st TeamZ
2012 Underclass 1st Team
2011 Undervclass 2nd Team
Terry McClure (Atlanta Georgia)
Position: OF
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: Riverwood H.S. (Atlanta)
6-2, 190 lbs
Terry McClure has been reported to be another amazing athlete with good strength and a great deal of speed. He is also reported to be a touch long in his swing, but a swing that can be adjusted and tailored for him to potentially be a better major league hitter. If those adjustments can be made, he could be a great get for the Braves. He would also looked at as a potential center fielder because of his range and arm.
Highlights
2013 Rawlings 1st Team All-American
Southeast – All region 1st TeamZ
2012 Underclass 1st Team
2011 Undervclass 2nd Team
Conclusion: With the 31st and 65th picks, it’s anyone’s guess who the Atlanta Braves will end up with, but these three are some good regional candidates for the Braves who could add some badly needing offensive power to our Top prospect list. It will be interesting to see who the Braves end up signing. Yes, I realize they will probably stick to their MO and go after good pitching, but I think that could be a mistake.
Thanks to Keith Law, and his article on the Top 100 Draft Prospects for help in research for this article, as well as the fine folks over at Perfect Game.
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