Atlanta Braves Mock Draft Monday, Version 2.0
Atlanta Braves Mock Draft Monday: Remaining Options
Pick #44
So the Braves have a high school pitcher and a college power-hitting outfielder. What would they pursue at pick #44 in the second round?
My top options still on the board in this scenario at #44 would be an injured college pitcher again like Daulton Jefferies, Alec Hansen, or Matt Krook. The high school hitters I’d have highest on my personal list still on the board would be infielder Gavin Lux from Wisconsin, outfielder Akil Baddoo from Georgia, or infielder Joe Rizzo from Virginia.
To afford Groome at the top of the draft, I’m assuming a fairly heavy over slot payment to get him to sign. In order to get that done, I’m thinking Quinn will help, but I’m also seeing a guy like Rizzo, Lux, Jefferies, or Hansen likely costing either right on slot or even over slot at #44. Baddoo is my choice here to get the big time upside of his athleticism and bat.
Pick #80
In the third round, I took a look at a number of top 100 lists and looked at the players rated 65-100. In the lists I reviewed, only one high school hitter appeared in all the lists in that range, Florida high school utility player Carlos Cortes, known for his exceptional bat skills, but also for being 5’8 without a defined position on the field (and also for having the ability to throw with either hand!). In the scenario I’ve laid out here, however, I’ve already selected two outfielders and a pitcher.
The arms that showed up in every list in that range were Vanderbilt lefty Ben Bowden and a trio of high school lefties, Braeden Ogle from Florida, Nick Lodolo from California, and Adam Laskey from New Jersey. Throwing from the right side were the top JuCo guy from this year’s class, Matthias Dietz from John A. Logan and Nolan Martinez out of high school in California.
One other player made all the lists in the range, and he fits a position that makes sense in the first three rounds – catcher. Brett Cumberland of California certainly isn’t the highest rated catcher on anyone’s board, but he’s consistently rated well by the consensus, whereas nearly every other catcher beyond the ones I’ve drafted in my top 41 above don’t even make some top 100 lists!
In considering all these options, while Cumberland may be a “smart” choice in the draft, the catching pool is actually quite deep this season, and like last year’s grabs of guys like Josh Graham, Ryan Clark, Matt Withrow, Patrick Weigel, and Ryan Lawlor as guys with solid raw stuff coming out of college that could be molded beyond their “reliever or bust” projections that many had tagged them with, the Braves like to build guys with stuff into pitchers instead of just throwers. So far they’re getting solid production from those picks as well.
Based on all that, I’m going to take Matthias Diaz if he’s sitting there in the 3rd round, though I’m by no means closed off to grabbing a guy like I mentioned in the second round discussion of injured college arms if somehow one of those guys were to fall to #80. Diaz brings extremely good stuff, and an adjustment to his mechanics this season has allowed his velocity to not only play up, but to also produce more movement. He’s got three viable pitches in his fastball, slider, and curve, and his change up is reportedly a work in progress with a very high ceiling based on seeing it when it’s really good in flashes.
So what say you?! Comment below to let us know what you think about the choices made here!