Atlanta Braves Draft Day 3 – Part 2

ByFred Owens|
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who are these braves-backdrop-T
who are these braves-backdrop-T

Atlanta Braves Draft Day 3 – Part 2

Welcome to the second installation of our review of the players taken by the Atlanta Braves  in day three. In part 1 I covered picks 11-16 as best I could as scouting data gets thin after 10. Earlier today Ben gave you a capsule of the whole draft I’m going to take a more leisurely pace through the late rounds.

Today I got lucky with video and information from a few sources because a couple of these guys could have gone a touch higher.

Round 17: Devan Watts, RHP, R/R, Tusculum Col, Junior, 6’0″ 205lbs, 04/21/95

Watts is yet another college relief pitcher chosen by the Braves this year. The native of  Mooresville, North Carolina transferred to Tusculum from Milligan College after the 2014 season and became Tusculum’s closer.

According to the Tusculum website  In 2015 Watts threw first  25 innings before allowing and earned run in 2015 and made 23 appearances. For the year he threw 50 1/3 innings – including 8 2/3 shutout innings of relief in a 13-inning win – finishing the season as the leader in the SAC with 8 saves and a 1.79 ERA.

In 20 appearances this season he threw 49 1/3 innings striking out 62 and posting a 3.20 ERA earning him selection to the All SAC team  In Tusculum’s SAC Championship run he threw 8 1/3 innings in two games allowing 7 hits and striking out five,

While I can’t offer much in the way of pitches or their characteristics, his profile on the Tusculum website says that “When he was a kid, Devan tried to be like: Chipper Jones.” That’s a good start.

Round 18: Zachary Rice, LHP, L/L, UNC Chapel Hill, Junior, 6’2″ 205lbs, 10/15/95

Zach Rice looks like a buy low reclamation project, I’ll elaborate.

Baseball America says that Rice has a low-90s with a swing-and-miss slider” and “arm strength and (who) had a standout freshman year when he struck out 12.42 per nine.”

Rice did indeed has a good year but trouble was on the way. The video below shows the good and bad of Zach Rice,

ricestats
ricestats

The following year he still had a 12. in his rate stats but it had moved from strikeout to walks.

This year his command left he had two 12’s there one in walks and one in strikeouts. He threw just 3 2/3 innings for UNC and according to BA, “he was off the team halfway through the season.”

Round 19: Tucker Davidson, LHP, L/L, Midland College, J2, 6’2″ 215lbs, 03/25/96

An Amarillo native, Davidson played the last two years with Midland and had planned to North Carolina State in the fall. For Midland this year posted a 6-1 record throwing 71 1/3 innings striking out 75 and walking 20 while posting a 2.27 ERA.  He threw strikes and kept the ball in the park as well, his 67.8% strike rate led his conference and he allowed just three homers all year.

Davidson is a sinker/slider pitcher and in an interview with the Midland Reporter-Telegram told Will Korn that a scout had called his slider the best in the draft.  He also told Korn he will probably sign with the Braves.

e said he’s still planning to discuss his future with family and friends, but added that as of this moment, there is about a 70 percent chance that he’ll forego the collegiate level and sign with Atlanta.

"“N.C. State is a great program and I’d love to play there but, I don’t think I could turn down playing for the Braves (organization). It fires me up.”"

Next: He’s NOT a Pitcher