Atlanta Braves MLB Draft: Top 5 college bats to target

BREWSTER, MA - AUGUST 13: Hunter Bishop, right, and AJ Graffanino of the Brewster Whitecaps celebrate in the seventh inning during game three of the Cape Cod League Championship Series against the Bourne Braves at Stony Brook Field on August 13, 2017 in Brewster, Massachusetts. The Cape Cod League was founded in 1885 and is the premier summer baseball league for college athletes. Over 1100 of these student athletes have gone on to compete in MLB including Chris Sale, Carlton Fisk, Joe Girardi, Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Varitek. The chance to see future big league stars up close makes Cape Cod League games a popular activity for the families in each of the 10 towns on the Cape to host a team. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

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Omaha, NE – JUNE 25: Vanderbilt Commodores players celebrate after beating the Virginia Cavaliers 3-2 to win the College World Series Championship Series on June 25, 2014 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

OF – J.J. Bleday – Vanderbilt

When you’re named the SEC Player of the Year, as Vanderbilt outfielder J.J. Bleday was, you’re going to draw a lot of attention in the MLB Draft.

Other recent SEC Player of the Year winners include Jonathan India (fifth overall pick in 2018) and Andrew Benintendi (seventh overall in 2015).

Bleday is a three-year starter at Vanderbilt, which is impressive in itself, but he missed part of his sophomore season with an injury, only playing in 39 games.

As a freshman in 2017 he hit .256 with a .384 OBP over 164 at-bats with 2 home runs, 34 walks, and 26 strikeouts.

During that injury-shortened 2018 season, he hit .368 with a .494 OBP to go along with 4 home runs.

Last summer he played 36 games in the Cape Cod League where he really started to see his stock rise after hitting .311 with 5 home runs.

His numbers for Vanderbilt in 2019 are just ridiculous as he’s hitting .346 with a .461 OBP and 25 home runs and 64 RBI. He’s walked 45 times and struck out 45 times.

The left-handed hitter has a very advanced approach at the plate with more walks than strikeouts in his career at Vanderbilt.

Bleday profiles as a typical right fielder with power and a strong arm.

I think the Atlanta Braves would jump all over him if he falls to nine, but I kind of doubt he makes it to them.

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