Grading the Atlanta Braves 2019 draft: Picks 30-21
By Clint Manry
Braves’ 2019 draft: picks 30-21
| PLAYER | LAST LVL | GRADE |
|---|---|---|
| RHP, James Acuna | (none) | — |
| RHP, Ben Thompson | GCL | B |
| RHP, Indigo Diaz | GCL | A |
| DNS | — | |
| RHP, Chad Bryant | GCL | C |
| 1B, Bryce Ball | Rome | A |
| OF, Drew Campbell | Rome | C |
| LHP, Alex Segal | Danville | A |
| C, Javier Valdes | GCL | C |
| RHP, Peyton Williams | Danville | B |
DNS: Did Not Sign
No. 30, James Acuna, RHP
6’5″, 180 lbs.
Did not play with Braves in 2019
Acuna — not related to Ronald Acuna Jr. — pitched two seasons for the Oregon Ducks, racking up 70.2 innings for the Pac-12 team in 2017 and 2018. He transferred to Azusa Pacific University the following year, but a Tommy John surgery forced the tall and lanky righty to miss most of his junior season in 2019. Acuna reportedly wields a mid-90s fastball, but at 6-foot-5, 180 pounds, he could easily add more velocity as he fills in. The 2020 campaign will be his age-22 season.
No. 29, Ben Thompson, RHP
6’5″, 220 lbs.
Grade: B
2019 stats: 2 app., 1 start, 4.2 innings, 1.93 ERA, 7.7 K/9, 1.9 BB/9
A native of New Zealand, Thompson is another big pitcher (6’5″) with mid-90s velocity. For whatever reason (perhaps because of an arm injury in 2018) Thompson didn’t get much of a look this past season in the GCL, only accruing 4.2 innings across three games. It appears the Braves were concerned with and elbow injury that prevented Thompson from pitching at all the previous season. I expect him to be in full-season ball at some point in 2020.
No. 28, Indigo Diaz, RHP
6’5″, 250 lbs.
Grade: A
2019 stats: 6 app., 10.1 innings, 3.48 ERA, 13.1 K/9, 1.7 BB/9
As a 20-year-old during the 2019 season (he turned 21 in October), Diaz dominated the Gulf Coast League after being taken in the 27th round — out of Michigan State — by the Braves. Diaz is yet another 6-foot-5 power-pitcher who can run it up into the high-90s. However, command and middling secondary pitches really held him back while with the Spartans (5.73 ERA, 5.9 BB/9) in 2019, though he had no such problems during his first taste of pro ball. Diaz struck out 15 batters in just 10.1 innings of work with the GCL Braves.
No. 27, Riley King, 3B
6’0″, 186 lbs.
Did not sign
King, a third baseman from the University of Georgia, is the last of the 2019 draft picks the Braves selected but didn’t sign. As a redshirt junior, King started all 63 games for the Bulldogs in 2019, hitting .295 with eight home runs and 43 RBI. Surprisingly, King is the first UGA player drafted by the Braves since Ryan Lawlor and Sean McLaughlin, two pitchers selected in the 2015 draft. King will return to the Bulldogs for the 2020 season, where he’ll be one the team’s leaders.
No. 26, Chad Bryant, RHP
6’0″, 210 lbs.
Grade: C
2019 stats: 7 starts, 4 app., 24.1 innings, 8.88 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 4.8 BB/9, 2 HR
As a hard thrower sought after by several powerhouse programs in the country (including Mississippi State and Alabama), the now-20-year-old Bryant lacked the command to accurately harness his 95 mph fastball. Regardless, the Braves were the third team to draft Bryant in the last three years, where he pitched for the team’s GCL squad and struggled. Walks were a bit of a problem for the righty (4.8 BB/9), but more than anything Bryant’s .372 BABIP-against and 4.92 xFIP illustrated a pitcher suffering from some poor luck.