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Atlanta Braves and the 2022 draft: who ya got?

By Alan Carpenter

The College World Series used to happen after the MLB draft; the Atlanta Braves and other teams will now draft after the series. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The College World Series used to happen after the MLB draft; the Atlanta Braves and other teams will now draft after the series. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves
Director of Scouting Eric Kubota of the Oakland Athletics sits in the Athletics draft room and is shown here since the Atlanta Braves have military-level security around everything they do. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /

Mock-up Mayhem?

In their 4th mock draft (subscription required) lineup, BA picks Oregon State left-hander Cooper Hjerpe.

Their reasoning is sound:  he features a solid fastball (93-97 mph last Fall), he’s actually healthy, and he could move up the system relatively quickly.

In their draft prospect rankings list, though, BA slots him 48th… which, if the Braves agree, would seem to be a considerable reach at the 20th draft position.

BA’s first mock draft saw Atlanta selecting another pitcher: Blade Tidwell of Tennessee.  We’ll talk about him, below.

So Who does rank in the right neighborhood?

Not that pre-draft rankings are set in stone, but here’s how Baseball America sees the field in their latest update:

  • 17th:  Jordon Beck.  University of Tennessee outfielder.  13th in their prior ranking list.  Possibly best raw power among collegiates, though there were questions about that in the Cape Cod wood bat league.
  • 18th:  Chase DeLauter.  James Madison University outfielder.  16th in their prior ranking list.  He did show excellent power at Cape Cod and has been shooting up draft boards as a result.  He’s also got both the legs and arm to play in either center or right field.
  • 19th:  Cam Collier.  Chipola (Florida) JUCO third baseman.  18th in their prior ranking list.  Son a major leaguer, Collier is from Georgia.  His profile looks to be a projection pick in a lot of areas:  he has the tools, but the question is about how — and where — they will play.
  • 20th: Blade Tidwell.  Tennesse right-handed pitcher.  Previously ranked 20th.  Followed Ryan Weathers in the same high school.  At 6-4/200 and demonstrating 4 pitches (including notable fastballs and sliders), he’s got the repertoire and physical attributes that teams crave… but needs better command.
  • 21st:  Cole Young.  North Allegheny HS, Wexford, PA shortstop.  Prior rank: 21st.  BA thinks he’s the best high school shortstop and could be the 2nd best pure hitter… without much power.  Sounds like someone in the mold of Swanson, with solid tools and baseball acumen, but few exceptional abilities overall.
  • (I’ll skip #22 for the moment)
  • 23rd:  Cade Doughty.  LSU third baseman.  Prior rank: 24th.  Enough arm strength to stick at third with some power and hitting ability.  He is said to chase pitches out of the zone, but still hits them… resulting in a 12.4% strikeout rate and .302 batting average.

But these are the expected possibilities… and as we’ve seen, there’s almost nothing “expected” from the draft when the opinions of hundreds of scouts are involved… so let’s look at some other avenues the Braves could opt for.

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