Atlanta Braves 2022 first round draft picks

The Atlanta Braves are engaged in a draft strategy intended to get new, future major talent into their farm system.  Tonight begins that process.

The 2022 MLB Rule 4 first-year amateur draft gets underway tonight (Sunday, 7/17/22) at 7pm EDT and we will have the first-round picks of the Atlanta Braves posted here as quickly as we can once they are made.

LIVE UPDATES BELOW

The word “picks” is both relevant and important as the Braves indeed have two selections in the first round this year thanks to a trade pulled off last Monday with the Kansas City Royals.

Fred Owens will discuss these 1st rounders and all picks made in additional rounds in more detail starting tomorrow.

The Basics of this Year’s Draft

Their Competitive Balance pick — the only pick types that are tradeable — was the 3rd-highest pick of those available this year.  Only the Orioles and Diamondbacks have higher Competitive Balance picks this year.

These picks start at slot 33, hence the Braves picks are at slot 20 (their regular pick) and slot 35 (the pick obtained from the Royals).

Colorado and Cincinnati were granted compensation picks in slots 31 and 32, respectively, for losing former players to free agency… in their cases Trevor Story and Nick Castellanos.

The Mets also get two 1st round picks, and they appear at premium slots 11 and 14… the former comes due to their rejection of (er, “failure to sign“) Kumar Rocker in the 2021 draft; the latter is their regular 1st round pick.

The Dodgers do not have a first-round pick… technically.  Their pick was moved 10 positions down to #40 as a result of their free-spending ways.  That pick is considered to mark the beginning of the second round.

The Atlanta Braves’ angle… and the Mets

Atlanta has six picks in the first 4 rounds:   these come at slots 20, 35, 57, 76, 96, and 125.  The first five of these are 3rd round picks or higher.  For all other picks… add 30 to the prior slot.

Pick 76 represents the team’s compensation for losing Freddie Freeman.  It’s the second compensation pick in the group coming at the end of Round 3.

I mentioned the Mets… if they don’t blow it, they have a chance for an epic draft, picking at slots 11, 14, 52, 75, 90, and 119 in those same first 4 rounds.

Their free-agent compensation pick comes from losing Noah Syndergaard to the Angels… and oddly enough, he could be a potential trade target of Atlanta’s in a couple of weeks.

With that trade last week, the Braves have added just over 20% to their spending pool.  MLB has assigned values to every draft slot and limited the amount of monies that teams can throw at the players they draft.

This additional 20% definitely ups the ante for the Braves in that they now have a lot more flexibility to roll with … well… however the draft unfolds in front of them — particularly for their first two picks.

Updates to Appear Here

ROUND 1  (* – High Schoolers)

• 1. BALTIMORE ORIOLES – JACKSON HOLLIDAY, SS/STILLWATER HS, OKLA*
• 2. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS – DRUW JONES, WESLEYAN HS, NORCROSS (SON OF ANDRUW)*
• 3. TEXAS RANGERS – KUMAR ROCKER, RHP, INDY BALL/FRONTIER LG.

• The first shock pick… Texas has no other picks until #109, though

4. PITTSBURGH PIRATES – TERMARR JOHNSON, 2B/SS, MAYS HS, ATLANTA*

5. WASHINGTON NATIONALS – ELIJAH GREEN, OF, IMG ACADEMY/FLA*

6. MIAMI MARLINS – JACOB BERRY, 3B, LSU

7. CHICAGO CUBS – CADE HORTON, RHP, U. OKLAHOMA

8. MINNESOTA TWINS – BROOKS LEE, SS, CAL POLY SAN LUIS OBISPO

9. KANSAS CITY ROYALS – GAVIN CROSS, OF, VIRGINIA TECH

10. COLORADO ROCKIES – GABRIEL HUGHES, RHP, GONZAGA

11. NEW YORK METS – KEVIN PARADA, C, GA TECH

12. DETROIT TIGERS – JACE JUNG, 2B, TEXAS TECH

13. LOS ANGELES ANGELS – ZACH NETO, SS, CAMPBELL U.

• Angels select a non-pitcher!

14. NEW YORK METS – JETT WILLIAMS, SS, ROCKWELL-HEATH HS, TX*

• Not playing SS for the Mets for at least another dozen years.  Maybe 2B?

15. SAN DIEGO PADRES – DYLAN LESKO, BUFORD HS, GA*

• Dang it!!  Hoping he would fall to #20.

16. CLEVELAND GUARDIANS – CHASE DeLAUTER, OF, JAMES MADISON

• Both of my preferred players go in consecutive picks… arrrggg!

17. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES – JUSTIN CRAWFORD, BISHOP GORMAN HS, NV*

• Son of Carl Crawford

18. CINCINNATI REDS – CAM COLLIER, 3B/DH/1B, CHIPOLA JC, FLA

19. OAKLAND ATHLETICS – DANIEL SUSAC, C, ARIZONA

• So much for the thought that the A’s didn’t need any more premium catchers. WOuld have been a good get for the Braves after losing Langeliers.

• 2-way player… likely a pitcher.  Also played football (QB).  This surprises me, but given his BA ranking, the Braves are clearly high on him.

On that point… yeah, we’ll see how that works out.  Pitching will be the priority… and follow-up information obtained is making that quite clear, though I’m wondering about the communications between the parties.

• 21. SEATTLE MARINERS – COLE YOUNG, SS, N ALLEGHENY HS, PA*
• 22. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS – COOPER HJERPE, LHP, OREGON ST
• 23. TORONTO BLUE JAYS – BRANDON BARRIERA, LHP, Amer. Heritage HS, FLA*
  • A lot of people really love this kid… my concern is his lack of size.
• 24. BOSTON RED SOX – MIKEY ROMERO, SS, ORANGE LUTHERAN HS, CA*
• 25. NEW YORK YANKEES – SPENCER JONES, OF, VANDY
  • Fred’s favorite
• 26. CHICAGO WHITE SOX – NOAH SCHULTZ, LHP, OSWEGO EAST HS, IL*
• 27. MILWAUKEE BREWERS – ERIC BROWN JR., SS, COASTAL CAROLINA UNIV.
• 28. HOUSTON ASTROS – DREW GILBERT, OF, UNIV. TENN.
  • poignant moment as Uvalde, TX is recognized.
• 29. TAMPA BAY RAYS – XAVIER ISAAC, 1B, E. FORSYTH HS, NC*
  • This is… interesting.  Ranks 92 on BA’s board.  Risky.  No need to draft him this early.
• 30. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS – REGGIE CRAWFORD, LHP/1B, U. CONN.
  • Okay, this is just an odd pick here.  Almost certainly could have gotten him later.

Depending on who you listen to, this next group either belongs to the 1st or 2nd rounds:

• 31. COLORADO ROCKIES (COMP) – STERLIN THOMPSON, OF/INF, UNIV. FLA.
• 32. CINCINNATI REDS (COMP) – SAL STEWART, 3B, WESTMINSTER CHRIST’N HS, FLA*
• 33. BALTIMORE ORIOLES (COMP BALANCE) – DYLAN BEAVERS, OF, UC BERKELEY
• 34. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (COMP BAL) – LANDON SIMS, RHP, MISS STATE
• 35. ATLANTA BRAVES (COMP BAL VIA KCR) – J.R. RICHIE, RHP, BAINBRIDGE HS, WA*

• 52nd-ranked on Baseball America’s board. Has some giddyup on his fastball.

• 36.  PITTSBURGH PIRATES (COMP BAL) – THOMAS HARRINGTON, RHP, S. LEE HS, NC*
• 37. CLEVELAND GUARDIANS (COMP BAL) – JUSTIN CAMPBELL, RHP, OKLA ST
• 38. COLORADO ROCKIES (COMP BAL) – JORDAN BECK, OF, U TENN
• 39. SAN DIEGO PADRES (COMP BAL) – ROBBIE SNELLING, RHP, McQUEEN HS, NV*

ROUND 2 (two more unadvertised bonus picks)

• 57. ATLANTA BRAVES – COLE PHILLIPS, RHP, Boerne HS, TX*
• 76. ATLANTA BRAVES – BLAKE BURKHALTER, RHRP, AUBURN (drafted to be a starter)

That puts a wrap on the Atlanta Braves draft experience for tonight… more to come on Monday.