Now fully into the summer months, the attention across baseball will begin shifting toward what is set to take place in mid-July with the 2024 MLB Draft.
Set to take place from July 14-16, the Atlanta Braves hold the No. 24 overall pick in the first round this year, as well as numerous other selections throughout the three-day event. With those picks, Atlanta will likely address numerous positions, with one of those potentially coming at catcher.
Yes, the Braves do currently have Sean Murphy and Travis d'Arnaud at the major league level, meaning that catcher isn't necessarily the biggest priority entering this year's draft. However, they could still look to add depth to the minor league system alongside the likes of Drake Baldwin and others.
Here are three potential names the Braves could select in the upper rounds of this draft to do just that.
3 catchers the Braves should target in 2024 MLB Draft
Caleb Lomavita, California
Should the Braves opt to select a catcher within the first two rounds, Caleb Lomavita might be an intriguing name to watch for. Undoubtedly one of the top offensive catchers in this draft, Lomavita has slashed a combined .302/.369/.534 with 38 home runs, 141 RBI, and 36 stolen bases across the past three seasons collegiately at California, which has included 16 and 15 homers respectively across the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
Statement weekend for Cal who notched a huge sweep of UConn with today’s 5-4 walk-off win. Caleb Lomavita went 2-3 with a 3-run HR, PJ Moutzouridis went 2-3 with an RBI, and Rodney Green Jr. supplied the walk-off. Tom Mayer spun 6 shutout innings with 5 Ks.pic.twitter.com/kbpWu7ybNB
— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) February 26, 2024
Cole Messina, South Carolina
If there were a name to watch for around rounds three and four, Cole Messina would be that catcher. The South Carolina standout was one of the top players at the position this past season by hitting 21 homers with a 1.166 OPS and has slashed a combined .305/.436/.625 across his three seasons with the Gamecocks with 38 home runs, 137 RBI, and 16 stolen bases, which included multiple career-highs in 2024.
Cole Messina is the greatest baseball player to ever play the game of baseball! pic.twitter.com/KpdWBcLb1n
— Sin (@Sinderella_SC) May 31, 2024
Cade Arrambide, Tomball (TX)
Lastly, if the Atlanta Braves want to look toward the high school ranks for a catcher within the upper rounds, there might not be a more intriguing name than that of Cade Arrambide. The LSU commit out of Tomball High School in Texas has one of the best arms among catchers in this draft, and combined that with his impressive power to help lead the Cougars to a 41-3 record and a Texas 6A state title this past season as a senior.
A pop time of 1.72 seconds is bonkers for a high school catcher.
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) November 29, 2023
Cade Arrambide is the No. 1 HS catcher on the new Baseball America 2024 draft rankings. pic.twitter.com/yLXtkG0E6K
In addition to those three, here are a few other catchers that the Atlanta Braves should target in the upper rounds of the 2024 MLB Draft: Kevin Bazzell (Texas Tech), Anderson French (Red Land, PA), Hunter Carns (First Coast, FL), Nick Montgomery (Cypress, CA).
One thing is certain, there is a plethora of talent available for Atlanta to choose from during this year's draft. The main questions are who will join the organization as the next top prospect and will it be a backstop?