Atlanta Braves Draft Update: 6th-Round Pick Lucas Braun and 10th-Rounder Pier-Olivier Boucher Sign Deals
The Atlanta Braves signed sixth-round pick Lucas Braun on Saturday and inked three more undrafted free agents over the weekend.
My last post showed Pier-Olivier Boucher and Lucas Braun as the last remaining Atlanta Braves draft pick left to sign from rounds one through ten. However, tenth-round pick Pier-Olivier Boucher told the Montreal Journal (report written in French) he signed Monday Night; the amount of his signing bonus wasn’t mentioned.
Well, color my face red, I guess I need to read more Canadian sports news. Anyway, I was right about Braun who we heard Saturday had signed for $347,500, which is $54,800 more than the suggested slot value of $292,700.
In addition to the three undrafted free agents listed in my last post, Baseball America (subscription required) reports that the Atlanta Braves signed UFAs right-handed pitchers Shay Schanaman and LJ McDonough and catcher Jacob Godman bringing the total UDFAs signed to six.
Shay Schanaman
When the Atlanta Braves selected Spencer Schwellenbach in 2021, he was the number one prospect in Nebraska, and Shay Schanaman was number 8.
In 2019, freshman Schanaman appeared in 19 games in relief for Nebraska, pitching to a 3.18 ERA in 22 2/3 innings, including 13 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out 23 and earning three saves.
In 2021, he appeared in 13 games for Nebraska and was their Sunday starter. He made 12 starts for the Huskers and, including his lone relief appearance, struck out 72 batters in 67 1/3 innings while pitching to a 5.08 ERA.
Entering 2022, Schanaman made 13 starts and appeared in relief twice, pitching to a 4.44 ERA in 77 innings, striking out 76 and walking 29. He returned to the bullpen as the closer for the Cornhuskers in 2023, pitching to a 3.07 ERA over 55 1/3 innings in 26 games, striking out 66, walking 28, and earning three saves.
In Baseball America's 2021 NCAA Nebraska preview, they noted that Schanaman relied on a low 90s fastball and a slider with a 50% whiff rate. His coach added that he had a dominant fall.
In a fall (of 2021) where the hitters may have gotten the best …of the pitching…he was maybe an exception …he walked one (batter) all fall…fastball command was there (and) He’s always had two good breaking balls..”
The Braves may give him a chance to start, but the back of the bullpen is probably his ceiling. If he can cut down on the walks, it’s not unreasonable to think he has a shot at becoming a closer.
LJ McDonough
LJ McDonough is purely a relief pitcher. In his first season at Wichita State, McDonough threw 25 1/3 innings in 16 games, striking out 36 and walking eight with a 2.49 ERA. In his second year at State, he threw 24 1/3 innings, striking out 32, but control issues pushed his walk total to 16.
He transferred to Florida Gulf Coast for the 2023 season and became the team’s closer. In 47 1/3 IP, McDonough struck out 61, walked 26, and recorded six saves.
In a Wink News interview, FGCU coach Dave Tollett gave his evaluation of McDonough.
“The mentality that he has is different than a lot of kids. He doesn’t get real nervous in situations like that. He just wants the ball.”
So he has a slow heartbeat and apparently a violent delivery because his hat tends to come off…a lot.
When McDonough has the ball, his team is confident in two things: they’ll get the win and his hat will fall off.
“I have a lot of whiplash, so when I come forward my neck snaps a little bit. My hat just falls off,” McDonough said.
Jacob Godman
Can't be afraid to get a little dirt on the pants in Omaha!#MCWS x 🎥ESPN / @ORUBaseball pic.twitter.com/lfekpojMGH
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 20, 2023
Jacob Godman started his college career at Nevada-Las Vegas in 2019, skipped the 2021 season, transferred to NC State in 2022, and finally to Oral Roberts in 2023.
In their 2022 NCAA preview of NC State, Baseball America (subscription required noted that Godman “brought a plus throwing arm behind the plate with him” when he transferred to NC State.
NC State had highly touted freshman catching candidate Jacob Cozart but added veteran Matt Oldham and Godman as backups. Godman became Cozart’s primary backup appearing in 23 games.
Godman’s best offensive year came in 2023, batting .291/.384/.454/.838 with five homers, 13 doubles, two triples, and driving in 29 runs in 196 AB in 59 of the team’s 66 games.
Unless Godman’s bat improves, he looks like a glove-first catcher whose strong arm gives him a chance for a role as a backup,
That’s a Wrap
The Atlanta Braves have all 11 prospects from rounds one through ten signed. There’s little information on the UDFA signings, and I’ve seen nothing on rounds 11-20 other than the two I wrote about in my last post.
As soon as we get news of more signings, I’ll post it here on The House That Hank Built.