Could the Atlanta Braves select another Wake Forest player in the first round of the 2023 Draft?
With the MLB Amateur Draft rapidly approaching, it is time to look into options that would be a great fit for the Atlanta Braves in 2023.
By Matt Melton
Looking back at recent MLB Drafts, the Atlanta Braves have used their first-round pick on a player from Wake Forest University in two of the last three years, selecting pitchers Jared Shuster (2020) and Ryan Cusick (2021).
With the Demon Deacons likely to see two players selected in the first round this year, along with the fact that Atlanta is picking in essentially the same spot as those two previous drafts, could the Braves potentially take yet another player from the Wake Forest program in the first round this year?
Could the Atlanta Braves select another Wake Forest player in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft?
As mentioned previously, Wake Forest is likely to see two players selected in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft with right-handed pitcher Rhett Lowder and third baseman Brock Wilken.
However, with the Braves picking at No. 24 overall, Lowder is certainly unlikely to still be available when Atlanta is on the clock, but what about Wilken?
Rated as MLB Pipeline's No. 25 overall 2023 MLB Draft prospect, Wilken is considered one of the top third basemen available, as well as among the top collegiate power hitters in this draft. In fact, you could make an argument for Wilken as the top power hitter in the MLB Draft, with the Wake Forest product certainly having the past production to back it up.
Having received numerous honors and accolades during his three seasons at Wake Forest, Wilken has slashed a combined .299/.419/.679 across 173 career games in Winston-Salem, along with 71 HR and 203 RBI. Likely to be a first-round pick, Wilken's 71 HR total also tied the ACC's all-time record. The junior's 2023 season was one of the best in Wake Forest program history having slashed .345/.506/.807 with 31 HR and 82 RBI across 66 games.
A player with big-time power potential offensively, could the Braves potentially select Wilken in the 2023 MLB Draft to make it three Wake Forest first-round selections in the last four years?