The first round of the 2024 MLB Draft is complete and while it's early, Braves fans should be extremely excited about the new toys they look to add to the organization. With a pair of arms that should come in over slot, and perhaps just under, Atlanta should still have some money to play with and could add another intriguing name before focusing on signability. But let's go ahead and dig into who the Braves took with their first two picks.
Braves select Cam Caminiti, left handed prep pitcher out of Arizona
With their first pick, the Braves went with 17-year-old Cam Caminiti, a left-handed pitcher out of Arizona. The name may seem familiar as Cam is the cousin of Ken Caminiti, who played his final season for the Atlanta Braves in 2001.
Cam, at 17 on draft day, is one of the youngest players in the draft and has one of the highest upsides in the draft as well. It is believed that had Caminiti not reclassified, he would have definitely been a top-10 pick in the 2025 draft.
He brings an intriguing four-pitch mix with a fastball that already touches 98 MPH but sits in the mid-90s. He pairs that fastball with a good changeup and quickly developing slider and curveball. Cam repeats his mechanics surprisingly well for someone his age and because of that has much better command than expected, again for someone who got his driver's license last year. The talented Southpaw figures to be an over-slot, in terms of the amount that it will take to sign him, but well worth the money the Braves will invest.
It is safe to say that Cam is quite happy to be in the Braves organization.
"It's an incredible organization, I'm just so excited to be here tonight."
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 15, 2024
17-year-old flamethrower Cam Caminiti is the first round pick of the @Braves!@Xavier_Scruggs | #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/qzcRaSUgp9
Braves select Carter Holton, left handed pitcher from the University of Vanderbilt.
The Braves go back to college with their second-round pick, left-handed pitcher Carter Holton. Undersized, coming in at 5'11", Carter struggled with injuries in his final year at Vanderbilt but it's very easy to see why Atlanta took him as their second selection in this year's draft.
With the 62nd pick in the 2024 Draft, the @Braves select @VandyBoys left-handed pitcher Carter Holton, No. 69 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list.
— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) July 15, 2024
Watch LIVE: https://t.co/eLMJAXDe7Z pic.twitter.com/ovpggiEznk
Like Cam, Carter has a four-pitch mix with a mid-90s fastball, a mid-80s biting slider, a fringe-to-average curveball, and a fringe-to-average changeup. There is some reliever risk with Carter, again due to his size and recent injuries, but with his solid control, he should be a quick riser within the organization - especially if he were to become a reliever. That being said, the Braves will do everything they can to keep him in the rotation, where he could become yet another intriguing pitching prospect.
Day 2 of the draft kicks off tomorrow (or I guess today? Who knows what time it is at this point) at 2 PM EST for rounds 3-10. Despite what is expected to be an over-slot signing of Cam Caminiti, the Braves project to have a little more spending to do and may nab another higher-profile player to keep an eye on.