Atlanta Braves lock in #9 draft pick
Per reports, the Atlanta Braves have won the grievance over their 2018 first-round pick and will retain the #9 pick in the 2019 draft
According to multiple reports, including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, the Atlanta Braves won the grievance filed by the MLB Players Association on behalf of the Braves’ first-round selection in 2018, Carter Stewart.
Stewart was a high-school right-hander from Georgia, considered by many as the best prep pitcher in the 2018 draft. After selecting Stewart, the Atlanta Braves did a physical on Stewart as part of contract procedures, and reportedly found issues during those medical reviews that he had potential issues with his wrist ligaments.
The Atlanta Braves made a lower offer than slot, and the question was whether the Braves had made enough of an offer (at least 40% of slot value for the #8 pick in 2018, which was just under $2 million). The panel found that the team had offered at least the 40% value in a contract offer, which was all that was required to keep the draft pick and decline Stewart’s request to become a free agent.
This means that in June the Atlanta Braves will have two picks in the top 21 picks of the draft. Stewart has enrolled at East Florida State College and begun spring practice with the team, looking to be part of the 2019 draft again after a season with JuCo.
Who could the Atlanta Braves target?
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Conveniently, Baseball America has
for the 2019 draft just today, which gives some idea which players are currently viewed as top players for the upcoming draft.
The top player in the draft will be switch-hitting catcher Adley Rutschman, an elite hitter and tremendous defender as well. Having seen Adley at the College World Series, I will attest that he has all the tools you want from a catcher, and he has that rare ability to get a “different” sound off of the bat that no one else can get when making contact. He’s considered the top player in the draft.
To quickly sum up the BA rankings, here are the top 10:
- 1. Adley Rutschman, C, Oregon State
- 2. Bobby Witt, Jr., SS, Texas HS
- 3. C.J. Abrams, SS, Georgia HS
- 4. Andrew Vaughn, 1B, Cal
- 5. Riley Greene, OF, Florida HS
- 6. Shea Langeliers, C, Baylor
- 7. Corbin Carroll, OF, Washington HS
- 8. Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Tech
- 9. Graeme Stinson, LHP, Duke
- 10. Bennan Malone, RHP, Florida HS
It is notable that each of the first 8 players on that list is a position player, but then 9 of the next 10 are pitchers, so the Braves are in an intriguing position where they could get either a hitter that falls or have the choice of their favorite arm in the draft. It’s a very good spot to be in.
While you’d never want to lose a draft pick, being able to utilize two picks this year will give the Atlanta Braves financial leverage to get elite players, which is a huge thing with the lack of international prospects that they are able to bring into the farm system.