Atlanta Braves MLB Draft: High school players to target

With the 2019 MLB Draft upon us, we look at some of the high school names out there the Atlanta Braves could be interested in on Monday.

The 2019 MLB Draft is set to begin on Monday, June 3 and the Atlanta Braves possess picks nine and 21.

We’ve already covered the top college hitters and the top college pitchers that the Atlanta Braves may target.

Now we shift our attention to the high school level.

You can find all of our 2019 MLB Draft coverage here.

Scouting high school players is highly difficult because they are the hardest to project, especially hitters.

You don’t know how a high school body is going to develop, and you don’t know how certain players will handle that higher level of competition.

That’s where you have to trust the scouts and what they see and hear from a high school player. For me, getting to know a high school player’s character is just as important as their physical traits.

You want to know that player has that ‘it’ factor, and that desire to be the best.

We’re going to highlight some high school players who are projected to go in the first round that the Atlanta Braves could target.

I’m going to leave off the top three names as almost every mock draft has them off the board before the Atlanta Braves pick at nine. That list includes Bobby Witt, Jr., C.J. Abrams, and Riley Greene.

I think all of the high school players listed below are potential targets at 21. It seems like the Atlanta Braves are likely to draft a college player at nine.

But if their top college targets are off the board at nine, they could consider taking any of these high school players with that pick.

Quinn Priester – RHP – Cary-Grove Community High School (Illinois)

Priester is somebody who has been linked to the Atlanta Braves in some mock drafts. We cover him in length here.

Brett Baty – 3B – Lake Travis High School (Texas)

Baty is a 20-year-old high schooler, which is a bit unusual, but he has a big bat and can drive the baseball to all fields.

Currently, the left-handed power hitter is committed to play college baseball at Tennessee.

Matt Allen – RHP – Seminole High School (Florida)

This is a popular name that has picked up some steam in the middle of the first-round. He’s a big right-hander at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, and he features four pitches with his fastball and curveball projected to be plus pitches.

Allen is committed to Florida State and it could take a good bit of money to have him skip out on college.

Brennan Malone – RHP – IMG Acadamy

Both The Athletic and ESPN (subscription required for both) have the Atlanta Braves taking Brennan Malone with their 21st pick in the upcoming MLB Draft, so it may be good to know this name.

He also has a solid frame at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. And like Allen, he also possesses four pitches, but his mid-90s fastball and slider are considered to be plus offerings.

Malone is committed to North Carolina.

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Gunnar Henderson – SS – John T. Morgan Acadamy (Alabama)

Gunnar Henderson is a very intriguing high school bat who put up crazy numbers his senior season by hitting .559 with 11 home runs and 75 RBI.

He’s considered a left-handed power bat who could also be a two-way player as he pitched in high school as well.

Corbin Carroll – OF – Lakeside High School (Seattle)

I’ve seen Corbin Carroll in the middle of the first round in some mocks, and out of the first round altogether. But most feel like he will go in the top 15.

He’s a left-handed outfielder that is more of a speedster with plus tools. Carroll is committed to UCLA at the moment.

Other high school names to keep an eye on include: Daniel Espino (RHP – Georgia Premier Academy), J.J. Goss (RHP – Cypress Ranch High School), Anthony Volpe (SS – Delbarton High School), and Tyler Callihan (IF/C – Providence High School).

dark. Next. Draft: Top 5 college pitchers

Again, I think the Atlanta Braves are most likely to take a college player with their ninth pick who is very signable. But look for them to target one of these high school players with their 21st pick in the MLB Draft.

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