Could the Atlanta Braves be drafting a high school pitcher?

Deciphering the Atlanta Braves draft: what pick type is most likely?

We are nearly down to one week before the MLB draft, and mock drafters typically have a hard time figuring who teams will pick at the position the Atlanta Braves are in (25th overall).

That said, some seem better at this game than others and some convergence appears to be happening.

The overall consensus is pretty universal: this is a very good draft class, particularly with college players, and more particularly with college pitching.

Last December, Jonathan Mayo from MLBPipeline quoted an NL scout (source linked above) as saying “There might be 15 college pitchers taken in the first round.”

That scout was also a bit concerned about getting enough of their team’s eyes onto the ‘Friday-night starters’ (the usual game slot for collegiate #1’s) since there were more candidates than Friday nights available.

Little did he know just how few Fridays there really were to work with.

That said, let’s do a quick review of some major mock drafts and why they may or may not make sense for the Atlanta Braves.

Braves Mock Draft Picks

KEITH LAW, theAthletic (subscription required). Version 3.0, released today.

Okay, a few things to say here. Let’s start with this: either Keith Law is out of his mind or he’s an extremely well-connected genius.

He now has the Braves taking RHP Jared Kelley, a high school pitcher from Texas.

On May 28, his 2.0 draft included this phrase “I have heard they’re likely to be very high school-heavy in this draft”.  That while he suggested Duke RHP Bryce Jarvis would be the Braves’ pick. More on him to come later.

Now if you’re drafting after the strength of the draft – particularly in the first round – that frankly makes about as much sense as ordering a steak at a seafood restaurant. You’ll get a steak, but it’s probably not going to be that good.

Indeed, Law pointed out later during his Dodgers’ Version 2.0 pick (#29, also a HS pitcher) that “teams in general are backing away from high school arms in this draft”.

Well, here’s the scoop: Kelley might be that rare great steak in the seafood joint.

Let’s look a little deeper.