Braves MLB Draft: High School Players Targets with New Money

The Atlanta Braves went out and made a big trade to increase their bonus pool money for the upcoming MLB Draft. Here are some high school players they could target. 

For the last several years the Atlanta Braves have played it pretty safe early in the draft, taking some college arms they knew they could sign under slot.

That’s why many draft evaluators have believed they’ll go the same route this season taking college arms like Cade Horton, Connor Prielipp, Gabe Hughes, Blake Tidwell, Carson Whisenhunt, or Cooper Hjerpe.

But with trade on Monday that sent Drew Waters and two other prospects to the Kansas City Royals for the 35th overall pick, there are now a number of ways Alex Anthopoulos could handle the draft.

As Fred so greatly outlines in his article, the route most likely taken by AA is to spread the money around with players that he feels fairly certain will pan out — the draft is always a risk.

However, what if Atlanta actually tries to use that extra money to try and go big on a high school player with the 20th overall pick?

Braves MLB Draft: High School Targets

MLB Pipeline has 12 high school players ranked in their top 21.

We can easily eliminate four of them from being available at 20 — Druw Jones (sad), Jackson Holliday, Elijah Green, and Termarr Johnson.

That leaves these eight high school players that could be available at 20: Brock Porter (RHP), Justin Crawford (OF), Dylan Lesko (RHP), Brandon Barriera (LHP), Robby Snelling (LHP), Jackson Ferris (LHP), Cole Young (SS), and Jett Williams (SS).

On my latest episode of Locked on Braves, I also included Cam Collier in this list. He’s technically not a prep player as he played JUCO this past season, but he’s still just 17 and might be one of the best bats in this draft.

There is also little chance he makes it to 20.

Of the eight high school players mentioned above, two of them really intrigue me.

Brock Porter — Already 19, so a little older for a prep player. But he features one of the best fastballs in the draft that can touch 100 MPH.

With how important high velocity is in today’s game, you can’t go wrong drafting a fireballer like Porter. He also has an above-average chance-up.

His 6-foot-4 frame bodes well for his durability as a starter.

The write-up on MLB Pipeline calls him the best prep pitcher in Michigan “since Steve Avery went No. 3 overall to the Braves in the 1988 Draft.”

Dylan Lesko — A 6-foot-2 right-handed pitcher, Lesko comes out of the Braves backyard in Buford, GA.

He was considered maybe the best arm in the draft before an elbow injury and subsequent Tommy John surgery shut down his senior season.

The Braves have not shied away from taking players coming off or needing TJ surgery. And if Lesko’s injury situation scares off teams enough that he falls to 20, the Braves could have the funds to convince the Vanderbilt commit to sign with his hometown team.

His best pitch is his change-up, which has some sideways movement and good depth.

Those are some prep players at the top of the draft who the Braves could potentially target with the extra money.

What’s more likely is they draft some safer college guys early and use the extra funds to steal some other prep players later in the draft like they did with A.J. Smith-Shawver last year when they paid him nearly $800,000 over slot as a seventh-round pick.

This extra money gives the Braves a lot of options and makes this upcoming draft a very exciting one as they try to restock a depleted farm system.