Braves look to make most of early draft pick

About the only time losing has privileges is on this day — draft day — and for the Braves, it means they are entitled to pick seventh overall in baseball’s first-year player draft.

This marks the highest overall pick the Braves have had in the draft since 1991, when they took outfielder Mike Kelly with second pick overall.

The Braves could use some depth at third base, for example, or perhaps at a middle infield spot. But club scouting director Roy Clark said Monday the Braves won’t be looking to fill a specific need, just to take the best available player.

“The year we took Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, it was just exceptional,” Clark said of the 2007 draft, when the club filled needs at corner outfielder and first base with 14th and 78th selections respectively. “They just happened to be there and they were what we were looking for and we got lucky with them. This year I’m not sure that that animal is out there, so we’re just going to take the best available guy.”

The Braves have two picks Tuesday night — the seventh (first round) and 87th overall (third round). By airing the draft in primetime for the first time on the MLB Network (6 p.m.), an extra day will be needed to complete the draft. So it will run through Thursday.

The Braves lost their second-round pick (56th overall) as compensation to the Dodgers for signing free agent Derek Lowe.

Clark said there were some 10 players in the mix for the Braves’ first pick and only one of them is a position player. That fits, considering this is a draft richer in pitching talent than position players.

The Braves love high school pitching and they love drafting local talent. They have an opportunity to get both if Zack Wheeler is still available at the seventh pick.

The 6-foot-4 right-hander from East Paulding High School has the third-highest rated fastball among high school arms in this draft and the second-best command, according to Baseball America.

The Braves will have to wait it out to see if Wheeler is still available after the Pirates, Orioles or Giants exercise the fourth, fifth and sixth picks.

Another local talent that might tempt them is Cartersville outfielder Donavan Tate, son of former University of Georgia running back Lars Tate. He is rated the top high school position player in this year’s draft by Baseball America.

But his signability is in question, given that he is a Scott Boras client and he has already committed to play football and baseball at North Carolina.

Among other possibilities is Alex White (UNC), who is rated the second-best right-hander in the draft by Baseball America behind Stephen Strasburg, the San Diego State pitcher with the 100 mph fastball who is widely expected to be the No. 1 pick by the Washington Nationals.

There’s also Mike Minor, a left-hander from Vanderbilt, who Baseball America projects as Atlanta’s choice in one of its recent mock drafts.

The Braves plan just as much emphasis on the later rounds. The draft resumes Wednesday at noon with rounds No. 4-30. The draft will conclude Thursday with rounds No. 31-50, beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Clark shook hands with rookie Tommy Hanson on the field during batting practice Monday, the day after one of the top young pitchers in baseball made his major league debut for the Braves.

“We’re looking for another 22nd rounder just like you, big fella,” Clark told him.