SAN DIEGO – The story about the kid drafted by his favorite team is heartwarming. The odds are low, though, so it does not happen a ton.
Unless you are talking about the Braves, who seem to love their Georgia natives.
On Sunday, they selected another one with their second-round pick: Carter Holton, a left-handed pitcher from Vanderbilt. The slot value for the No. 62 pick is $1,385,000.
Holton grew up in Guyton, which is near Savannah and approximately 250 miles from Truist Park. He went to high school at Benedictine Military School.
“I’m sure it’s a cherry on top,” Ronit Shah, the Braves director of amateur scouting, said of Holton growing up a Braves fan. “I’m sure for Carter, growing up a Braves fan, being from the area, he’s hopefully even a little bit more excited and motivated. But knowing him and just knowing what our scouts have done on their homework with knowing the kid, I think there’s no concerns at all in terms of competitiveness, work ethic, character.”
He played for Vanderbilt for three seasons. He played for Team USA for two.
Holton, who is 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds, went 6-5 with a 5.19 ERA in his junior season. In his three seasons at Vanderbilt, he had a 4.09 ERA. He had 251 strikeouts in 200 innings.
Across three seasons with the Commodores, beginning in 2021-22, Holton posted an 18-10 record, a 4.09 ERA (91 ER/200.0 IP), 251 strikeouts and 80 walks.
In the second half of the 2023 season, Holton was shut down due to an arm injury. “I think everything’s good with him,” Shah said. The Braves clearly felt comfortable with his medicals if they drafted him. Shah said Holton “finished the season strong” – and by that, he meant that Holton displayed his power stuff during the postseason.
Holton’s fastball could be anywhere from 93-98 mph. He throws a power slider. He has an above-average changeup and can flip in a curveball on occasion. He attacks the zone.
“We love just how competitive he is on the mound,” Shah said. “Absolute bulldog.”
The Braves scouted Holton when he was coming out of high school. They had interest in him then.
Now, they have him.
Holton will turn 22 in September. College arms are usually ready to contribute earlier.
Could this be the case with Holton?
“That’s up to the other guys here (in the front office), but just really excited to get him into the organization here soon,” Shah said. “I think for him, the sky’s the limit at the end of the day. I think just being proven, cutthroat competitor, bulldog on the mound. Four-pitch mix from the left side too, with power behind it, is really exciting. At the end of the day, it’s just up to him and we’ll see what he can do with us.”
In the first round, Atlanta selected left-hander Cam Caminiti out of Saguaro (Arizona) High. Caminiti was the first prep arm selected in the draft, which continues on Monday (rounds 3-10) and Tuesday (rounds 11-20).
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