The Braves weren’t armed with the resources they had in years past, but felt they were opportunistic throughout the 2018 MLB draft.
They had 39 picks, investing in 22 pitchers (17 right-handers). They chose 34 collegiate prospects.
Scouting director Brian Bridges said he felt the team landed three first-round caliber talents with its first three picks: Prep righty Carter Stewart, outfielder Greyson Jenista and collegiate starter Tristan Beck.
General manager Alex Anthopoulos deferred to Bridges and his staff during the process. Anthopoulos was well-educated on the first 10 or so players on the team’s board, and after that relied on their reports.
The Braves didn’t have a third-round pick because of MLB’s punishment for infractions committed by the previous regime. The organization also was middle-of-the-pack in bonus-pool money, as opposed to richer pools in recent years.
That’s part of what prompted them to look more at the collegiate ranks. They’ll also be restricted in the international market in coming years, so it becomes increasingly important to add signable players through the domestic draft.
Stewart, 18, has the highest spin rate ever recorded, with his curveball serving as his out-pitch. He was the No. 1 overall player on the team's board, according to Bridges.
Jenista caught the Braves' attention when he won the Cape Cod League MVP last summer. They love his power potential.
As for Beck, who the Braves were surprised fell to the fourth round (No. 112), he’s been the apple of the team’s eye for quite some time. Bridges targeted Beck at No. 28 overall in 2015, only for Beck to disregard MLB-overtures and go to Stanford.
» More: The Braves had luck in their favor there, ending up with Mike Soroka.
The team went into Day 3 searching for particular traits that could blossom into major-league caliber. The goal, as it was for every franchise, was to add as many players who have translatable skills as possible.
Here are notables from the rest of the team’s draft:
> The Braves took Clemson's Jake Higginbotham in the 11th round as their first lefty choice. The organization felt right-handers were more prominent than lefties in this class, and the discrepancy (17 righties vs. five lefties) supported that.
> Luke Heimlich, a left-hander, wasn’t on the Braves’ board. The Oregon State ace, at age 15, pleaded guilty to molesting his 6-year-old niece in 2012. He went undrafted.
> Shortstop Greg Cullen, taken in the 15th round, led NCAA Division I with a .458 average. The Niagara University product ranked second in the nation with a .556 on-base percentage.
The team isn’t sure he’ll develop much power, but the production spoke for itself.
> Speaking of shortstops, A.J. Graffanino joined the Braves in the eighth round. He’s the son of Tony, who played for the Braves from 1996-98 during his 13-year playing career.
Graffanino played second base for the Washington Huskies after returning from a hamstring injury this season, but he'll be a full-time shortstop in the Braves system.
> The Braves took hard-throwing Zack Hess in the 34th round. The 6-foot-6 righty boasts a high-90s fastball with an out-pitch slider, along with unrelenting aggression, that makes him projectable as a back-end reliever.
Expectations around LSU were if the sophomore didn’t go early, he’d return to school. But the Braves have every intention of signing him. Hess was Baseball America’s No. 87 prospect.
> Texas righty Nolan Kingham fell to the Braves at No. 352. He was the 100th player on Baseball America’s rankings.
His fall was in part because of a sharp decrease in velocity as he battled through injuries, though Bridges said it depends on when scouts saw him.
Kingham pitched 90 innings with two complete games this season. He uses a fastball, slider, change-up and sinker. He also has MLB bloodlines as the younger brother of the Pirates’ Nick Kingham.
Fun fact, per HookEm.com: Kingham is the first Longhorn the Braves have drafted since 1990.
> Watch for Zach Daniels, a 19th-round pick out of Iowa. He has an effective slider, and the team liked his ability to induce grounders. He could develop into a seventh-inning arm.
Daniels, a converted infielder, said before the draft he would consider signing, depending on the situation. He and the Braves have since confirmed he’ll sign.
Daniels found out he was drafted while on his way to Chick-fil-A, according to Dargan Southard of the Des Moines Register. Perhaps that erased any doubts he would join the Atlanta organization.
> Seventh-rounder Brooks Wilson, of Stetson, plays all over the field, but was drafted as a pitcher. The Braves will use him out of the bullpen for at least his first year in the organization.
They liked Wilson’s ability to throw strikes, which is predicated on his splitter and curveball. He sits in the low-90s and has touched 94 mph.
> Brendan Denter, taken in the 13th round, spent the first nine years of his life in South Africa. He loved playing cricket, and was surprised when he moved to Texas that so few people even knew what it was.
The Auburn product plays first and third base. He was a reliable source of offense for a dangerous Tigers team, including posting a .352 average with runners in scoring position.
> Bridges has known Trey Harris of Missouri (32nd round) since he was 13 years old. The scouting director had high praise for Harris’ leadership and mental makeup.
An outfielder at Missouri, he was listed as a second baseman for the Braves. The 5-10 Harris is expected to provide more value with his offense than defense. He hit .316 with 11 homers and 50 RBIs in his final collegiate campaign.
The 22-year-old is from Powder Springs and graduated from McEachern. He hit the first home run in SunTrust Park history last April when Georgia faced Missouri in the first public event at the Braves’ stadium.
> Harris was joined by four other draftees from metro Atlanta: Higginbotham (Cumming), Alabama State second baseman Ray Hernandez (29th round, Atlanta), Duke lefty Mitch Stallings (30th round, Atlanta) and Pinecrest Academy catcher Micky Mangan, son of longtime Braves groundskeeper Ed Mangan.
