2023 MLB Draft Thread

C

CJ9

Well-known member
We're under two months from the draft, so probably time to start this thread.

Dansby leaving gives us an extra pick after the second round. That pick gives us a slight boost, up to the 22nd largest pool of money. Here are all the pools and pick values if you're interested.

People are talking about the top 5-10 of this draft being the best it has been in years. Unfortunately, that doesn't help us any while we pick 24th.

One intriguing element of this draft to me is what the Braves target. With Dana Brown gone and no replacement hired, it's hard to guess too much. Granted, it was already going to be hard to guess since this front office went college heavy after getting here and then completely pivoted to high school arms as the priority last year. Without trading for a comp pick like they did last year, it will probably be hard to go all in on high school talent again with the 22nd largest bonus pool.

One interesting mock came out last night by Joe Doyle. Here's his Braves pick:

24. Dillon Head, OF — Homewood Flossmoor

There’s been a decent bit of heat in on Head this spring and reports are the Braves have been front and center. Varying degrees of leadership have sat in on those games, so it hardly means anything definitive, but the team is clearly doing its due diligence.

The Braves are smack-dab in the middle of what appears to be a rather lengthy competitive window. They can reach for the highest ceiling possible here.

Of course, if the team wants to continue to seek the 6-foot righty that throws a fastball with enormous carry and possesses a potential devastating slider, Campbell RHP Cade Kuehler is sitting right there for the taking.
 
Deep class at SS looks like.

Thomas White would be my pick if we're going prep pitcher in the 1st. Not sure if he'll be available at 24 or not.
 
I'd look at Dylan Crews. Of course, the Braves have to hope he drops 20ish picks, but hey, you've got to have everything in order!
 
I will take anything but a hitter whose best traits dont translate to hitting a baseball like arm strength and running speed or a soft tossing college pitcher. As long as its not that I promise not to complain this year.
 
cajunrevenge said:
Please no. Without looking it up are his best traits arm strength and speed?
Click to expand...

He is a HS bat. You are not going to find a HS SS with plus hitting ability available at 24 and who projects to stay at SS long term. His arm is pretty average though. Certainly not one of his best traits.

He has a good frame and already showing some plus exit velocity for his age. That's about as good as you can ask for a late 1st round prep SS. He isn't my first choice, but it isn't nearly the terrible choice to are acting like it is.
 
Last edited:
In a recent mock, Baseball America ($) had Atlanta taking prep RHP Travis Sykora out of Texas with the 24th overall pick.

Sykora, a 6'6, 220lb righty, is seen as one of the top prep prospects in the baseball hotbed of Texas, receiving a rare 10 grade ("Potential very high draft pick and/or elite level college prospect") by Perfect Game. Sporting a fastball already flirting with triple digits, accompanied by a cutter/slider and a tumbling changeup, Sykora is committed to Texas.
 
Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline has released their second mock draft of this year, and in the Braves slot projected an interesting pick in first baseman and pitcher Bryce Eldridge. Eldridge is consistently ranked as a prospect likely to go in the back end of the first round, coming in at 21st on pipeline’s top draft prospects, 23rd on Baseball America’s, and 27th on Kiley McDaniel’s.

Eldridge is a behemoth of a high schooler, standing at 6’7 inches with the power at the plate to match that frame. Eldridge was more strongly considered on the mound before last summer, but intrigued with his massive raw power to make him now a legitimate two-way prospect.
 
Tapate50 said:
Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline has released their second mock draft of this year, and in the Braves slot projected an interesting pick in first baseman and pitcher Bryce Eldridge. Eldridge is consistently ranked as a prospect likely to go in the back end of the first round, coming in at 21st on pipeline’s top draft prospects, 23rd on Baseball America’s, and 27th on Kiley McDaniel’s.

Eldridge is a behemoth of a high schooler, standing at 6’7 inches with the power at the plate to match that frame. Eldridge was more strongly considered on the mound before last summer, but intrigued with his massive raw power to make him now a legitimate two-way prospect.
Click to expand...

So basically the Virginian Freddie Freeman.
 
Tapate50 said:
In a recent mock, Baseball America ($) had Atlanta taking prep RHP Travis Sykora out of Texas with the 24th overall pick.

Sykora, a 6'6, 220lb righty, is seen as one of the top prep prospects in the baseball hotbed of Texas, receiving a rare 10 grade ("Potential very high draft pick and/or elite level college prospect") by Perfect Game. Sporting a fastball already flirting with triple digits, accompanied by a cutter/slider and a tumbling changeup, Sykora is committed to Texas.
Click to expand...


Just a reminder to everyone not to read too much into these reports about FB velocity. Subtract about 5 mph from reports and that's most likely reality. Maybe they can reach that number reported but that's generally max effort with little movement because they know lighting up the radar guns excites scouts.
 
This is the annual draft tradition where I bring up a Florida player as a potential pick. This year it's RHP Hurston Waldrep, who's having a weird season: he's shown elite stuff and he's striking out people at a Strider-ian rate, but because he's walking a bunch and giving up an oddly large number of home runs his overall performance hasn't been too hot. I've seen him in mock drafts in the broad swath of territory around our pick.
 
The Braves will probably take someone who had an unexpected spike in measurables 1-2 weeks before the draft. That seems to be the most consistent attribute for their draftees.

OMG, that pitcher had a 3 mph spike last week! He must be able to do that all the time now! Draft him!!!
 
I mean that juts moves the “tops out #” for them just like it does for other scouts but yeah they like those guys that pop late into draft time
 
The one constant of first round picks under this front office is that it’s underslot. Sometimes significantly underslot like Langeliers or Owen Murphy, other times just slightly underslot like Shuster. But it’s almost certainly going to be an underslot pick so they can spread the rest of the money through the rest of the picks.
 
CJ9 said:
The one constant of first round picks under this front office is that it’s underslot. Sometimes significantly underslot like Langeliers or Owen Murphy, other times just slightly underslot like Shuster. But it’s almost certainly going to be an underslot pick so they can spread the rest of the money through the rest of the picks.
Click to expand...

Could be a bit of a replay from last year due to the extra pick we have because of Swanson's exit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top