The future of Major League Baseball will get just a little bit clearer today following the MLB Draft. The Atlanta Braves will be looking to restock their farm system that ranks among the worst in baseball. They have four picks today, and five in the first 100, including the 35th overall selection that they added via the Drew Waters trade last week.
So what could the team do with their selections? Chris Goforth was joined last week by Keith Law of The Athletic to discuss.
"That extra pick changes things and they can get really creative," Keith said. "My guess is that they probably take a college player. Somebody like Drew Gilbert or Jordan Beck, both outfields for the University of Tennessee."
The pick at 20 is not necessarily the most inspiring slot, but there is an opportunity to replenish depth and these are two of the more consistent bats in college baseball. Alex Anthopoulos has a history of targeting safer players, those who have performed consistently and project as players who would continue to do so at the next level. That's likely what they would do with this selection, but pick 35 is where it could get interesting, says Keith Law.
"At that second pick, I bet they look to get creative. Who's the best high school player who maybe fell," he said. "That is how they ended up with Drew Waters."
That pick is where they could target a high-ceiling high school prospect that could develop into a star. There are a number of valuable pitching prospects that could fall into this range.
Regardless, the future of the Atlanta Braves could very well be shaped this evening with the MLB Draft and Alex Anthopoulos will be busy building it.