What was the Braves’ best draft class in the last ten years?
Was it the 2015 class that had Michael Soroka, Austin Riley, and A.J. Minter among the top 75 overall picks?
Was it the 2019 class that featured third-round pick Michael Harris II? How about accounting for the fact that Shea Langeliers helped land Matt Olson and Vaughn Grissom was utilized to steal Chris Sale from the Red Sox?
What about the 2020 class? With only four picks, the Braves selected Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder.
Regardless of which class is regarded the most profitable, it is clear that this annual decision process has a substantial impact on how a firm will perform in the years that follow.
The Braves will have another opportunity to bolster their farm system when the 2024 MLB Draft begins Sunday in Fort Worth, Texas. A pregame program will begin at 6 p.m. ET on MLB Network and ESPN (as well as MLB.TV, MLB.com, and the MLB App) and will continue through the first round, which is set to begin at 7 p.m.
Monday’s Day 2 (Rounds 3-10) and Tuesday’s Day 3 (Rounds 11-20) will start at 2 p.m. ET. These rounds will be broadcast on MLB.TV, MLB.com, and through the MLB App.
The Braves have two picks on the opening day: 24th and 62nd overall.
What’s the buzz?
Brecht (No. 21 Draft prospect) could have been picked in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft if he had not stated his desire to be a two-sport collegiate athlete. He played wide receiver with the Hawkeyes for two years before concentrating solely on baseball.
Doughty (No. 36 Draft prospect) was not a high-profile prospect until he demonstrated his high-octane fastball at the Area Code Games.
When Mayo’s teammate Jim Callis predicted that the Braves would select Cijntje (No. 25 Draft prospect) with their first pick, he said this about the peculiar pitcher: “I would make him a full-time right-handed pitcher. I believe he is a right-handed starter and a lefty reliever in one. The theory is that if he becomes a full-time right-handed pitcher, he would improve even more since he will be focused more on developing those pitches.”
If the Braves do not go with a pitcher, they may choose for Caleb Lomavita (No. 33 Draft prospect), one of this year’s best eligible catchers from the University of California. His bat appears to be legitimate, and his catching abilities have improved since leaving Hawaii to attend college in Berkeley. Taking a chance on a bat-first catcher like Drake Baldwin (the Braves’ No. 11 prospect) has recently helped the franchise.
