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Atlanta Braves: Take RHP Kyle Wright From Vandy 5th Overall

By W. M. Lawson

May 20, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker (43) looks on from the dugout against the Washington Nationals during the fourth inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
May 20, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker (43) looks on from the dugout against the Washington Nationals during the fourth inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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The 2017 MLB Draft bumped at 7 PM EDT tonight, with the Atlanta Braves holding the 5th overall pick. That pick is in.

Yes. The Major League Baseball Draft isn’t as exciting as the other drafts. Fine. But for Atlanta Braves fans, the MLB Draft represents the future. It represents a hope that this is a temporary swoon rather than a self-correction to irrelevancy. It also represents a supposed payoff for all of those fire sale deals where we gave away players like Simmons and Gattis.

Enter Kyle Wright, right-handed Pitcher, from Vanderbilt, who shows moxie and nasty stuff. I’m not even close to being a high school baseball scout, but here are a couple of reasons why I dig this selection:

His numbers

. In short, this year Wright has 121 strikeouts in 103.1 innings pitched. The ERA is 3.40 but that is inflated from the beginning of the year. Which leads me to…

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  • His moxie. Wright did something that very few players would have the wherewithal or fortitude to attempt mid-season: Alter your delivery and develop new pitches. By most accounts, he went from a 4-seam and hard slider to a 2-seam and added other pitches. In his last year. Most wouldn’t even try it. Even fewer could attempt it and succeed. Wright not only succeeded, he dominated.

    • There is no way to know if an MLB prospect will pan out or show out. That’s one of the reasons these drafts aren’t as exciting as the others. But Kyle Wright can play ball. Let’s see if they can develop him. If they can, and he stays healthy, look out.

    Next: Atlanta Braves: The Curious Case of Kris Medlen

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