Atlanta Braves add college talent in MLB Draft Rounds 3-10
After adding prep talent early, the Atlanta Braves loaded up on college talent in Rounds 3-10 of the 2016 MLB first-year player Draft.
After the addition of three quality high school pitchers early in the draft, the Atlanta Braves made several college selections in Rounds 3-10 on Friday, June 10.
In addition to RHP Ian Anderson, LHP Joey Wentz, LHP Kyle Muller, and catcher Brett Cumberland, the Atlanta Braves also selected:
- Round 3 (No. 80): LHP Drew Harrington, Louisville
- Round 4 (No. 109): RHP Bryse Wilson, Orange High School
- Round 5 (No. 139): RHP Jeremy Walker, Gardner-Webb
- Round 6 (No. 169): 2B Matt Gonzalez, Georgia Tech
- Round 7 (No. 199): OF J.B. Moss, Texas A&M
- Round 8 (No. 229): LHP Taylor Hyssong, UNC Wilmington
- Round 9 (No. 259): OF Tyler Neslony, Texas Tech
- Round 10 (No. 289): SS Marcus Mooney, South Carolina
Out of those eight total selections, only one was a prep talent: Bryse Wilson of Orange High School. The 6’1, 215 lb. RHP was a 2016 Rawlings-Perfect Game 2nd Team All-American and was named to the Atlantic-All Region 1st Team.
In addition to Anderson, Wentz, and Muller, the addition of more pitchers in Harrington, Wilson, Walker, and Hyssong, made it evident that the Atlanta Braves were focused on strengthening their pitching prospects.
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The Braves even landed the ACC Pitcher of the Year in No. 80 Drew Harrington of Louisville, who has the potential to move up quickly.
VIA Zach Dillard of FOX Sports South
"The Louisville left-hander became the ACC Pitcher of the Year thanks in large part to his feel on the mound, rocketing to the front of an ultra-talented Cardinals rotation with a 2.08 ERA in 103 2/3 innings pitched as a junior. He struck out less than a batter per inning, but he kept his walks down and allowed just 12 extra-base hits for the season.At 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, he doesn’t quite fit the projectable frame of the Braves’ earlier picks out of the high-school ranks, but his quality three-pitch arsenal and advanced feel, not to mention being 21 years old, leaves him much closer to MLB-ready, likely as a bullpen arm."
For those hoping that the Atlanta Braves would add more bats later in the draft, they did so on Friday. Though the Braves selected more pitchers than any other position, they added four bats in Rounds 3-10: second baseman Matt Gonzalez, outfielder J.B. Moss, outfielder Tyler Neslony, and shortstop Marcus Mooney.
Next: Atlanta Braves: 2016 MLB Draft Round 2 selections
Whether a prep or college talent, a pitcher or a bat, the Atlanta Braves made the most of every pick (as well as a big bonus pool) in the first ten rounds of the 2016 MLB first-year player draft.