It’s almost that time of the year again, where you ask the question “who are the Atlanta Braves going to pick in the first round of the MLB draft?” and we say “maybe it’ll be this guy” and you say “oh god not ANOTHER pitcher” and we say “well we could be wrong” and then we’re wrong. Every single time. It’s still a pitcher though. The commonly connected arm that probably won’t end up in the A this season is Arkansas right-handed pitcher Gage Wood, who recently struck out 19 batters in a no-hitter in the College World Series. Thanks to the fine folks over at Baseball America there is another mock draft to talk about, and another Gage Wood to the Braves sighting.
Ignoring my skepticism for the Braves actually landing someone connected to them pre-draft, Gage Wood would be a quite intriguing get for the Braves if he ends up at 22nd overall. The biggest concern for Wood this past season was a shoulder injury that sidelined him for much of the season, but when he did return he was absolutely incredible for Arkansas striking out 69 batters, walking 7, and posting a 3.82 ERA/2.06 FIP in ten starts. For a team like the Braves who are willing to take risks on major injury/command red flags to maximizing ceiling early in drafts, Wood is a natural fit even if the fanbase may not be so pleased with the constant flow of pitching prospects into the system. The Braves certainly have some hitters they are looking at and very high on this season, but there is a general feeling that a lot of those could get run off the board right before Atlanta and Wood is certainly a sparkling consolation prize. Wood has some fastball traits — velocity, carry, and a flat approach angle — that are the hallmarks of many Braves prospects, and features a slider and a changeup, but does depart from the Braves norm in having a curveball as his go-to secondary rather than a slider. The Braves leave no one alone, however, so don’t expect any of these players to cruise despite the history of the Braves pushing guys quickly.
Baseball America also makes the connection to Kruz Schoolcraft, a towering lefty from the Oregon prep ranks, and Patrick Forbes, a right handed starter from Louisville. Both are also athletic, velocity-driven high ceiling prospects and as much as I like Wood both seem more fit to Atlanta’s desires. Schoolcraft is a prep arm with plenty of room for the Braves to mold his secondaries to their liking, and Forbes is a super athletic starter with a high-spin/high-velocity fastball and a sharp slider he can vary the shape of. Forbes has command issues and a questionable off-speed pitch, and would be a bit more of a reach down the board and likely come with an under-slot bonus. Of the three he really in my opinion fits the Braves profile the best given their propensity to take risks on command in favor of that fastball + solid to plus secondary + athleticism mold and their trust in the development staff. In any case, I’m excited to see who is going to be the next victim of 2-1 losses in our minor league recaps.