Braves 2018 Draft Analysis: Day One

The first two rounds of the MLB draft are in the books, and the Braves as they typically have done in the era of Director of Scouting Brian Bridges have prioritized upside and tools. Nobody exemplifies this philosophy more than their 2018 first round pick.

Day Two (Rounds 3-10)
Day Three (Rounds 11-40)

First Round

Carter Stewart, RHP
Age: 18
Eau Gallie High School
Melbourne, FL

Stewart is a 6′-6″, 200 pound prep right-hander that has garnered top-of-the-draft scouting grades for two different pitches. His curveball is often sited as best-in-class, with a tightly-spun 12-6 sharp break that he has shown can consistently slide through the strikezone. In his senior year, his fastball ticked up several miles per hour, sitting in the mid-90s and touching 98 while showing good control.

Like most prep pitchers however, there is some question about his mechanics. While he utilizes his legs well, there is some jerkiness and effort in his arm action, and the Braves will likely work with him extensively over the course of the next several months to smooth that out. Stewart will also need to develop a third pitch; he has thrown a change-up in high school, but like most prep stars with great stuff, he seldom had need for a third pitch, so it remains largely undeveloped.

Andy’s Thoughts: The Braves love grabbing amateur players with obvious tools, and this time in a draft awash in high-ceiling prep pitchers, Bridges grabs the one kid with two pitches graded out as elite level. Fans may wonder why with so many pitching prospects in the system the Braves would spend what will hopefully their last high-round draft pick in awhile on another prep pitcher. The first and most obvious answer is that teams should draft for best player, not for need. The real answer is that by the time Stewart will be ready for the majors, many pitchers that have just arrived or are about to arrive will be going on their last year of arbitration or will be free agents, or will have been lost to injury attrition or lower than expected performance. If all goes well, Stewart will be ready just as the major league pitching staff will need reinforcement. The Braves have indicated that Stewart was #1 on their board. He was #2 on mine, with only Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart higher; Bart went to the San Francisco Giants with the second overall pick.

Second Round

Greyson Jenista, OF
Age: 21
Bats: L
Wichita State

Jenista is surprisingly athletic for a large man, measuring at 6′-4″, 240 pounds. Jenista was projected as potential first round selection after showing out in the wood bat Cape Cod League last summer, but he couldn’t follow that up with a strong spring performance.

Jenista has one of the highest raw power tools among college hitters, but his relatively flat swing plane gives him more doubles power in-game. Jenista will also have to work through some pitch recognition issues, but he has quick hands and good strike zone awareness and should provide a high on-base average. In the field, Jenista runs surprisingly well for such a large man, and has played some center field for Wichita State though right field will likely be where he settles in the pros. He has plenty of arm for right field as well.

Andy’s Thoughts: Again the Braves look for the best tools on the board and bring them into the system. Jenista represents the highest potential power bat the Braves have drafted since Austin Riley in 2015. Jenista’s bat plane issues somewhat mirror those of Alex Jackson, with whom the Braves have worked with to help unlock some of his raw power.