The MLB draft changes rules at round 11. Anyone drafted in this range can get a $150,000 signing bonus without pulling from the team’s draft pool allowance. Any bonus over $150,000 will count against the pool, dollar-for-dollar over the standard $150,000. Most of the picks after the 11th are college players, typically juniors, who will likely sign before they lose the last of their negotiation leverage as a senior.
In 2019 and 2021, the Braves were able to still acquire notable high-upside prep players thanks to impressive draft pool savings after Days 1 and 2, but that did not happen this year. It is uncertain if Atlanta has that much pool flexibility as they concentrated on high profile talent earlier in the draft, so this Day 3 was primarily focused on college players that performed well, with continued emphasis on position players with good hit tools.
Previous Entries In This Series:
Day One (Round 1-2)
Day Two (Rounds 3-10)
11. Jace Grady, OF, Dallas Baptist University
Grady is the fourth consecutive senior drafted by Atlanta and the second former All-Missouri Valley Conference player. In four years at DBU Grady hit .310/.411/.509 with 26 homer runs and 65 stolen bases.
The knock on Grady is his size — he’s 5’9″ and 178 pounds — which causes some concern if his hit tool will translate to wooden bats and allow the ball to find outfield grass as often. Grady is a switch-hitter and should be able to play any outfield spot, though an average arm probably makes left field his most likely home.
12. Brady Day, 2B, Kansas State University
A draft-eligible sophomore, Day had a big 2023 season for the Wildcats, going .356/.492/.459 with 3 homers and 8 stolen bases. Day has experience at second, third, and outfield so he may be looked at as a utility option.
13. Will Verdung III, 3B, Itawamba Junior College
Verdung is coming off a monster season with ICC, hitting .389/.484/.706 with 15 home runs (tying a single season school record), leading him to a commitment to Southern Mississippi. He’s kept the bat going in the collegiate wood bat Coastal Plain League with the High Point-Thomasville HiToms, hitting .356/.467/.515.
14. Mitch Farris, LHP, Wingate University
A two-way player for D2 Wingate, Farris posted a 1.92 ERA in 177.2 innings while also hitting .316/.419/.596 over 302 plate appearances in his four seasons at Wingate. The Braves will develop him as a pitcher.
Friend of the site and D2 expert Wayne Cavadi called Farris “one of my filthiest pitchers in DII this year.” Farris was consistently able to miss bats and avoid walks, and has an arsenal of four pitches (fastball, slider, curve, change-up), of which his manager Jeff Gregory says the change is the best but his strength is mixing his pitches well. The mix and movement on the pitches have to make up for the lack of fastball velo as he typically sits in the low 90s. That said, if you are a believer in fielding-independent metrics, Farris stands out in a big way.
15. David Rodriguez, RHP, San Joaquin Delta College
Fielding-independent metrics also favor Atlanta’s 15th-round selection. Rodriguez struck out 140 and only walked 26 in 114.2 career innings in his two years at Delta, and his second season saw him have less than a baserunner per inning. Also like Farris, Rodriguez features a low 90’s fastball with a good slider and change. He started and relieved last season, but my guess is that Atlanta will try him as a starter.
16. Isaac Gallegos, RHP, University of New Mexico
Gallegos went to Trinidad State College and was conference pitcher of the year his sophomore year and set a school career record for strikeouts before joining New Mexico. His performance his junior was mixed and he only struck out 60 in his 70.1 innings (12 starts). Gallegos throws primarily a 2-seamer and a slider with an occasional change-up mixed in.
17. Kade Kern, OF, Ohio State University
Kern has stood out as a high exit velocity hitter, though that has mostly taken the form of line drives than over-the-fence power. Overall he has been a .302/.382/.482 hitter in his three years at Ohio State, but his .402 OBP his junior year really stands out, especially as it was married with a drop in his strikeout rate.
Kern only hit 17 home runs in his Ohio State tenure, and at 6′ and 200 pounds, the Braves have to think there may be more power in the bat. Look for them to try to draw more power out and turn this into a 17th-round steal.
18. Cam Magee, SS, Washington State University
Magee’s profile seems similar to 12th-rounder Brady Day, an infielder who showed much improved performance in 2023 and positional versatility. After transferring to Washington State from Arizona State, Magee played in 51 games and had a breakout season at the plate, hitting .297/.387/.395. Magee has experience at all four infield spots. His older brother Brandon played in the NFL for the Browns and Buccaneers.
19. Riley Frey, LHP, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
The Braves are clearly heavily scouting the Cape Cod League these days. Nothing about Frey’s college work screams “draft me”, but he’s put in solid work in the Cape this summer (4.61 ERA, 13.2 innings, 15 strikeouts). Frey worked as a a starter in three seasons with Milwaukee, logging 249 total innings. Frey has a five-pitch repertoire (4-seam, 2-seam, slider, curve, and change) and he attacks the zone with a mix of all of them to keep hitters off balance. His fastball has topped out at 93 as a collegiate. It seems likely the Braves will keep him as a starter but probably have him hone in on three or four pitches.
20. Will King, C, Eastern Kentucky University
It’s not often that a three-year collegiate is drafted at the age of only 19… no, check that. That’s probably never happened. King was only 17 when he joined the Eastern Kentucky squad from renowned baseball factory IMG Academy, and won’t turn 20 until September. His age makes it even more impressive that he hit .306/.381/.518 in his college career, including having a .427 OBP in 2023. On top of the hitting he threw out 41.2% of baserunners this spring. King has further brushed up his bona fides by hitting .354/.391/.415 in the Cape Cod League this summer (where he was teammates with 12th round pick Brady Day).
Leave a Reply