With the 2022 MLB Draft officially underway, and the next wave of prospects being selected by Major League Baseball teams, I would like to take a look at every Braves draft selection this year. I will analyze every player selected by the Braves, even though some may not sign with the club. I’m using an article by Tieran Alexander on Medium to assist me in my analysis of these draftees, as he had access to an incredibly large database to create a top 500 prospects list. Take the time to look at this analysis of the Braves selections as well as Tieran’s analysis of 500 of the best prospects in this draft class. With that being said let's get to the selections.

Round 1, Pick 20: RHP/SS Owen Murphy, Riverside-Brookfield HS (IL)

I like the direction the Braves have gone in the draft for the first four picks. They seem to like the idea of high upside High School pitchers who they can continue to develop while they’re in the minors. Murphy had an absurdly dominant high school season, throwing to a 9-0 record and 0.12 ERA, walking only 4, allowing only 10 hits, and striking out 137 batters throughout the course of the season. He also dominated at the plate, posting a 1.947 OPS in 138 plate appearances. Murphy doesn’t throw the hardest, sitting 90-92 and topping out at 94 MPH. His spin has continued to improve on his fastball and if it continues to get better he could have a dominant fastball. His primary secondary pitch is a cutter, with 8 inches of vertical break and 3 inches of cut coming from the same tunnel as his fastball. His curveball spins at 2600 RPMs and has a promising sweeping shape, missing a lot of bats. His changeup is a work in progress but if he continues to throw it more it should become a decent pitch at least. Murphy could really benefit from a velocity increase which I expect to happen as he develops and gets stronger in the minor leagues. The Notre Dame commit has 4 pitches that project to be solid at the very least and with a strength and velocity gain he could form all of his pitches into above average offerings. It was originally reported that the Braves would let Murphy start out as a two way player, but that plan has since been changed. The Braves see him solely as a pitcher, and he will follow another former two-way star in the organization Spencer Schwellenbach as a pitching prospect. I feel this will allow him to truly become a dominant pitcher in the future, rather than him also focusing on his hitting as well. Murphy is ranked 48th in MLB's prospect list.

Competitive Balance Round A, Pick 35 (via KC): RHP JR Ritchie, Bainbridge High School

With the 35th pick in the draft the Braves selected another high school pitcher in JR Ritchie. The Braves recently acquired this pick from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for OF Drew Waters, RHP Andrew Hoffman, and 3B/DH C.J. Alexander Jr. Those prospects have turned into JR Ritchie. I’m not necessarily super high on Ritchie despite solid velocity on his fastball, which could continue to improve with more strength training. His fastball has barely any movement, which could possibly lead to it getting crushed in the future. I would like to see him replace his four seamer with a sinker going forward. His breaking ball is another sweeping breaking ball, keeping up with the Braves apparent adaptation of the modern pitching philosophy of cutters and sweeping curveballs. His changeup is decent, but should generate whiffs due to the 10 MPH difference between it and his fastball. Ritchie seems like a high floor high school arm who could become a reliable middle of the order arm for the rotation if he continues to get stronger and develop his pitches. Ritchie is ranked 47th in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 2, Pick 57: RHP Cole Phillips, Boerne High School

With the 57th pick in the draft the Braves selected yet another high school pitcher in Cole Phillips. In my opinion Phillips has the highest ceiling of the four Braves draftees so far. He has first round stuff and likely would have been selected then if he hadn’t had to get Tommy John Surgery this past spring. His fastball was touching 100 MPH prior to his injury with good spin. His slider has a great amount of break, combining elements of a cutter and a slider. He has a mediocre curveball and an inconsistent changeup but all of his pitches could be elite with proper development. The concern with Phillips is the question of whether or not his velocity will return when he comes back from Tommy John. This concern gives Phillips the lowest floor of these selections but the potential of all his pitches also gives him the highest ceiling so far. If his velocity returns the Braves could have a fantastic starter in the future. Phillips is ranked 62nd in MLB’s prospect list.

Compensation Pick, Pick 76: RHP Blake Burkhalter, Auburn University

With the 76th pick in the draft the Braves went with a selection that caught me a bit by surprise. They took Blake Burkhalter from Auburn with the “Freddie Freeman pick.” I can safely say I wasn’t expecting Burkhalter to be selected with the compensation pick the club received from Freddie Freeman signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite this and his low ranking on the prospect lists I still like his potential upside for the future. He finished his junior season as a second-team All-American with a 3.69 ERA and 16 saves. The Braves will have him begin his career as a starting pitcher. The club reportedly sees a lot of Spencer Strider in Burkhalter as he has a rising fastball and a nasty cutter. His fastball sits in the mid 90s with a cutter sitting 89-90 MPH. He needs to develop more pitches if he wants to stick as a starter, but the two pitches he currently has look good and should serve as a good base as he potentially develops more pitches. His quickest and most likely path to the MLB is as a reliever. Burkhalter is ranked 207th in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 3, Pick 96: C Drake Baldwin, Missouri State University

With the 96th pick in the draft the Braves selected Drake Baldwin, a catcher from Missouri State. Baldwin absolutely rakes and is very athletic for his position. Last season with Missouri State he hit .341 with 19 home runs and 70 RBIs in 60 games. Scouts are skeptical of his hit tool but his power is certainly there and he can likely develop his hitting ability more as he grows in the minors. Baldwin is loved by analytics because of his power. He walked the most in his career last season, posting a .431 on base percentage in the process. He can deliver average defense behind the plate but his home might not be behind the plate. Baldwin is ranked 137th in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 4, Pick 125: 3B David McCabe, UNC Charlotte

With the 125th pick the Braves took David McCabe. McCabe is a switch hitting infielder from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. McCabe was drafted as a 3rd baseman despite only playing 9 games there for UNC Charlotte. He likely profiles more as a 1st baseman/Designated Hitter going forward. McCabe has battled injuries over his time in college, but when he is healthy he has mashed, averaging about 9 AB’s per home run. This past season he displayed great plate discipline, walking 40 times to 28 strikeouts. If McCabe stays healthy he could be a premier bat for the Braves in the future. The Universal DH has allowed for teams to take a wider range of players, and McCabe could develop into a full time DH in the future like Yordan Alvarez. McCabe reminds me a lot of Bryce Ball, a 1st base/DH prospect who the Braves sent to the Chicago Cubs for OF Joc Pederson last season. McCabe is unranked in MLB’s prospect list, but if he remains healthy he could develop into a premier bat in the Braves lineup.

Round 5, Pick 155: 3B Ignacio Alvarez, Riverside Community College

Next, the Braves selected Ignacio Alvarez, a 3rd baseman from Riverside Community College. Alvarez is a fantastic defender at 3rd base and has serious power potential. Last season for Riverside he hit .370 with a .494 OBP and a .592 SLG. He seems to be a glove first player but he has good offensive potential and will be one of the most interesting prospects the Braves drafted this year. Alvarez is unranked in MLB’s prospect list, but could become a roleplayer for the Braves in the future if he develops his bat consistently.

Round 6, Pick 185: RHP Seth Keller, Hanover High School (VA)

With the 185th pick in the draft the Braves selected Seth Keller, a right handed pitcher from Hanover High School in Virginia. I’m going to say that I am absolutely ecstatic with this pick. Keller is another two way star who has plus bat speed and good athleticism at the plate. If he were to stay as a hitter he would likely play shortstop but I can’t see him hitting as he progresses through the minors. Keller is an incredibly exciting pitcher who could headline the Braves rotation in the future. His changeup is absolutely disgusting and is already on par with some of the best changeups in baseball. Only four pitchers have as much drop as Keller on their changeup. The most drop by a changeup with as much horizontal movement as Keller’s is Devin Williams’. Obviously Williams’ is in a league of his own with his changeup but this is just a reference for how crazy good Keller’s changeup is. His slider is still developing, but the sweeping motion of the slider should play off his changeup well. With more development it could become an incredible weapon for him. Keller is short, standing at 5’10, and his fastball only sits 91-93 MPH however I expect him to add some more velocity in the future. He throws a two seamer as opposed to the conventional 4 seam fastball. The fastball should generate ground balls while his other pitches should get him the swing and misses he needs. Keller is unranked on MLB’s prospect list which I think is a ginormous omission. One of my favorite Braves draftees this year.

Round 7, Pick 215: RHP Adam Maier, University of Oregon

Next, the Braves selected Adam Maier, a right handed pitcher from Oregon. This is another pick I love for the Braves as I read up on him more. Maier likely would have been a top 3 round pick if he didn’t have a UCL brace inserted in April. Maier has some of the craziest movement imaginable on all his pitches. His sinker sits 92 MPH and has 20 inches of horizontal movement. No major league arm averages more horizontal movement than Maier’s sinker. He also has a sweeper, averaging 2950 RPMs and 20.6 inches of sweep. His sweeper would have the second most sweep in baseball, only trailing Rich Hill’s slider. The spin rate and velocity of the sweeper personally remind me a lot of Charlie Morton’s curveball. Maier also has a solid changeup, but it needs more velocity or fade to be on par with his other pitches. If he throws all his pitches for strikes he could become an effective starter, but he should at the very least be a good reliever with stupid movement on his pitches. Maier is also unranked in MLB’s prospect list, likely due to his injury. I think he has serious potential if his movement continues to be effective when he comes back from injury in 2023.

Round 8, Pick 245: RHP Jason Franks, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Next the Braves went with Jason Franks, a right handed pitcher from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. There really isn’t a ton out there on Franks, but what I could find is that he has a low 90’s fastball dominant reliever profile. His fastball has cut to it as well. The Braves signed him for $173,900 under slot so this was a wash of a pick considering they went well over slot on Maier. I don’t expect to hear much from Franks in the future, but if he makes it to the majors he would be nothing more than a middle reliever. Franks is unranked in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 9, Pick 275: 2B Cory Acton, University of Georgia

Similarly to Franks before him, Acton was signed for $157,300 below slot value. After the Braves went well over slot on Maier and Keller they had to select some players well below slot value. Acton is a true defensive first player with mediocre offensive stats and tools. I also don’t expect anything from him in the future, especially with Ozzie Albies, Vaughn Grissom, Braden Shewmake, and more middle infielders blocking his path. Acton slashed .266/.394/.401 for the Bulldogs last year. Acton is unranked in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 10, Pick 305: C Andrew Keck, Southeast Missouri State

Yet another player the Braves secured for well below slot value. Keck also doesn’t have that much on him out there but he hit 17 homers and posted a 1.052 OPS for Southeast Missouri State last season. Pick saves the Braves more money and gives them another option at catcher in the minors. He probably has the best shot at the majors from this series of picks, but I wouldn’t count on it. Power certainly seems to be there but I can’t speak to his defense behind the plate. Keck is unranked in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 11, Pick 335: RHP Ian Mejia, New Mexico State

The Braves have not announced how much they signed the following draftees for, so I can’t gauge whether or not these final picks were signed over or under slot, or if they’ve signed at all. The Braves selected Ian Mejia, a right handed pitcher from New Mexico State. As we progress deeper into the draft it becomes increasingly difficult to find so bear with me if the analysis is slipping. Mejia actually has some very interesting upside, with a fastball touching 97 MPH, but comfortably sitting in the mid to low 90’s with run and tail. His slider is another sweeper with late movement in the low 80’s. His slider had a 51% whiff rate last year. He has interesting upside as a reliever in the future. Mejia is unranked in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 12, Pick 365: 1B Justin Janas, University of Illinois

Next, the Braves went for Justin Janas, a 1st baseman from the University of Illinois. I actually really like Janas, however I’m not quite sure what his future with the organization will be due to Matt Olson and Mahki Backstrom being in front of him. Janas is a fantastic hitter, slashing .366/.501/.503. He doesn’t really hit a ton of home runs, but has great gap to gap power. My favorite part about Janas is that absurd .501 OBP. His ability to get on base could help find himself a spot with the MLB club in the future, though I'm not quite sure what that might be. Janas is unranked in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 13, Pick 395: RHP Cedric De Grandpre, Chipola College

Next, the Braves went with Cedric De Grandpre out of Chipola College, one of the top JUCO programs in the country. De Grandpre sits in the lower 90’s with his fastball. He has a solid changeup registering in the low to mid 80’s with good movement, however he only throws it about 5% of the time. His main weapon is his curveball, sitting in the upper 70’s with good late movement. Curveball had a 46% whiff rate last year. He’s probably going to be a reliever going forward, especially considering he basically only has 2 pitches. De Grandpre is unranked in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 14, Pick 425: RHP Landon Harper, Southern Mississippi

Next, the Braves selected another future bullpen arm in Southern Mississippi’s Landon Harper. Harper is reportedly the final Braves draftee who has yet to sign, but he is expected to sign soon. Harper had a good season with Southern Miss last year, posting a 3.30 ERA and 12 saves. His fastball sits in the low 90’s. He has short and deceptive arm action which helps him mix his pitches well. He has a hard slider sitting in the mid to upper 80’s, posting a 46% whiff rate last year. He also has a promising changeup that also sits in the mid to upper 80’s, however similarly to De Grandpre, he throws it less than 5% of the time. Could be an intriguing bullpen option down the road. Harper is unranked in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 15, Pick 455: RHP William Silva, Miami Dade College

The Braves went for another bullpen candidate in William Silva with the 455th pick in the draft. Silva was one of the top JUCO relievers available. Last season for Miami Dade College he posted a 2.48 ERA and struck out 39 batters in 29 innings. His arm action is long and needs to be cleaned up. He throws a low 90’s fastball with a sweeping slider and an average changeup. With good development he could be a nice bullpen arm in a few years. Silva is unranked in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 16, Pick 485: SS E.J. Exposito, Long Island University

The Braves selected another bat in E.J. Exposito from Long Island University with their 16th round selection. He probably won’t stick at shortstop going forward, but his bat could certainly play at 2nd base. He has a lot of people to surpass ahead of him however. Exposito slashed .275/.382/.481 in three seasons with Long Island, but really improved his stock in the draft league this summer. Has good contact skills and plate discipline, walking more than he struck out. Exposito was unranked in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 17, Pick 515: OF Kevin Kilpatrick Jr, Central Florida

The Braves selected their first outfielder of the draft in the 17th round in Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. He hit .383 with 11 homers last season and could develop more power if he grows into his frame more. He’s incredibly speedy which could serve him well in the future defensively and on the basepaths. The Redan High School grad could find himself a spot in the Braves outfield if he develops his hitting and defense, but might end up as more of a roleplayer. Kilpatrick Jr is unranked in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 18, Pick 545: OF Noah Williams, Redondo Union High School (CA)

The second consecutive outfielder the Braves selected is Noah Williams from Redondo Union High School in California. Williams is the definition of a project as he is incredibly raw. He has good contact and speed but needs to develop more power. With good development he could turn into a quality hitter in the future and find himself playing a role on future Braves teams, however it will be a project. Williams is unranked in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 19, Pick 575: OF Christian Jackson, Dutchtown High School (GA)

The Braves decided to go back to the well of Stockbridge, Georgia outfielders in Christian Jackson. With the emergence of Micheal Harris II, the Braves wanted to go in and find another Stockbridge outfielder to develop. Standing at 6’2, 180 pounds, Jackson has an excellent all-field approach at the plate but needs to continue to develop his power. He played shortstop in high school but the Braves see his tools fitting in center field more. He has good speed so the move to the outfield makes sense. Jackson is unranked in MLB’s prospect list.

Round 20, Pick 605: SS Keshawn Ogans, California

To cap off the 2022 MLB draft the Braves selected Keshawn Ogans, a shortstop from the University of California. Ogans is yet another player who really helped his draft stock in the Draft League this summer. Ogans hit .315/.378/.420 his junior year at Cal and followed that up with a .262/.419/.431 slash in the Draft League. Ogans is lacking in the power department but should make up for that with his ability to get on base. Ogans is unranked in MLB’s prospect list.

Recap:

The Braves are expected to sign all 22 members of their 2022 draft class, which is fantastic work by Alex Anthopolous and the Braves front office. There are some really intriguing and exciting prospects in this class who I expect to heavily contribute to the Braves in the future. The Braves selected 11 pitchers, 2 catchers, 3 outfielders, and 6 infielders this year, making for a well balanced draft class. The main headliners of this class are Owen Murphy, Seth Keller, Adam Maier, and Cole Phillips, all pitchers who could very well be headlining an elite Braves pitching staff in the future.

My Grade: B+

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XwTF5WR1E9cFGb6BogVTyzuMhz7rLxzI356V8bzKwh4/edit#gid=0