In the most recent mock draft, the Braves land a two-way southpaw standout

December 15, 2023 Sports Gist Baseball, MLB 0

In the most recent mock draft, the Braves land a two-way southpaw standout

Few organizations have been able to identify and develop talent like the Atlanta Braves.

Most recently, it’s been guys like Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider to experience success in the majors, but they only followed those who came through the system before them — Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, etc.

The next crop could make their presence known as soon as this season as A.J. Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep are waiting in the wings of Atlanta’s farm system.

With the MLB draft lottery set last week, mock drafts are flowing, and Jim Callis of MLB.com has Atlanta selecting a two-way prep star who has family ties to the Bigs.

Caminiti is the cousin of the late Ken Caminiti, who hit 239 home runs and won the NL MVP in 1996. He’s a southpaw pitcher and outfielder with Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.

He was originally a member of the 2025 class but reclassified and is one of the youngest preps in the 2024 draft. Caminiti will only be 17 years old on draft day and is already one of the most exciting lefties in his class.

As Callis notes, he’s got a four-pitch mix comprised of a fastball that regularly reaches the mid-90s to go along with three promising secondaries. Caminiti has already signed a national letter of intent to play college baseball at LSU.

The Braves have taken college pitchers in recent drafts to continue to bolster the upper levels of the minor league system, but the lower levels are certainly barren of talent, so a selection like this could make sense.

READ MORE:

Braves News: 2024 ZiPS projections, minor league player reviews, and more

As the offseason continues, the Atlanta Braves had a quiet Thursday in the news. Nonetheless, Dan Szymborski’s yearly ZiPS projections were released, and the Braves are likely to have another monster season. Within his projections, he acknowledged Ronald Acua Jr.’s remarkable stats while also implying that the Braves might still be a top team without the star outfielder.

Didier Fuentes and Sabin Ceballos are the next in our series of minor league player reviews for 2023.

The Daily Hammer Podcast discusses Jarred Kelenic’s first media appearance as a Brave.

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired right-hander Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot from the Tampa Bay Rays. Glasnow is expected to sign an extension soon.

Right-hander Tyler Mahle has signed a two-year contract with the Texas Rangers. The deal is worth $22M.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired outfielder Billy McKinney from the New York Yankees in exchange for international bonus pool money. McKinney just signed a minor league deal with the Yanks last week.

The Detroit Tigers have agreed to a one-year deal with right-hander Jack Flaherty. The deal is worth $14M.

Former reliever Ken McKenzie passed away Thursday at age 89. He signed with the Braves in 1956 and was best known for his time with the New York Mets.

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired reliever Taylor Clarke from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for two minor leaguers. The trade opens up a KC roster spot for newly-acquired Seth Lugo.

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