Day two of the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft continues for the Atlanta Braves. For reviews of picks 3 through 7, click here. Below are the reviews for the remainder of the day two picks, and will be updated as the night progresses.
David Peterson, Right-Handed Pitcher
8th Pick, 269 Overall
This pick continues a trend that the Braves started the last couple of years of selecting college closers, usually from the South. Peterson switched to closer last year for his Senior season at the College of Charleston. He's a big-framed pitcher at 6-foot-4, with a mid-90s fastball. He has the velocity, but can't always command his pitches, something he will need to work on in the pros. He'll also need to develop at least one more pitch beyond his fastball and curveball.
Steven Schils, Right-Handed Pitcher
9th Pick, 299 Overall
As I said, the Braves like to draft college closers from the South. Schils served as the closer for Florida Tech this year. He previously attended High Point University in North Carolina. There's not much scouting out there for this kid. He's not ranked on any list by Baseball America. He's a 6-foot-2 Junior, and coming out of high school he could throw his fastball in the low 90's.
Mike Dodig, Third Base
10th Pick, 329 Overall
Another pick by the Braves who is unranked by Baseball America. Dodig is a Freshman at Columbia Green Community College in New York. The tall 6-foot-4 third baseman hit .465 this year and apparently has plus power. From my research, it looks like he was supposed to attend South Florida Community College in 2011 on a two year scholarship, but he never seemed to make it down there. Not sure why. But this could be why he's draft eligible as a Freshman.
Levi Borders, Catcher
11th Pick, 359 Overall
Levi is the son of former Major League catcher Pat Borders ... and it just so happens that Pat Borders is a coach in the Braves system. Levi moved from shortstop to catcher this past season before his Senior year in high school, so he's still very raw as a backstop. But his talent still got him a baseball scholarship to the University of South Florida. As a high school quarterback he also apparently wants to try and walk-on to the football team at USF. Outside of the constraints of the bonus pool, the Braves may try and sign borders for a larger than normal bonus to lure him away from his college commitment.
The next four picks are after the jump...
Connor Lien, Outfield
12th Pick, 389 Overall
Another high school player from Florida, two of his Olympia High teammates got drafted in the first round, but Lien's tool set could be better than either. He's a pure athlete with plus speed, a plus arm, and power potential, but beyond his natural talents, his baseball abilities are very raw and need to be developed. He's a Central Florida recruit, but like Borders, the Braves may spend a little extra to convince him to go pro. Another good high-risk, high-reward player in this draft for Atlanta. You can follow on Twitter @Clien48.
Nathan Hyatt, Right-Handed Pitcher
13th Pick, 419 Overall
The Braves circle back to their trend of picking college closers, as they choose the Junior closer for Appalachian State University. Hyatt is a hard thrower. His fastball sits in the mid-90s, touching 97mph, but it doesn't have much life to it. He has a developing slider, but struggles to command all of his pitches. He's a work in progress, but with a mid-90s fastball the Braves should be able to develop the rest.
Tyler Tewell, Catcher
14th Pick, 449 Overall
One pick after Atlanta takes a pitcher from Appalachian State, they select the Appalachian State catcher. The Junior catcher has played more outfield recently, and has taken to the position rather nicely. He's a fringe five-tool player (six, if you count his name) with plus power and a plus arm in right field. He's still developing, but is another potential high-risk, high-reward selection for the Braves.
You can follow Tyler on Twitter @Its_Tewell_Time.
Alexander Wilson, Right-Handed Pitcher
15th Pick, 479 Overall
A Junior reliever from Wofford College. He was not their closer, and was not ranked by Baseball America, nor does he seem to be on anyone's prospect radar (except the Braves). Coming out of high school he had a low-90s fastball.
The draft will pick up again tomorrow with picks 16 through 40. Like today, we'll have two posts tomorrow, one in the early afternoon that reviews the first bunch of picks, then another later that nigh reviewing the rest.