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Ah, it's finally here. The 2014 MLB Rule IV (First-Year Player) Draft begins at 7 p.m. Eastern tonight, and the Atlanta Braves will have the opportunity to make a pair of picks on the draft's first day.
The MLB Draft takes place over a three-day period, with the most high profile selections coming on the draft's first day. The first round, the compensatory round, the Competitive Balance A round, the second round, and the Competitive Balance B round will all take place today, in that order. The Houston Astros own the first overall pick this year as a reward for being a poor baseball team last season, and are rumored to be leaning towards prep lefty Brady Aiken with their first pick. The Braves own a pick in both the compensatory and second rounds of the draft, having forfeited their first round selection after signing Ervin Santana. They will pick 32nd and 66th overall today, respectively.
There's a lot of speculation about what the Braves may do today, with many experts offering clues as to where the Braves may be leaning with their first overall selection. The Braves have been linked to a variety of names, including Ti'Quan Forbes, Kodi Medeiros, Michael Chavis, Spencer Adams, Braxton Davidson, and Cole Tucker. Interestingly enough, it seems as if the Braves are mostly being tied to prep hitters. The Braves haven't selected a high school positon player with their first pick since 2010, when they took Matt Lipka out of Texas. Of course, being tied to certain players is one thing, but the Braves have been known to surprise on draft day. Jason Hursh wasn't a name that was expected to go as highly as he did last year, but the Braves popped him with their first pick. So, really, it's anyone's guess as to what may happen.
At any rate, use this thread to discuss the Braves' draft and the draft in general. A broadcast of the draft today will be on MLB Network and MLB.com, beginning with a pre-show at 6 p.m. Eastern. The actual draft kicks off at 7, and you'll be able to follow the draft both online and on T.V.