2022 MLB Draft: Braves Day 2 Preview and Targets

The first day of the 2022 MLB Draft was exciting for the Atlanta Braves, but we know they aren’t done adding talent. In fact, you can argue that Dana Brown and co. have been better at the second day of the draft than the first day in their first three drafts of their tenure (even though 2020 was one day, Spencer Strider went in a Day 2 round).

We still think the Braves have some money to spend, although how much is an open question. This article will take a look at eight players who could be fits for the Atlanta Braves on Day 2 for one reason or another. We will try to cover guys who could go anywhere from Round 3 to Round 10 instead of just eight candidates for the third round pick.

One more note is that each of these players are realistic candidates for being picked, so you won’t find a Brock Porter here due to him not being signable for the Braves at this point in their bonus pool barring a miracle.

Jacob Reimer, 3B, Yucaipa HS (CA) - Jacob Reimer is one of three interesting candidates for the third round pick. The prep shortstop will move to third as a pro and should be at least solid there, but it is the bat that teams would be buying into. Reimer will be at least an average hit and power guy with a chance to be above average across the board with the bat. He may be a guy who needs some tweaks to his mechanics to unlock some of the power in games, but there is natural power in there and he showed off his feel for hitting at the NHSI tournament this spring. At the end of the day the Washington commit will be average or better with all but one tool, a slightly below average run tool.

Karson Milbrandt, RHP, Liberty HS (MO) - Karson Milbrandt would fit in nicely with the three big prep arms taken by the Braves on the first day. He’s a little more raw and projectable than the guys the Braves already took, but his stuff could end up being all above average to plus and he has shown a good feel for command. He’s a kid up to 96 MPH with two very promising breaking balls and a feel for the change, and filling in his body and working in a pro system could really unlock a lot with him. Milbrandt is likely a guy who would take up a significant portion of the Braves remaining bonus pool as he is a Vanderbilt signee.

Malcolm Moore, C, McClatchy HS (CA) - Malcolm Moore is the final candidate for the third round and may be the toughest signing of the group. The Vanderbilt commitment is listed as a catcher, though his defensive home is a real question mark as he is below average as both a receiver and thrower, and well below average as a runner. That means he is likely a first baseman, but the good news is that he has more than enough bat for first. A lefty bat with the potential to be a plus hitter with plus power, Moore would offer the Braves a potential big time bat and would at the very least get a chance to prove himself as a catcher, even though he would be drafted more for the bat than the position.

Nolan McLean, 3B/RHP, Oklahoma State - Nolan McLean would likely be drafted as a pitcher, though some teams would prefer him as a power hitting third baseman. As a hitter he has significant power - he hit 19 homers this year - but also major swing and miss issues as evidence by his 107 strikeouts. As a pitcher he has a plus or better fastball up to 98 MPH and a pair of above average breaking balls in his slider and curve. The command is a work in progress, but a former two sport star who has played two ways in college, there is still some untapped potential that a pro system can help bring out.

Anthony Hall, OF, Oregon - Does Anthony Hall sound familiar to you? That would be because the Braves drafted him in the 35th round out of high school but didn’t end up signing him at the end. So this is a player already selected by Dana Brown, making him an obvious player to keep an eye on. Hall would be a guy to watch because he has plus power and solid speed and could be an adequate defender in either corner outfield spot. The hit tool is fringy, but he has made progress with it this year after a solid showing in the Cape last summer.

Carter Young, SS, Vanderbilt - Carter Young is an interesting prospect. Highly thought of out of high school he decided to go to Vandy and added more power to his game. He did so while showing the hit tool wasn’t as good as what was initially thought as he racks up a lot of strikeouts. Still he is a quality defender at short with solid speed and a switch-hitting bat that can hit 20 homers as a pro. The biggest question will be if someone can unlock the ability to make more contact as a pro. The swing and miss in his game will likely make him a later pick on Day 2, but would give the Braves a lottery ticket at shortstop in the system. He is set to transfer to LSU if he doesn’t sign.

Alan Roden, 1B, Creighton - Alan Roden is an interesting hit tool guy who fills a similar profile to Caleb Durbin from Day 3 last year - though Roden has a little more power and has played much higher competition than Durbin had. Roden hit .387 with 29 walks to just 8 strikeouts in 194 at bats this spring. He actually got hit by more pitches this year (15) than he had strikeouts. His power is more of gap power, with 25 doubles to 4 homers - though in a big park which likely hurt his home run total a bit. The knocks on him are that he’s a first baseman without a ton of power and hasn’t faced truly elite competition. However, the hit tool is legitimate and he does offer some defensive versatility.

Brooks Brannon, C, Randleman HS (NC) - Brooks Brannon is a player who has been linked to the Braves, who have been linked to a few catchers this year. Brannon is similar to Moore in that he’s a bat first guy with some questions about his future defensive home, but the North Carolina commit has potentially plus power with some feel for hitting - though scouts are mixed on that because he doesn’t have a lot of exposure to top competition. Defensively he has a strong arm, but his receiving and blocking will both be questions and he isn’t the greatest athlete. That could mean he would have to change positions, but would at least get an opportunity to catch as he starts out his pro career.