Late-season data links Kentucky slugger to the Braves in latest mock originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Over the last few years, the Atlanta Braves have been one of baseball’s most consistent teams. They made the postseason every year from 2019 to 2024, winning the World Series in 2021.
So, they haven’t had a draft pick within the top 10 since they drafted Shea Langeliers back in 2019 with pick No. 9.
That is the same spot the club will be drafting later this summer, and there’s sure to be some can’t-miss talent when they get on the clock. The question is, which way is the front office leaning?
MORE: Braves linked to 3.18 ERA AL Central All-Star pitcher as ‘ideal’ trade option
Late-season data links Kentucky slugger to the Braves in latest mock
Looking at the Braves’ last few draft picks, they have leaned heavily into taking pitchers. Outside of last year, they have taken six consecutive pitchers with their first-round pick.
However, a lot of that had to do with them drafting a little later in the first round, typically when most of the elite position players are gone.
But with the No. 9 pick, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter suggests they could select University of Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell.
“Bell suffered a shoulder injury diving for a ball on Opening Day, and while it sapped some of his power once he returned, his exit velocity and launch angle numbers started ticking back up down the stretch to give his draft stock a healthy boost. He hit .343/.510/.608 with 19 extra-base hits in 41 games, and he would immediately become the top position-player prospect in the Atlanta system.”
Bell may have been a higher draft prospect if not for suffering a shoulder injury that cost him 14 games. But once he got back in the lineup and shook some of the rust off, he brought himself back into the top-10 conversation.
Bell is a switch-hitter who works well from both sides of the plate. He has the bat speed and strength to launch homers, and has all the tools to play shortstop at the big-league level, and the shoulder that he hurt, which ended up being a torn labrum that will require surgery, is not in his throwing arm, so there are little worries there.
