TeamOne had another mock draft yesterday. This one, which stops after the 1st supplemental round, was compiled by their staff. For the Braves, two familiar names were selected for the 35th and 36th picks: Jimmy Barthmaier and Daniel Bard.

Nick Markakis, the biggest wildcard (at least as far as we're concerned), was given to the Mets with the 12th overall pick. Their logic was that if he was going to be getting more than the $1.5 million he turned down from the Reds last week, then he would have to be chosen in the top 13 picks. Somehow they missed the fact that the bounses for picks 14-30 last year averaged more than $1.75 million.

 
Forgive me as I jump back-and-forth between the minors and the draft. But, hey, if you follow one of them, you should be following the other also...

Last night showed why the Braves are consistently regarded as having some of the best pitching in the minors. And it's not just centered on one or two top prospects at each level which would be good enough for some teams. The Braves have quality throughout every rotation as well as in the relief corps.

None of the teams' "aces" were pitching, unless you count Jason Marquis as Richmond's top gun. (Actually The Banished One could be Atlanta's ace this season if he were given regular starts. But that's a rant for another day.) Here's the combined line for the 4 starters (Marquis, Roman Colon, Zach Miner and Matt Merricks): 29 IP, 18 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 25 K. That comes out to a lovely 0.62 ERA and 0.82 WHIP.

The relievers weren't too shabby either. Brett Evert, Ralph Roberts, Jose Rodriguez and Brad David allowed just 4 hits and 1 run in their 6 innings of work. They also combined to strike out 8 batters without issuing a walk.

 
Anthony Zambotti was almost a Brave three weeks ago, but the Commissioner's Office (not just the commissioner, but the WHOLE office!) voided the contract. Does that make it more likely that the Braves will select the Indiana University of PA right-hander in the draft? It's at least another name to look out for on Tuesday and Wednesday.

It appears the Braves tried to use some loophole to sign Zambotti before the draft - although after reading the rules, I still can't figure out what that loophole might be. Regardless, the Commish's Office saw through it and is forcing the Academic All-American candidate into the selection process. Zambotti went 9-1 (on a team that finished just 19-20) with a 1.12 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 64.1 innings. He had the 2nd-best ERA in Division II and ranked 6th in strikeouts-per-9-innings. Opponents batted just .157 against him, and he threw three shutouts.

How much did he stand out on his own team? The next best ERA posted was 5.21.

 
TeamOne hosted a mock draft of the first 2 rounds earlier this week. Here's who someone affectionately known as "Rat" chose for the Bravos:

35. Jimmy Barthmaier
36. Jared Hughes
43. Tim Battle
67. Paul Bacot

Barthmaier, Hughes and Bacot are all RHPs, and while the general thought is that the Braves will lean towards grabbing some lefties, these three would make quite an arsenal of high-school arms. And they're all huge!!! Barthmaier is 6'4" and Hughes is 6'6" and both are listed at 220 lbs. I guess that makes Bacot a lightweight, since he's 6'6" but has just reached 200 lbs. Hughes has hit the upper-90s with his fastball, while the other 2 peak in the low-90s. I've already discussed Battle below.

Not a bad draft, although I might have skipped Battle and taken an LHP still on the board - Abe Alvarez or Ryan Feierabend. More on them later...

 
MLB.com has posted a draft preview for the Braves, but it's definitely more of a history of their recent picks than a projection of the 2003 draft. They do mention three possible selections: Nick Markakis, Daniel Bard and Tim Battle.

Markakis will probably be gone by the time the Braves make their first choice. A 23rd-round pick of the Reds last year, the lefty at Young Harris College improved his stock considerably and will probably go in the mid-1st round. But then again, he has supposedly made it known that it will take a considerable signing bonus to ink him to a deal with the hopes that that bit of news will scare off certain undesirable teams and leave him to be taken by the Braves. It's a threat of sorts, and along with the leverage of college, it gives the draftees a slight bit of control in the process. Although if I were a fan of a smaller market team, I might be less positive about the whole thing... Baseball America has Markakis ranked as the 3rd-best LHP in the draft.

Bard is also considered a tough sign. He's committed to UNC and is rumored to want 1st-round money (more than $2 million), even though most scouts see him going in the 2nd. I don't believe there's any cost-cutting going on with regards to the Braves' draft budget, but I doubt you'll see them expending Francoeur-type money on someone like Bard.

Tim Battle is a local product, so of course his name has been linked to the Braves. He's been called the most athletic player in the draft, and he has plus-plus speed. Sound familiar? Last year's top pick, Francoeur, was given the same accolades, although there's no question Francoeur is regarded as the better athlete. I can't see the Braves, of all teams, drafting CFs with their #1 pick in back-to-back drafts.

So to sum up the chances for these 3:
Markakis: yes if he's still there
Bard: probably not
Battle: can't see it

 
Andy Marte went 2-for-4 on Wednesday night and clubbed his 4th HR of the year. That outing prompted a brief discussion on the ESPN Board this morning about Marte's current hot streak. Everyone knows (at least everyone should know) that the Pelicans' home field is one of the best pitcher's parks in baseball. Thus hitters' stats are often deflated, while pitchers seem to put up incredible numbers. Marte has bucked that trend so far this year. Although he's hit 3 HRs on the road and just 1 at home, he's hitting .279/.375/.485 at Coastal Federal Field and just .257/.341/.422 in other stadiums. The rest of the team hits more like we would expect. Minus Marte's contributions, they're hitting just .248/.318/.339 at home while putting up somewhat better numbers - .266/.323/.372 - on the road.

 
Hello. I'm Michael McHenry. You might remember me from such sites as Braves Report and the ESPN Message Boards. I cashed in my Braves Report options, and I've retired to the Land of Blogs. Life is easier here - no FTP-ing, just a little HTML, and there's not a SQL query in sight...

I've re-appeared just in time for the First-Year Player Draft which takes place on June 3rd and 4th. Tune in here and you'll get up-to-the-second updates on the Braves' selections with a full analysis shortly after each pick. Over the next few days, I'll take a look at what I think will happen next week.

After the draft party has wound down and the clowns I've ordered (Bud Selig look-a-likes, of course) have gone home, this blog will house my notes, ramblings, and yes, even rants on the Braves' minor leagues, the parent club, and other things mostly-baseball-related.

Here's your first draft-related tidbit. The Braves have shown interest in a RHP from Pennsylvania who they'll have to lure away from playing football at the gridiron-hotbed known as the University of Delaware. Dave Shinskie, all 6'4" and 215 pounds of him, may well be around for the Braves' second selection in the 3rd round, #98 overall.