I know, I know...there has been a lot of mock draft coverage lately. I promise the real stuff is coming very, very soon. The 2018 MLB Draft is mere hours away and we are still getting information about what is going to happen tonight. There are lots of weird and wonderful rumors, in particular in the top 10 which should make the draft a really fun affair this year. However, what has been a constant over the last 24 hours or so is that one name has begun to emerge as a favorite of the Braves with the eighth overall pick. New mock draft just went up at Baseball America. Changes on four teams picking in the top 10, plus new projected picks for the Blue Jays and Yankees: https://t.co/aOA2TdJIxr — Ben Badler (@BenBadler) June 4, 2018 Yep, thats right....it is prep high school RHP Carter Stewart as the likely choice to the Braves if everything goes according to plan. Also, insert my usual reminder that if you haven’t subscribed to Baseball America...you should definitely do so. Also, Talking Chop alum and BA draft guru Carlos Collazo is going to be on the MLB draft coverage team so make sure to tweet at him and be proud of him. As for the draft itself, Nolan Gorman was the en vogue pick until recently and he could still easily be in the play. However, the recent thinking is that the Braves prefer and covet Stewart and his Looney Tunes curveball and live fastball. If you have read our coverage lately, you should know when would be happy with either player.<doc-sep>The 2018 MLB Draft is upon us and as such comes the annual tradition of many casual baseball fans actually starting to care about the draft, where their team is picking, and who they could get. While the MLB draft doesn’t have the excitement of things like picks being traded on draft day or the thought that the players selected will be on the field literally the next season, a lot hinges on teams’ selections and there is always the unique fun of seeing if a given team can find a diamond in the rough in the later rounds. There is the added intrigue with the Braves with a new front office and seeing what direction they go in this draft versus what has happened in previous drafts. Plus, the Braves were penalized via the loss of their 3rd round pick in this draft which causes some real issues with their bonus pool that I wrote about a little while ago. For those of you who are just getting acquainted with the wonder that is the draft season or even for you diehards that want some quick reference material, here is a primer of everything you need to know going into next week’s draft. The Basics (Draft Order, Bonus Pool, etc.) The Braves will be selecting 8th overall in the first round of the 2018 draft and their next selection after that is the 49th overall pick which is in the second round. The reason for the “larger than the number of teams in the league” gap between picks is the presence of compensation picks and competitive balance picks between the first and second round of which the Braves have none (yes, it is a stupid and not particularly fair or well-thought out system, but here we are nonetheless). As I mentioned before, the Braves do not own a third round pick due to the penalties that were handed down this past offseason for the transgressions of former general manager John Coppolella and other members of the front office. After that, the Braves will pick 8th in every round from the fourth round all the way through the 40th round. The Braves’ total bonus pool in the draft is listed at $8,267,300. Normally, their bonus pool with such a high draft pick would put them around the top 10 in the league (the comp picks and their slot values mess with things there a bit), but the loss of their 3rd round pick and the roughly $675,000 in bonus pool money that comes with it means that their pool is roughly in the the middle of the league overall. The slot value for the the 8th overall pick is $4,980,700. If you want to know all of the slot values for all of the picks as well as the bonus pools, etc. you can click right here (although this link is a bit older and the Padres’ picks and numbers, for example, are not quite right). The Braves’ tendencies In recent years, the Braves have bet heavily on high school players, in particular pitchers. Kolby Allard, Mike Soroka, Ian Anderson, Joey Wentz, Kyle Muller, and Drew Waters have all been high picks for the Braves in recent years from the high school ranks and while the front office is different, much of the scouting staff led by scouting director Brian Bridges remains intact. As a result, one should not be surprised if the Braves stick with that blueprint. A notable exception was the selection of college pitcher Kyle Wright out of Vanderbilt last year. This does show that the Braves are willing to pluck guys from the college ranks if they like them a lot. When a guy who was arguably the best player in the draft falls in your lap, you kind of have to take him. One last note here: the Braves have been known to try and manipulate their bonus pool in their favor as was the case in the 2016 draft when they snagged three guys in Anderson, Wentz, and Muller who were arguably all first round talents. However, with the teams that pick ahead of them before their second round pick and the limitations of their pool, this course seems problematic at best. That said, some pool shenanigans in the fourth through 10th rounds isn’t off the table. The Braves’ Targets The Braves are picking just low enough to make predicting who is going to be there tough. One can say with a reasonably high degree of certainty that pitcher Casey Mize, catcher Joey Bart, infielder Nick Madrigal, and third baseman Alec Bohm won’t be available when the Braves pick. After that, who knows what is going to happen. That hasn’t stopped those in the draft/prospect evaluation business from trying to figure things out, though. High school power-hitting third baseman Nolan Gorman, high school outfielder Jarred Kelenic, high school RHP Carter Stewart, high school LHP Ryan Weathers, and high school RHP Kumar Rocker have all had their names associated with the Braves at some point in mock drafts this spring with varying degrees of confidence with Gorman being the most frequently heard name. A lot can change between now and the draft, but that is where we are at so far. This is a very exciting time for all baseball fans, so make sure you keep an eye on Talking Chop as we have already started rolled out profiles on the Braves’ potential targets, reviewing the Braves’ previous drafts, and talking about potentially exciting options past the first round. There is a lot more to come and we will be provided extremely in-depth coverage of the draft as it is happened, so stay tuned.<doc-sep>Butch Dill/Associated Press The 2018 MLB draft is almost here, meaning fans are about to see what the future holds for their respective teams. More importantly, though, it means draft prospects are finally going to find out where they will begin their professional careers. This year's draft class has some depth at the top of the board, although one player has seemingly separated himself from his peers. Fortunately for teams that don't have the No. 1 overall pick, there will be plenty of talent to choose from. With the draft quickly approaching, here's a look at what is in store for the top prospects: 2018 MLB Mock Draft 1. Detroit Tigers: Casey Mize, RHP, Auburn Video Play Button Videos you might like 2. San Francisco Giants: Brady Singer, RHP, Florida 3. Philadelphia Phillies: Nick Madrigal, 2B, Oregon State 4. Chicago White Sox: Alec Bohm, 3B, Wichita State 5. Cincinnati Reds: Joey Bart, C, Georgia Tech 6. New York Mets: Carter Stewart, RHP, Eau Gallie HS (Melbourne, Florida) 7. San Diego Padres: Matthew Liberatore, LHP, Mountain Ridge HS (Arizona) 8. Atlanta Braves: Jonathan India, 3B, Florida 9. Oakland Athletics: Travis Swaggerty, OF, South Alabama 10. Pittsburgh Pirates: Shane McClanahan, LHP, South Florida 11. Baltimore Orioles: Nolan Gorman, 3B, O'Connor HS (Arizona) 12. Toronto Blue Jays: Ryan Rolison, LHP, Mississippi 13. Miami Marlins: Cole Winn, RHP, Orange Lutheran HS (California) 14. Seattle Mariners: Jarred Kelenic, OF, Waukesha West HS (Wisconsin) 15. Texas Rangers: Trevor Larnach, OF, Oregon State 16. Tampa Bay Rays: Ryan Weathers, LHP, Loretto HS (Tennessee) 17. Los Angeles Angels: Jackson Kowar, RHP, Florida 18. Kansas City Royals: Cole Wilcox, RHP, Heritage HS (Georgia) 19. St. Louis Cardinals: Ethan Hankins, RHP, Forsyth Central HS (Georgia) 20. Minnesota Twins: Connor Scott, OF, Plant HS (Florida) 21. Milwaukee Brewers: Jordyn Adams, OF, Green Hope HS (North Carolina) 22. Colorado Rockies: Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Central Heights HS (Texas) 23. New York Yankees: Kumar Rocker, RHP, North Oconee HS (Georgia) 24. Chicago Cubs: Logan Gilbert, RHP, Stetson 25. Arizona Diamondbacks: Steele Walker, OF, Oklahoma 26. Boston Red Sox: Mason Denaburg, RHP, Merritt Island HS (Florida) 27. Washington Nationals: Brice Turang, SS, Santiago HS (California) 28. Houston Astros: Trevor Larnach, OF, Oregon State 29. Cleveland Indians: Greyson Jenista, OF, Wichita State 30. Los Angeles Dodgers: Anthony Seigler, C, Cartersville HS (Georgia) Highlights Casey Mize, RHP, Auburn (No. 1, Detroit Tigers) In a class that has struggled to sort itself out, Auburn Tigers right-hander Casey Mize has become the front-runner for the No. 1 overall pick thanks to another superb season. After going 8-2 with a 2.04 ERA as a sophomore, Mize has carried an even bigger load this season. Through 16 starts, he is 10-5 with a 2.95 ERA. Those impressive numbers don't even include his three complete games, one shutout and 151 strikeouts in 109.2 innings of work. One key note: Mize's batting average against has gone down with each passing season. He started out at .249 as a freshman, got it down to .210 in his second season and dropped it down to below the Mendoza Line at .195 as a junior. There's a lot to like with this 6'3", 208-pound pitcher. Mize has three above-average pitches in his mid-to-upper-90s fastball, his slider and his splitter. Not only that, but he also has incredible command of his pitches. He ranked second in all of college baseball with a 14-to-1 (140 punchouts, 10 bases on balls) strikeout-to-walk ratio. Make no mistake about it—this season was no aberration. He has struck out 319 batters while issuing only 39 free passes in his three-year career. Mize has had some arm injuries in the past, but he has put those concerns to rest by showing he can shoulder a heavy load this season. In other words, look for Mize to remain a Tiger. Brady Singer, RHP, Florida (No. 2, San Francisco Giants) While Mize appears to have established himself as the top pitcher in the class, there was a time in which Florida Gators right-hander Brady Singer was in the mix to go No. 1 overall. In 14 starts this season, Singer went 11-1 with a 2.27 ERA. He notched one complete game (a shutout) and held opposing hitters to a .188 average in 95 innings. Also, he struck out 98 batters while walking just 19. He also helped his Gators win the national championship as a sophomore and even earned a spot on the All-College World Series suqad. Singer has an impressive repertoire that features three above-average pitches. His fastball sits around 95 mph, his slider is a nice complement and his changeup can also be a weapon. To top it off, as his numbers show, he possesses good control. The 6'5", 180-pound right-hander got off to a bit of a slow start to his junior season, allowing three-plus runs in two of his first three starts. However, he quickly put a stop to those struggles by shutting opposing offenses down. He had five starts where opponents failed to get more than two hits against him. Mize may be the top prospect, but Singer isn't a bad a consolation prize for San Francisco. Carter Stewart, RHP, Eau Gallie HS (No. 6, New York Mets) One of the draft's most intriguing prospects comes in the form of Carter Stewart. The 18-year-old possesses plenty of talent in his arm, owning a nasty one-two punch. He packs a heater that touches 98 mph, and he has arguably the best curveball in the draft that helps keep hitters honest. If his changeup improves, hitters will have a tough time figuring him out. Per MLB.com's Manny Randhawa, in 11 games, Stewart went 6-4 with a 0.91 ERA with 128 strikeouts in 61.2 innings this season. Taking Stewart would be out of the normal for New York. The Mets have not taken a high school pitcher in the first round since 2011, when they took Michael Fulmer with a supplemental pick. However, when they go on the clock, the best players available could be high school arms like Stewart and Matthew Liberatore. Every prospect carries a risk entering the draft, regardless of the league or level they played at prior to turning pro. But in baseball, high school pitchers can be viewed as somewhat of unknown commodities. The Mets have stayed away from taking a chance on high school pitchers with top picks in recent years, but Stewart's filthy arsenal could be too good to pass up, depending on how the top of the draft plays out. All stats are courtesy of NCAA.com unless otherwise noted. Video for Mize and Singer are via Baseball America, and Stewart's video is via MLB.com.<doc-sep>
It is finally here...the day we have all been waiting for: the start of the 2018 draft. After countless mock drafts and scouting reports from scouts and folks who fancy themselves scouts, we will finally know where all of these draft prospects that we have read so much about over the last several months will end up. The Braves have been connected with a few players this spring. The early indications were that prep pitcher Kumar Rocker was in the running, but that speculation has dropped off a lot and now he is seen more of an overslot guy either at the bottom of the first round or in the comp rounds. Nolan Gorman, the power-hitting third base prospect, has been connected with the Braves A LOT in mock drafts for a while with prep RHP Carter Stewart also getting some mentions as well. There are also whispers of guys like prep RHP Cole Winn (if he is even available with some speculating that he could go as high as 2nd overall), prep OF Jarred Kelenic, or college OF Trevor Larnach being in the mix as well, but those are far from solid connections at this point. So we ask you, the people, who you think the Braves will end up taking with the 8th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. Make sure you make your case as to why your pick would be a good/bad idea in the comments and stay tuned as we have a lot of draft coverage coming your way.