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Braves Sign First Six Picks From 2023 Draft

By Darragh McDonald | July 13, 2023 at 2:15pm CDT

The Braves have signed the first six players they selected in the 2023 draft, which took place earlier this week. Right-handers Hurston Waldrep, Drue Hackenberg, Cade Kuehler and Garrett Baumann have put pen to paper, as has shortstop Sabin Ceballos and outfielder Isaiah Drake. Details from Twitter courtesy of Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline and Carlos Collazo of Baseball America. Additionally, the club inked seventh-rounder Justin Long, per Collazo.

Waldrep, 21, was selected 24th overall out of the University of Florida. He will receive a signing bonus of $2,997,500, slightly under that pick’s slot value of $3,270,500. He made 19 starts for the Gators this year, tossing 101 2/3 innings with a 4.16 ERA. He struck out 34.7% of the batters he faced while walking 12.7%.

He was ranked the #14 player in the draft by both ESPN and Keith Law of The Athletic, #18 by Baseball America, #19 by MLB.com, with FanGraphs having him the highest at #6. The reports on him all reflect the stat line, in that they point to his excellent strikeout stuff but lack of command. His splitter is considered his best put-away pitch, often thrown below the zone for either a whiff or a ball.

Hackenberg, 21, was the club’s second-round pick, taken out of Virginia Tech. He’ll get a $2MM bonus, significantly above his $1,369,300 slot value. The righty made 15 starts for Virginia Tech this year, posting a 5.80 ERA in 85 1/3 innings, striking out 24.8% of hitters while walking just 6.5%.

Kuehler, 21, was selected 70th overall, using the compensatory draft pick that Atlanta received when Dansby Swanson rejected a qualifying offer and signed with the Cubs. He gets a $1.045MM bonus, just under the $1.0475MM slot. He made 13 starts for Campbell University this year with a 2.71 ERA, 29.3% strikeout rate and 8.4% walk rate.

Ceballos, 20, was taken in the third round out of the University of Oregon. He receives a signing bonus of $597.5K compared to a slot of $714.1K. He hit .333/.426/.643 in his 256 plate appearances this year. Baumann, 18, was selected in the fourth round out of a Florida high school. He’ll get $747.5K for his bonus, a bit above the $521.8K slot. Drake, 17, was selected in the fifth round out of North Atlanta High School. He’ll get the same $747.5K bonus as Baumann, but against a less slot of $367.5K.

Long, 21, was taken in the seventh round out of Rice University. He gets a bonus of $172.5K, beneath his $229.4K slot value. He tossed 45 2/3 innings this year with a 4.93 ERA, 18.9% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate.

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2023 Amateur Draft Atlanta Braves Hurston Waldrep

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View Comments (34)

Comments

  1. braves fan 138

    3 months ago

    How did we sign Waldrep under slot AA sorcerer confirmed?

    2
    Reply
    • bhambrave

      3 months ago

      He’s a college player who didn’t have any other options

      5
      Reply
      • bc85

        3 months ago

        He wasn’t a senior and had the option to go back

        3
        Reply
  2. rundmc1981

    3 months ago

    LAA signed their first Rd pick

    AA: hold my beer, young buck

    6
    Reply
  3. bhambrave

    3 months ago

    What’s the over/under for how many of these guys will be in the majors in 2025, and ROY candidates?

    1
    Reply
    • In Seager We Trust

      3 months ago

      7 (including the AL MVP Langford and NL MVP Crews, along with reliever of the Year Skenes)

      1
      Reply
    • DUDDUS

      3 months ago

      Judging from the info in the article, none

      2
      Reply
      • In Seager We Trust

        3 months ago

        Opps… I thought you were talking about MLB instead of the Braves

        Reply
    • YankeesBleacherCreature

      3 months ago

      0? If anyone of them are up by 2025, then all 29 other teams have dropped the ball in the draft.

      1
      Reply
      • bhambrave

        3 months ago

        Harris was up in 2 years (not including 2020), and Strider was up even faster. Bryce Elder also.

        Reply
        • UGA_Steve

          3 months ago

          Don’t forget Smith-Shawver. Drafted in 2021 and already put up some decent work in MLB.

          1
          Reply
    • Slow day at work

      3 months ago

      Cade Kuehler will be a candidate for ROY in 2025 closing games for the Braves.

      Reply
      • rundmc1981

        3 months ago

        Don’t forget about ’22 2nd Rd comp pick (Blake Burkhalter), former Auburn closer who is missing this year (TJ).

        2
        Reply
  4. Murphy NFLD

    3 months ago

    It would be nice of it ended with
    “All told the braves have exceeded/came under slot values by spending X amount against x values of said slots”. I like knowing cuz tou start getting ideas of might not sign

    2
    Reply
    • In Seager We Trust

      3 months ago

      MLB.com

      1
      Reply
      • DodgerBlue22

        3 months ago

        MLS.com?

        Reply
  5. ham77

    3 months ago

    Surprised they didn’t sign them all to team friendly long term major league contracts lol

    2
    Reply
  6. DarkSide830

    3 months ago

    I hate being in the same division as the Braves.

    12
    Reply
    • getrealgone2

      3 months ago

      You guys were just in the world series. Can’t be that bad.

      4
      Reply
      • braveshomer

        3 months ago

        exactly lol

        Reply
  7. skinsfandfw

    3 months ago

    BREAKING: The Braves have also announced that they’ve subsequently signed Waldrep to a 10 year/$100MM contract, to proactively buy out his first few years of free agency like they’ve done with their entire roster.

    5
    Reply
    • SalaryCapMyth

      3 months ago

      Okay. I don’t know if you are being critical or not but that mayed me LOL!

      2
      Reply
      • skinsfandfw

        3 months ago

        Not critical, but 1 million percent sarcastic!

        I’m an Orioles fan, but I like the Braves style. I wish Elias and co. would start doing the same and follow the Braves model with some of our young talent, especially Adley and Gunnar.

        1
        Reply
  8. Slow day at work

    3 months ago

    I’m really surprised that Hackenberg required the Braves to go that much over the slot. I thought they were reaching and he would sign for the recommended or slightly below. The Braves must know something others don’t about him

    3
    Reply
    • AG7

      3 months ago

      That was my reaction too but he was a sophomore who could have returned to school so they had to overpay. Reports are playing on turf may have inflated his stats some bc his peripherals look good. I was higher on Waldrep and Kuehler initially but this has me intrigued by all 3.

      Reply
  9. k26dp 2

    3 months ago

    Underlying metrics really strong on Hackenberg, and the Braves like the shape of his slider and think it can be a swing-and-miss pitch with some fine-tuning. Performance numbers heavily tanked by bad VPI middle infield defense too.

    Plus as a draft-eligible college sophomore, Hackenberg had more leverage than most other college piayers.

    4
    Reply
  10. Cohen's _Wallet

    3 months ago

    The rich just got richer. Not even the 13 prospects taken away from the Braves system for cheating even put a dent in that organization.

    Whatever it is that organization does I wish we could do too.

    3
    Reply
  11. bravesnation nc

    3 months ago

    Time to reload boys! Keep chopping!

    1
    Reply
    • Bart Harley Jarvis

      3 months ago

      And keep chomping!

      Reply
  12. amk1920

    3 months ago

    Braves are so obsessed with drafting pitchers early. Can’t say I blame them with the success. 2019 is the only year they didn’t go pitcher high recently. Guess you can do it when your entire core is locked up for the decade

    Reply
    • AG7

      3 months ago

      Pitchers are the most valuable position in every way: Contracts, trade pieces and roster construction. It’s smart to overload on them with the aforementioned position players locked up.

      2
      Reply
  13. Braves83

    3 months ago

    Only 5 players remain unsigned of the 21 draft picks left. A pretty impressive day overall.

    Reply
  14. Greentreant

    3 months ago

    Look at the last 10 years. The braves draft the boring and notoriously droll, pitchers, pitchers, and more pitchers. (I know there are many players they also use picks on but for the most part it is a myriad of pitchers.) It might not be the grand showy thing to do, but the Braves put that to good use by using them as either trade bait for already established players or other farm shortages. Literally the Braves are a brothel for pitchers.

    3
    Reply
    • DCartrow

      3 months ago

      Whorehouse or storehouse?

      1
      Reply

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