Profiles On Braves Draft Picks

As day two of the 2024 MLB draft concludes, the Atlanta Braves are having an interesting draft. They have stuck to their model this year and drafted pitching and more pitching. Atlanta selected all pitchers in the first four rounds, with the first position player being taken in the fifth round. Sneaking in who could possibly be the best left-handed pitcher in the draft according to scouts. These are the profiles on their draft selections.

First Round Pick 24

Cam Caminiti LHP Saguaro HS (Arizona)

Cousin of 1996 NL MVP and three-time All-Star Ken Caminiti, Cam Caminiti will look to be the family’s second successful MLB player after being drafted 24th overall by the Braves on Sunday. Before the draft, ESPN ranked Caminiti as the 13th-best prospect and number 15 by MLB Pipeline. “(Caminiti) has a huge arm,” Braves scouting director Ronit Shah said. “You’ll see him sit mid-90s, and I’ve seen him gear up to throw 96 or 97 at the end of a high school game, which is super impressive. I think what impresses me most is how easy he does it.”

His high school dominance was notable. He struck out 16 consecutive batters in an early March game. He then led his high school, Saguaro High School, in Scottsdale, Arizona, to its first state championship in 13 years. With his performance this season, he also received the Arizona Gatorade Player Of The Year award. Scouts say that Caminiti is arguably the best left-handed pitcher in this year’s draft—a notable recent first-round pick for Atlanta, Hurston Waldrep.

Second Round Pick 62

Carter Holton LHP Vanderbilt University

Carter Holton is a 5’11”, 191-pound left-handed pitcher, a Georgia high schooler—a highly rated recruit from three years ago. Holton throws a solid four or better pitches, with his fastball having touched 98 MPH and his slider being his best pitch. The curve and change are solid, as is his command after it improved this past spring. Injury concerns are attached to Holt, but the Braves have been willing to take chances on players like this to grab a higher-ceiling talent. He was a top-three-round talent but slid to the Brewers in the 19th round of the 2021 Draft because he was committed to Vanderbilt. A notable second-round pick for the Braves recently was Spencer Schwellenbach in the 2021 draft.

Third Round Pick 99

Luke Sinnard, RHP Indiana University

Sinnard logged a 7.18 ERA at Western Kentucky as a freshman in 2022 before transferring to Indiana and having a spectacular sophomore year. He broke an 89-year-old Hoosiers record with 114 strikeouts in 86 1/3 innings. Then he blew out his elbow in an NCAA regional start last June and had Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire 2024 season. Before his injury, Sinnard had plenty of chases and empty swings with a fastball that sat at 91-93 mph and reached 96 with high spin rates. His breaking balls were effective, with his 78-82 mph dropping curveball and his mid-80s slider and cutter getting more chases. Notable recent third-round pick for the Braves is Micheal Harris II in the 2019 draft. As well as Dylan Dodd in the 2021 draft.

Fourth Round Pick 129

Herick Hernandez LHP University Of Miami

Hernandez is 5’10”, 205 pounds, and has a fastball up to 95 MPH. In his one year with the Hurricanes, his overall numbers weren’t great: a 6.14 ERA with a 1.58 WHIP. He struck out 95 in 70.1 innings. The Reds drafted him out of JUCO last year in the 19th round. He is seen as a guy with an interesting fastball and a high level of vertical break. A notable recent fourth-round pick was Spencer Strider in the 2020 draft.

Fifth Round Pick 161

Nick Montgomery Catcher Cypress High School (California)

6-foot-4 Montgomery is a presence from the right side of the plate. He has plenty of raw power to tap into, and he’s done it against good competition. The catching may or may not come, but he’s got the bat to make that not important in the future. Montgomery will arguably be the best-catching prospect in the Braves system behind Drake Baldwin once he signs and has an upside if he can bring that offense behind the plate. A notable recent fifth-round pick for Atlanta is Bryce Elder in the 2020 draft.

Sixth Round Pick 191

Ethan Bagwell RHP Collinsville High School (Illinois)

At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Bagwell doesn’t have a lot of projection remaining. There’s some effort to his delivery, and he battles control at times while working exclusively out of the stretch. Bagwell spent most of the spring throwing at 89-94 mph with his fastball, which features good carry. He lacks consistency with his secondary pitches, though he can put a solid 78-82 mph slider at times. His upper-80s changeup has some promising drop to it.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Seventh Round Pick 231

Brett Sears RHP University Of Nebraska

Sears ranked among the national leaders throughout this season, finishing the year ranked fourth with a 0.88 WHIP, fifth in ERA (2.16), 19th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.32), 20th in hits allowed/9 inn. (6.23) and 24th in walks allowed/9 inn. (1.64). Sears is the first Husker pitcher with 100-plus strikeouts in a season since 2008 after compiling 101 punchouts, which is ninth-most in program history. Sears also completed the season tied for eighth in program history with 104 innings pitched in 2024. Notable seventh round picks for Atlanta recently are, AJ Smith-Shawver and Darius Vines.

Remaining Picks

Atlanta selected all pitchers with the eighth, ninth, and tenth-round picks. Logan Samuels RHP, University of Montevallo. Owen Hackman RHP, Loyola Marymount University. And Jacob Kroeger RHP, Maryville University. Nine out of Atlanta’s ten picks so far have been pitching.

Main Photo Credits: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

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