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With their first overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft the Atlanta Braves have selected Florida State left-handed pitcher Sean Gilmartin. The Braves make him the 28th overall selection.
This is a safe pick by the Braves, but a pitcher who could move quickly with his refined approach, much like Mike Minor. Many of the high school pitchers the Braves were eying had already been selected by the time Atlanta selected. Below is what the experts had to say about Gilmartin:
Baseball America, ranked him 48th overall in the draft:
Gilmartin isn't flashy, but his total package should take him off the board in the first 50 picks as one of the draft's safest selections. A two-way talent out of a California high school, he attended a camp at Florida State and wound up being one of the Seminoles' rare cross-country recruits. He has pitched on Fridays for three seasons and helped lead Florida State to the College World Series last season, though he struggled putting hitters away in the second half of the season and last summer with USA Baseball's college national team. Gilmartin has improved significantly in the last year and become a scouts' darling with his combination of good size (6-foot-2, 192 pounds), clean arm action and solid athleticism. He has pushed his fastball into the average velocity range at 88-91 mph, his changeup remains a plus pitch and his slider has improved to average. Gilmartin knows how to use his stuff, particularly his changeup, how to set up hitters and how to keep them off-balance. His 10-1, 1.35 season includes four double-digit strikeout efforts. Scouts compare Gilmartin favorably to Vanderbilt southpaw Mike Minor, who went seventh overall to the Braves in 2009 and reached the majors a season later.
Keith Law of ESPN, who ranked Gilmartin 71st:
Gilmartin's a college performer with adequate stuff but who may need to find another gear to be more than a fourth or fifth starter in the big leagues.
He'll pitch with a fringe-average fastball, mostly 88-89 but touching a 91, and has a big, slow curveball that might work against lefties but wouldn't be a weapon against better right-handed batters. His best pitch is his changeup, 76-78 mph with good arm speed and some late fading action, although he uses it a lot and I'd like to see him pitch more off his fastball. He's a good athlete who can even swing the bat a little bit. He stays over the rubber well and pronates his arm very early after showing the ball to the center fielder.
This is what I thought Mike Minor was in college -- a command lefty with a good changeup but an average fastball and no plus breaking ball. Minor added some muscle after signing and upped his velocity, at least temporarily, and I suppose Gilmartin could do the same.
A safe pick by the Braves, clearly, and a player who should sign for slot and sign quickly. As far as a strategy of getting the best available player on the board, Gilmartin was likely not the best guy out there. If this was a money thing, then there were other more projectable players who would have been easy to sign. The Braves must have a feeling about Gilmartin, that they can get him in their system and mold him into a higher ceiling talent, (again) much like they did with Minor. It continues a string of safe drafts for the Braves, with Lipka and Minor both safe and easily signable players.
In addition to the Mike Minor comps for Gilmartin, there have also been a lot of Tom Glavine comps. Tony DeMacio, the Braves scouting director who runs the Atlanta draft room, was the scout who originally signed Glavine way back in 1984. So he could be trying to rekindle some of that magic.
The larger strategy here could be that by drafting a guy like Gilmartin, who should move quickly to the Majors in the next couple of years, the Braves signal that they may be willing to trade some of their current stock of pitching talent. One thing is for certain, they're building quite a stable of young arms -- several staffs worth.
Day two at the 2011 MLB First Year Player Draft saw the Atlanta Braves pick nothing but college players through their first ten picks. Atlanta went with a combination of refined and raw college talent, all of whom have plenty of projectability left in them. The organization focused on toolsy players with speed, as well as refined power bats. It seems like a good mix of talent, and a strong front ten.
Here is a pick by pick overview with scouting reports.
Nick Ahmed, SS - 2nd Round
Selected 85th overall, and ranked 79th by Baseball America, Ahmed is a polished college shortstop whose draft stock benefited from the plethora of scouts in attendance at UConn games to see his teammates, George Springer and Matt Barnes, who both went in the first round. His main tools are his speed and his glove, and he could be a legit stolen base threat in the pros. He will have to work to hit for average at higher levels.
I'm not sure where the Braves can put another shortstop in their system, so they may have other position plans for Ahmed. (He also throws 94mph on the mound.) He represents the Braves desire to add more speed to their system. He played on the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League with fellow Atlanta Braves draftees Cody Martin (7th) and Tommy La Stella (8th).
Kyle Kubitza, 3B - 3rd Round
This is one of those "Braves picks," that will probably baffle some people as to why they selected him this high. He was ranked as the 28th-best prospect in Texas, and unranked nationally. He is a patient hitter with power, but with inconsistent swing mechanics. For a college hitter he will likely take some time to develop as a hitter, and even more time to refine his defense, though he has the arm strength and athleticism to stay at third base.
Projected as more of a seventh round selection, the Braves must have just loved this kid to have taken him so high. Of course a high selection like this may have been necessary to lure him away from his senior season at Texas State. He seems to have the room to add muscle as well. @Kubbyk3009
J.R. Graham, RHP - 4th Round
Ranked as the 72nd best draft prospect by Keith Law, one spot behind the Braves first rounder, Sean Gilmartin. Baseball America had him lower at 120, but this is still a great value pick as the 146th overall selection. He has an explosive mid-90s fastball (that can reach to 100mph), as well as a workout regimen that has impressed scouts, but for a college player his pitchability is raw and will need to be molded.
Thankfully, the Braves are quite adept at taking raw talent like his and turning it into a quality arm on the mound. Think of him as the opposite of Gilmartin -- a less refined pitcher with more raw ability. Think of him as more refined David Hale. He may be given a chance to start, but may ultimately wind up in the bullpen as a power reliever.
Nick DeSantiago, C - 5th Round
Ranked as the 102nd-best player in Texas by BA, this JuCo catcher is another raw toolsy product. He has a good bat with lots of projectabiltiy left in it, and a strong arm, but his receiving skills are unrefined. Luckily for him the Braves excel at developing catchers. Same body type as a young Johnny Estrada.
Mark Lamm, RHP - 6th Round
Lamm was ranked as the 17th-best prospect in Tennessee. A fifth-year senior who had Tommy John surgery in 2010 (so that's out of the way). He went to the bullpen his senior year, and performed well as the setup man for Vanderbilt. He is a polished college arm from a school the Braves have gotten to know pretty well the last few years. His nickname is "Cowboy." @MarkLamm44
Cody Martin, RHP - 7th Round
A reliever his senior year at Gonzaga, Martin was drafted in the 20th round last year by the Twins and did not sign. He dominated out of the pen with a mid-90s fastball mixed with a mid-80s slider, as well as a curve and change. The Braves may push him back into the starting rotation, but could move him quickly if they keep him in the pen. He profiles as a Major League setup reliever with good durability. His father, Charles, was a pitcher in the minor leagues for the Braves from 1984 to 85.
Thomas La Stella, 2B - 8th Round
Described as a bat-only player who will wind up in left field. Good patience at the plate mixed with excellent raw power. He held his own in the Cape Cod League last summer and should adapt well to the wood bats. His patient approach at the plate will serve him well.
Chase Larsson, OF - 9th Round
A bigger, more imposing force than La Stella, but a similar profile as a patient power hitter. He hit an impressive 29 home runs, leading NCAA Division II in homers, RIBs, total bases, and slugging. More walks than strikeouts hint at a good approach, but he's one of those rolls of the dice as to whether his bat will translate to the professional level, though he seems to have power to spare. He was named the 2011 Tino Martinez D2 Player of the Year. The award is presented to the most outstanding player in DII college baseball. This Oklahoma College product originally hails from Vancouver, Canada, and is nicknamed the "Canadian Clipper."
Logan Robbins, SS - 10th Round
An above average athlete with exceptional speed and a strong throwing arm, his bat will be a project for the Braves. Expect him to move slow, but the Braves should be a good fit for him, as he profiles a bit like Andrelton Simmons from last year's draft, though a notch below in most categories, except speed.
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