As the 2012 MLB Draft comes to a close, evaluations of total classes are going to come out. Keith Law hasn’t released any grades yet since there are simply so many players involved with so little time that has passed, but ESPN’s MLB analyst is at least giving an overview of the players involved.
For the Atlanta Braves, the team stuck to its own region to grab its first few players. Here Law takes a look at first round choice Lucas Sims and his colleagues atop the draft:
Lucas Sims (1) is from the Atlanta area, sits 90-94 with a good curveball and is an athletic kid with some delivery concerns that had other teams viewing him in the sandwich or second rounds. Alex Wood (2) is another Georgia product, a left-hander who should have an above-average fastball and plus changeup as a reliever, which is where his arm action probably lands him long term. Bryan de la Rosa (3) is a catch-and-throw backstop, born in Puerto Rico but playing in Florida. He might have some upside with the bat but doesn’t have a great body or a lot of power potential.
Justin Black (4) is a raw, speedy center fielder who’s highly athletic but crude as a hitter. Blake Brown (5) is a right fielder who can play the position and has raw power but also isn’t advanced as a hitter, and 6-foot right-handed-hitting corner outfielders aren’t usually a popular category in the draft.
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