Braves select first baseman Braxton Davidson with 32nd overall pick
The Atlanta Braves select high school first baseman Braxton Davidson with the 32nd pick of the 2014 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
Davidson is a left-handed power hitter out of the North Carolina prep circuit, who scouts say displays a mature approach at the plate and isn't afraid to take his walks. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, the 17-year-old offers plus power with a potential above-average arm at the major league level.
The North Carolina commit hit four homers with a .449 average and .587 on-base percentage in 27 games this season for T.C. Robertson High School.
After the selection, Davidson mentioned he would sign with the Braves.
Braxton Davidson just told us that he is going to sign with the Braves despite commitment to University of North Carolina
— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) June 6, 2014
The pick is compensation for losing Brian McCann in free agency to the New York Yankees.
Davidson even bears a resemblance to Braves legend Chipper Jones, according to one reporter, but it's got nothing to do with playing style.
If @MLBNetwork was around in 1990, I think @RealCJ10 would have sounded a lot like Braxton Davidson
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) June 6, 2014
[Courtesy: Big League Futures]
Here's a list of the Braves' last five first round picks:
| Year | Player | Pos | School | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Lucas Sims | P | Brookwood HS | 21 |
| 2011 | Sean Gilmartin | P | Florida State | 28 |
| 2010 | Matthew Lipka | SS | McKinney HS | 35 |
| 2009 | Mike Minor | P | Vanderbilt | 7 |
| 2008 | Brett DeVall | P | Niceville HS | 40 |