The Braves signed 19 of their 20 draft selections, the team announced Friday. The team also signed a pair of undrafted free agents, including the nephew of a Braves legend.
Overall, the Braves added 11 pitchers (four lefties), five infielders, two outfielders and three catchers.
They signed each of their first 19 picks, headlined by first-round right-hander Ryan Cusick from Wake Forest. Cusick produced a 4.24 ERA in 12 starts for the Demon Deacons this season, adding 108 strikeouts. His 13.89 strikeouts per nine innings were highest in the ACC. Since 2011, the Braves have chosen a pitcher with 11 of 15 first-round picks.
The Braves followed the Cusick pick with two other college pitchers in Nebraska righty Spencer Schwellenbach and Southeast Missouri State southpaw Dylan Dodd. Each of those pitchers has a fastball that can play in the mid-90s (Cusick has been clocked up to 101 mph).
“I always say you can never have enough pitching,” said Dana Brown, the Braves’ vice president of scouting. “Pitching is never really blocked (from the big-league roster). You always need arms in the major leagues for a long season of 162 games. I think that’s how you win, that’s how you get to the postseason, and that’s how you have longevity.”
The two undrafted players the Braves signed are infielder Anderson De Los Santos, from Central High School in Providence, Rhode Island, and JJ Niekro, a right-hander from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Niekro is the nephew of Hall of Fame knuckleballer Phil Niekro, a longtime Braves player who died in December. He’s the son of the late Joe Niekro, the Astros’ all-time wins leader (144) who spent two seasons with the Braves from 1973-74.
High school outfielder Ty Evans, taken in the 20th and final round, is the only draftee who hasn’t signed. Evans, from Lakeland (Fla.) Christian School, committed to the University of Florida.
The list of Braves signees, as provided by the team (parenthesis indicates round and selection):
RHP Ryan Cusick (1, 24)
RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (2, 59)
LHP Dylan Dodd (3, 96)
SS Cal Conley (4, 126)
SS Luke Waddell (5, 157)
3B Justyn-Henry Malloy (6, 187)
RHP AJ Smith-Shawver (7, 217)
OF Tyler Collins (8, 247)
C Liam McGill (9, 277)
RHP Dylan Spain (10, 307)
LHP Adam Shoemaker (11, 337)
RHP Andrew Hoffman (12, 367)
C Adam Zebrowski (13, 397)
SS Caleb Durbin (14, 427)
OF Christian Robinson (15, 457)
LHP Kris Anglin (16, 487)
C Tyler Tolve (17, 517)
RHP Austin Smith (18, 547)
LHP Samuel Strickland (19, 577)
INF Anderson De Los Santos (undrafted)
RHP JJ Niekro (undrafted)
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