The Atlanta Braves tonight selected right-handed pitcher Carter Stewart of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft.
Stewart, 18, went 6-4 with 128 strikeouts, 26 hits allowed and a 0.91 ERA (8 ER/61.2 IP) in 11 games on the mound for Eau Gallie this season, while being named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Florida. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound native of Melbourne also batted .313 with seven home runs to help the Commodores to the Class 6A, District 13 tournament semifinals.
"We are fortunate to add Carter to the organization," Braves Director of Amateur Scouting Brian Bridges said. "We've been fortunate to select Braves-type pitchers, Braves-type players over the last couple of years, and we feel Carter is another example of that type of player."
Stewart entered the draft ranked by MLB.com as the fifth-best prospect in the draft and the second-best high schooler. Baseball America also named Stewart as the second-best high school player available, and the third-best right-handed pitcher overall.
Stewart's breaking ball features the highest average spin rate in amateur baseball, according to TrackMan, with the service recording one pitch he threw with the fifth-highest spin rate ever tracked.
Stewart committed to attend Mississippi State University in the fall.
The Braves have now selected a pitcher with their first pick in the First-Year Player Draft for four consecutive seasons, after taking RHP Kyle Wright in 2017, RHP Ian Anderson in 2016 and LHP Kolby Allard in 2015. Anderson was the last high schooler the Braves drafted in the first round.
Atlanta's second-round selection, their only other pick tonight, will be 49th overall.