Braves pick Louisville lefty Harrington in 3rd round

Atlanta adds more pitching, college position players on Draft Day 2

June 10th, 2016

ATLANTA -- Though the Braves added a few more pitchers to their collection during the second day of the 2016 MLB Draft, by the time they concluded Friday's portion of these proceedings, they had also garnered a collection of college position players who will have a chance to help the organization address some of its offensive needs.
"We've really gone out and accomplished what we wanted to do," Braves scouting director Brian Bridges said. "We really had to maneuver through the system of what we had to deal with in terms of financial flexibility to get out of the top 10 rounds. We were fortunate to get some guys with ability there."
Track every Braves pick from Day 2 of the 2016 MLB Draft, which consisted of Rounds 3-10.
The Draft concludes on Saturday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at noon ET.
:: Complete 2016 Draft coverage ::
Round 3 (80th overall), Drew Harrington, LHP, Louisville
The Braves began Friday's portion of the Draft by taking the lefty Harrington with their third-round selection. Atlanta used its first five picks to take four pitchers -- Harrington, Ian Anderson, Joey Wentz and Kyle Muller -- and one catcher, Brett Cumberland.
After serving primarily as a reliever the past two seasons, Harrington became a mainstay in Louisville's starting rotation and was recently named the Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound southpaw has gone 12-2 with a 2.08 ERA and 80 strikeouts over 103 2/3 innings for the Cardinals, who will compete in the NCAA Super Regional this weekend. His three-quarter delivery has helped him to hide the ball from hitters and enhance the quality of a heavy fastball that has touched 92 mph. His success this season significantly enhanced his Draft status, but some evaluators still project him to eventually become a reliever.
Round 4 (109th overall), Bryse Wilson, RHP, Orange High School (Hillsborough, N.C.)
Wilson enhanced his stock as he continued to display good arm strength throughout his senior season. The 18-year-old right-hander threw a perfect game in the first round of this year's state playoffs and recorded 13 strikeouts in a third-round game. His fastball sits between 92-94 mph and has touched 96 mph. But in order to have success at the pro level, the 6-foot-1, 224-pound right-hander will need to quickly learn he can no longer simply get by with his fastball.

Wilson is the kind of hard-nosed versatile athlete who has been coveted by Bridges. During his high school football career, Wilson was a two-way star who was a fierce defensive stalwart whenever he was not serving as a skilled receiver or occasionally showing his athleticism as a quarterback.
Round 5 (139th overall), Jeremy Walker, RHP, Gardner-Webb University
Though Walker has not produced eye-opening stats during his collegiate career, he has long intrigued scouts with his 6-foot-5, 205-pound frame and command. The right-hander, who turns 21 on Sunday, posted a 3.77 ERA, recorded 99 strikeouts and issued 27 walks over 100 1/3 innings during his recently completed junior season.

Walker possesses a fastball that has touched 95 mph and a good-looking slider. His stock rose as he started to miss bats more frequently this year than he had during the 2015 season, when he notched 48 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings.
Round 6 (169th overall), Matthew Gonzalez, 2B, Georgia Tech
Gonzalez made the most of his senior season as he hit .378 (92 points higher than his junior season) and collected 11 home runs, two more than he had totaled through his first three seasons. The suburban Atlanta native was the first local product and second position player taken by the Braves this year.
Gonzalez recorded 11 outfield assists this year for the Yellow Jackets, but the Braves opted to draft him as a second baseman. Bridges has watched Gonzalez since his days at Harrison High School.
Round 7 (199th overall), J.B. Moss, LF, Texas A&M
The second straight college senior taken by the Braves, Moss hit .325 and compiled a .416 on-base percentage while competing in the talent-rich Southeastern Conference this season. The outfielder, who will turn 23 later this month, played at the high school and collegiate levels with A.J. Minter, the highly regarded right-handed reliever who was taken by Atlanta in the second round of the 2015 Draft.
Round 8 (229th overall), Taylor Hyssong, LHP, UNC Wilmington
The Braves took a chance on the potential possessed by Hyssong, who played at two other colleges before making just five appearances for UNC Wilmington in 2015. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound southpaw posted a 4.42 ERA, recorded 26 strikeouts and issued 13 walks over 36 2/3 innings this year. His fastball sat between 90-94 mph as he was primarily used as a reliever.
Round 9 (259th overall) Tyler Neslony, OF, Texas Tech
The 22-year-old outfielder has batted .308 with nine home runs for the Red Raiders, who are currently competing in an NCAA Super Regional against East Carolina. The Texas native struggled against Big 12 competition in 2015, but the success he had this year allowed him to rekindle the interest scouts had when he produced a 1.054 OPS during his '14 sophomore season.
Round 10 (289th overall) Marcus Mooney, SS, South Carolina
Coming off a disappointing junior season during which he hit just .213, Mooney re-established himself this year as he batted .310 and continued to provide a reliable glove for the Gamecocks, who are currently playing Oklahoma State in an NCAA Super Regional. Both of his older brothers were also drafted -- Michael, who was Baltimore's 23rd-round selection in 2009, and Peter, who helped the Gamecocks win the 2011 College World Series and was Toronto's 21st-round selection that same year.
Each of Atlanta's final five selections on Friday were college seniors.