The Atlanta Braves needed some help in the bullpen and they drafted what could be one of the steals of the MLB Draft. Briggs McKenzie is headed to Atlanta’s organization and could be an arm that develops into a weapon that will haunt the NL East for years. The Braves needed a player like McKenzie because they don’t have that star pitcher in their farm system right now.
Hurston Waldrep is creeping up on being a bust as he’s stuck on Gwinnett. The Braves don’t have any faith in his ability to elevate this bullpen as he was supposed to be the next big thing after Spencer Striders fast track to MLB. With Waldrep taking a step back, McKenzie has the potential to leap frog him and develop into a core piece of the rotation.
The Braves will have to open up the check book to lure McKenzie away from his LSU commitment though that shouldn’t be an issue. At 18 years old, he has a ways before he gets to MLB, but this coaching staff gets another gem to work with and it is something Braves fans can look forward to; especially with how the pitchers have looked this season.
Briggs McKenzie could be the savior for a team seeking pitching depth
McKenzie joining the Braves essentially gives them something to look forward to down the road. He may not be on the Strider path to MLB, but he’s a player that can generate a lot of buzz and excitement. Over the last few seasons, Max Fried, Charlie Morton and Ian Anderson have all departed. This season’s rotation isn’t even scratching the surface for what they used to have.
Though he’ll need a few years, having McKenzie develop into a solid player that can start is important. With the hype, though, he’ll still need development. According to his MLB prospect profile, he’s very much unpolished and has a lot of work to do before he’s MLB ready.
Braves new prospect needs to work on his velocity
He can top his fastball out anywhere between 90 and 95 but he can’t sit around there long. After the first few innings, he drops to around 87-91. Which isn’t bad, but he’ll definitely need to work on his stamina. Though he could end up being a middle reliever if he doesn’t, the Braves would love to have him be a starter that can go deep into games.
The Braves have a pitcher that, if he develops and doesn’t hit a wall in the minors, can be the perfect running mate with Strider in the starting rotation. That’s what the Braves want from him is to be a player that can bolster their starting rotation.
They already have one pitcher that didn’t live up to the expectations. McKenzie can’t fall into that trap either. The Braves are banking on showing just how much of a steal they got in McKenzie.
