The Atlanta Braves have now selected eight consecutive pitchers so far in the 2015 MLB Draft. The team has dedicated their 8th, 9th, and 10th draft picks in the draft to pitchers.
No. 240 - Ryan Lawlor - pitcher - UGA
Ryan Lawlor is coming off of a junior season at UGA where he made 14 appearances for the Bulldogs, all of which were starts. The lefty had a 3.67 ERA over 73.2 innings pitched and also recorded 84 strikeouts; He led the team in the last two categories. Despite the fact that he was a starter for UGA, scouts project Lawlor to be a reliever should he make it to the Major League level.
No. 270 - Taylor Lewis - pitcher - Florida
After staying in-state for their 8th round pick, the Braves decided to go further south for their 9th round pick and they used it on Taylor Lewis. Lewis was actually taken in the final round of last year's draft by the Rockies when he was a junior college. Obviously, that wasn't enough to get him to join Colorado's organization, so he transferred to Florida in an effort to improve his draft stock. It obviously worked, as he ended up going in Round 9 instead of Round 40.
Taylor Lewis had the lowest ERA (1.24) on the Florida team in 51 innings as a reliever. He struck out 31 and walked 11.
#Braves
Florida RHP Taylor Lewis is solid value for the #Braves in the ninth round. Become one of the Gators bullpen aces this spring. #mlbdraft
No. 300 - Stephen Moore - pitcher - Navy
The Braves final pick of the day came from an interesting school of choice: The United States Naval Academy! The Cobb County native pitched 87 innings for Navy this season, and compiled a 2.59 ERA with 69 strikeouts and 18 walks. Now, since he's coming from the Navy, the obvious question is: Will he have to do Miltary service? Well, that should be an obvious answer:
Moore will pitch in the Braves Minor League system for a portion of this summer and then begin his military commitment
See you in a few years, Stephen. Thanks for your service!
