With the 76th pick in the 2016 MLB Draft and concluding the Braves’ picks on the first day of the draft, the Atlanta Braves selected catcher Brett Cumberland from UC-Berkeley. For those fans that have been lamenting the lack of hitters taken thus far in the draft, they should be happy as Brett is a switch-hitting catching prospect with a plus hit tool from the college ranks.
Cumberland has a strong approach at the plate and while he doesn’t have the power Zach Collins does, he still should draw plenty of walks and hit for average in the majors. He is considered to be one of the better hitting catching prospects in the draft. The problem is that there are not many folks who think he will stay behind the plate and seems destined for left field (I don’t think he has the arm for right field). He has caught 42% of base stealers this year, but his receiving and blocking skills are not exactly lauded. That being said, he has been noted as improving as a defender, so the Braves could give him a try at catcher and see what happens.
And with that ends the first day of the draft. We hope you enjoyed our coverage of the draft and come back tomorrow when Round 3 kicks off at noon.