What do you want the Braves to do with the 5th overall pick?

The 2017 MLB Draft is just a day away now. In the spirit of playing GM that is omnipresent these time of year, the Talking Chop staff got together to say their peace regarding what they want the Braves to do with the 5th overall pick. There will be a poll at the end for you fine readers as well. Make sure to explain your votes in the comments and let us know what you think.

Eric: I am a best player available sort of guy. If he is the best player on your board, that is who you pick...position be damned. It seems reasonably certain that Hunter Greene and Kyle Wright will not be there when the Braves pick, although recent reports are Wright could be in play. If Wright somehow falls to them...I am pretty sure they will sprint to the podium to get their pick in as they should. Mackenzie Gore is my favorite pitcher that could be available, but I have heard he is a Boras client and if that is the case then signing becomes a nontrivial concern and there is zero chance of below slot bonus pool shenanigans. Austin Beck is another guy I like a lot because the tools are real and there is a chance he could be the correct pick PLUS potentially sign below slot (very similar to Ian Anderson in that respect). Jordon Adell is another intriguing option as well along the same lines. Ultimately, I trust the front office and scouting department implicitly and so long as they don’t get too cute or if they start drafting pitchability-only, low upside college pitchers again...I am in.

Garrett: I have to say that I am personally enamored with Jordon Adell, a prep outfielder from Ballard, KY. While Adell carries more risk than perhaps anyone who will be taken in the first round this year, he also has arguable the best raw athleticism of the group and has an elite combination of raw power, speed, and defensive ability. At 5, Adell would be considered a bit of a reach pick, but given the Braves propensity to buck the industry any and every player on the board has a chance to be taken. The major question has been his performance even at the high school level, but he has already improved some on his swing and miss rates and prep performance is not even remotely an indicator of future success or failure. While he does have a commitment to Louisville, it is likely the Braves could get him underslot with the 5th pick and use the extra money for a later pick. Austin Beck also provides an intriguing option from a position player standpoint, and Royce Lewis fits the mold of the toolsy middle infielder the Braves have made an effort to compile over the past few season. For me the college class just isn’t impressive past Kyle Wright (who probably won't be available, although if he is that is an easy pick for me), so I hope the Braves stay on course and draft from the prep ranks. Either Mackenzie Gore or Shane Baz would be a huge pickup at 5 for Atlanta.

Matt: I see a three guy first tier and with no chance of seeing Hunter Greene, I’d have to say MacKenzie Gore and Kyle Wright are my top candidates. They are both yet another pitcher when everyone would like to see more bats added, but they're worth it. Gore is potentially special arm who just keeps growing on me as a better prospect as the spring goes on. The biggest flaw he has is a fairly minor and potentially correctable flaw- it’s that there are some questions about the leg action/landing on his delivery. But for a kid his age who already has his stuff and command, not to mention some feel for pitching and this kid is the total package. Wright I've been big on since before the season and stayed fairly high during his struggles with overthrowing. He's a guy who will have a 10 year career and could be a strong #2/3 starter, and if he doesn't reach that ceiling it's still easy to picture him as a #4. If they aren't there I don’t think Brendan McKay is the best fit because he’s more of a high floor guy than a high ceiling guy. The guy I would take if I was running the team assuming the Top 3 are gone is Austin Beck, though the fan in me would love to see Jordon Adell- the modern day Bo Jackson, playing in a Braves uniform. Beck and Adell are similar in some ways, both with loud tools who make the game look easy and both potential superstars if everything comes together, of course that’s the question with them. The negatives are that both have questions on their hit tools, and where Adell has the louder toolset he is also the one who has proven to have some swing and miss issues against top competition while Beck hasn’t had the chance to face that competition after missing last summer with an ACL injury. One more guy who I’m warming up to as a potential Top 5 pick as the spring goes on is Texas prep pitcher Shane Baz.

Demetrius: Whenever people have asked John Coppolella about his draft strategy, the one thing that comes up the most is the fact that the team’s policy when it comes to the draft is to take the best player available. Early returns on the past two drafts have me feeling pretty optimistic, so I’d say that whoever the Braves have in mind when it comes to “best player available” at the number five spot could turn out pretty well. I’m not the biggest draftnik in the world -- especially compared to the great guys we have here on staff -- but I know enough to know that this is a solid draft strategy to have in a sport with such a volatile draft as baseball’s is. So yeah, as long as they stick to their strategy then I’m pretty trusting of what the Braves are going to do with the fifth overall pick.

Brad: Take the best player. That is a ridiculously simplistic answer but, in a state of confession, I won’t claim to be a better MLB Draft scout than the folks employed by the Braves to confer on the selection. In a vacuum, I’m an upside guy, especially in the top five so… there’s some analysis for you. Select a good player and prosper.

Scott: There seems to be a consensus top-5 this year, which is good news for the team with the 5th pick. (It’s kind of a shame the Braves went 8-2 during the final two weeks of last season to go from the No. 2 pick to 5, but whatever). My top choice would be Hunter Greene, but there's a 98% chance he's not on the board when the Braves pick. I'm also fully in favor of Coppy manipulating the system, but with this year’s class being pretty weak and just two picks early on, I don't think they try to get creative. Ideally they'd get MacKenzie Gore at #5, but I'm guessing he’ll go to Cincinnati or Tampa Bay, leaving the Braves with their choice of Royce Lewis or Austin Beck, who they both seem to really like. Kyle Wright may also be an option that I’d strongly consider.

Ivan: Select the player they think has the highest expected value over their six team-controlled seasons (after factoring in risk). I mean, they’d probably do that anyway, and it’s not like they’ll ever share any logical processes or heuristics with the plebeians like me, so I’d never really know why they picked who they did. But I hope their pick is made for what I think are the right reasons (best major league production, adjusted for risk), rather than using any other rationale. Alternatively, it would be cool if they used their fifth overall pick on drafting a giant billboard that says, “The one-game Wild Card playoff is stupid and we should get rid of it ASAP” and then placing it right outside Rob Manfred’s window. That would rock.

Mason: I’d love to see the Braves take left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore out of Whiteville High School in North Carolina. He’s ranked 4th in both MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Draft Prospects and Baseball America’s Top 10 MLB Draft Prospects. At 6’2”, 180 lbs, Gore has a plus fastball that went from sitting around 89-92 mph in his junior year to elevating around 90-94 mph in his senior year. He has a plus curveball, which is regarded as his best secondary pitch, but his changeup and slider also have the ability to be plus pitches on his best days. I understand that taking another pitcher when the farm system is already full of arms might not be the sexiest pick, but you can never have too many pitchers in your system for two main reasons. The first is that it’s hard to predict which pitchers you have will develop and which ones won’t. Not long ago, Matt Wisler and Aaron Blair were viewed as top pitching prospects. In the event that some arms don’t pan out, it’s always good to have a plethora of reserves to turn to. Secondly, arms equal currency in baseball. If Gore can ultimately be developed into a quality trade piece for Coppy down the road, then I’m all for it.

Dillon: For a while I was fixated on Austin Beck, a prep outfielder from North Carolina who reportedly has flashed five plus tools including 70-grade power according to multiple sources. Those numbers are enticing and Beck certainly may pan out, but as the draft has drawn closer I have become more enamored with the idea of the Braves getting their hands on MacKenzie Gore with the fifth pick. Gore is another North Carolina prep, and the 6’2” left-hander may have the highest ceiling of any pitcher in this draft class. With a fastball that sits in the low-90’s and three secondary offerings with the potential to be plus pitches in the future, Gore has the arsenal to be a top-of-the-rotation arm much like Kolby Allard. The only trouble with Gore at the point seems to be whether or not he will still be on the board when the Braves pick, but if he is I think he would be a welcome addition to an already stacked farm system, especially on the pitching side. If Gore is off the board and the Braves decide to stay with pitching, Shane Baz would be an intriguing choice as well.

Kyle: Draft a future Hall of Famer.

Ben: If one thing has become abundantly clear, it is that the Braves desperately need a reliable catcher. As we know, the pitching is on its way. Yes, it is coming. With all of these arms, however, the need for a solid signal caller has become even more prevalent. While we are on the subject of pitching, the bullpen needs some serious help as well. A quality left-handed reliever is something the Braves have been missing for some time now.

Matt Adams may not return next season, so that also presents the need for a backup at first base. Obviously, there is no way to predict when a player will go to the disabled list. But that is exactly why they need a backup. Although he has tried and at times succeeded, Freddie Freeman cannot carry the entire team offensively. It just is not reasonable or fair to put that kind of pressure on him.