Braves' 2023 MLB Draft Guide and Top Prospects to Target

The Atlanta Braves have the No. 24 overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft, and that means much of their draft strategy will hinge on how things play out ahead of them.

The farm system is extremely thin on position player talent right now, but they have also done a much better job developing pitching talent over the years, so there is a case to be made for both potential draft strategies.

Who might the Braves be targeting this time around?

Ahead, we've broken down three prospects who should be on their radar when their pick comes up in the 2023 MLB draft.

SS Tai Peete, Trinity Christian (GA)

AP Photo/Matt York

Draft prospect Tai Peete participates in the MLB baseball draft combine, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

The Braves used to regularly draft in-state talent in the first round, with guys like Adam Wainwright (No. 29 overall in 2000), Jeff Franceour (No. 23 overall in 2002) and Jason Heyward (No. 14 overall in 2007) all plucked from the Georgia high school ranks.

While they have not drafted a Georgia player in the first round since right-hander Lucas Sims in 2012, they could return to that line of thinking this year as Trinity Christian shortstop Tai Peete is moving up draft boards with some late helium.

One of the youngest players in the draft class, he does not turn 18 years old until August, and his plus athleticism and quick first step give him a great chance to stick at shortstop where he profiles as a power-over-contact offensive threat.

LHP Joe Whitman, Kent State

AP Photo/Al Goldis

Kent State's Joe Whitman pitches during an NCAA baseball game on Friday, March 24, 2023, in Mount Pleasant, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

Left-handed pitching might be the thinnest demographic in this year's draft pool, and Joe Whitman has been steadily trending upward in mock drafts as a result.

The Kent State southpaw finished 9-2 with a 2.56 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 100 strikeouts in 81 innings this spring after spending his first two collegiate seasons at Purdue. With a mid-90s fastball, a terrific slider, a plus changeup, and a 6'5", 200-pound frame he checks all the boxes to be a middle-of-the-rotation starter with the potential for a bit more.

His overall polish should allow him to move quickly through the minor leagues, and that lines up well with Atlanta's current window of title contention.

3B Brock Wilken, Wake Forest

AP Photo/Ben McKeown

Wake Forest's Brock Wilken (25) runs to first base during an NCAA baseball game on Friday, June 2, 2023, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

One of the most prolific collegiate power hitters to come along in years, Brock Wilken hit .345/.506/.807 with 31 home runs and 82 RBI in 66 games this spring, and in the process he set the ACC career record with 71 long balls during his three years at Wake Forest.

The 6'4", 225-pound slugger has some swing-and-miss to his game with a strikeout rate around 20 percent during his collegiate career, and an overall lack of athleticism puts more pressure on his power production.

That said, he plays a solid third base with a chance to provide some value defensively, and if he's still on the board at No. 24 overall the value might be too good for the Atlanta front office to pass up.