Recently's Wintertime Meetings saw the 2nd year of the MLB Draft Lotto, developed to disincentivize tanking from non-contending groups.  And it functioned! The groups that were all connected for the very best chances of obtaining the # 1 overall choice, the Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, and Colorado Rockies, are choosing fourth, sixth, and Brendan Rodgers Jersey third, specifically. Leaping them in the draft order are the Cleveland Guardians, who had the 9th worst record and just a 2% opportunity of picking at # 1, and the Cincinnati Reds, that missed the playoffs by a single game and had only a 0. 8% of selecting at # 1 overall.   The probabilities of both the Guardians and Reds going up to # 1 and # 2 total come out to concerning 5000-to-1, and this is Cleveland's very first # 1 overall choice. ) As a playoff team, Atlanta had not been qualified to be gone up in the lottery, but the first round's draft order being completed sealed Atlanta into the # 24 choice, the specific very same selection they had in 2014, where they took Florida right-handed pitcher Hurston Waldrep.  In a recent simulated draft on his podcast Secured On MLB Prospects, host Lindsay Crosby selected for Atlanta, providing right-handed bottle Thatcher Hurd of LSU at the spot.  Below's what Crosby claimed regarding the choice: Thatcher listened to out of LSU, a man - you look at the heater, it runs up to 96 or two. Superb slider with wonderful spin rates. They're Atlanta) large on the spin prices. They're big on the bring on the fastball up in the area. He's obtained a plus curve round as went 8-2 last season for LSU, functioning in both relief and starting functions. He started out 84 batters in 63. 1 innings, helpful for 11. 9 K/9, but likewise strolled 40 5. 7 BB/9).  Crosby noted Hurd's similarities to in 2014's very first rounder Waldrep when going over the selection: " Yet battling that command and control reminds me of an individual like a Hurston Waldrep as far as it's an excellent heater, it's a dominant additional pitch, but) you've got a little concerns concerning the walk rate. " Waldrep, for recommendation, installed a 5. 0 BB/9 in college at Florida last season and 4. 9 BB/9 in his 29. 1 minors innings after the draft. That hasn't slowed the excitement for Waldrep amongst Atlanta's front office, nevertheless, with president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos recognizing last week that Waldrep would get an invite to big league spring training and have a legitimate opportunity to compete for the 5th starter's role in Grapefruit Organization action.  Hurd started his college career at UCLA, exploding on the scene as a real fresher with a 2-0 record and 1. 06 age in 34 innings prior to a stress and anxiety crack in his back knocked him out for the remainder of the period in June https://www.rockiesprostore.com/german-marquez-jersey. He moved to LSU for 2023 and worked both in midweek starts and out of the bullpen, incapable to get into a stacked weekend rotation that featured # 1 overall choice Paul Skenes and fellow 1st rounder very first rounder Ty Floyd.  .