Unowned
Braden Shewmake, IF
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Scouting report
While Shewmake never put up gaudy numbers at Texas A&M, he was a consistent plus performer at an up-the-middle position for a major program, which was enough for the Braves to select him with the 21st overall pick in 2019. He wasted little time adjusting to pro ball, and reached Double-A just two months after being selected. Shewmake’s calling card is his ability to make contact. With a quick trigger and impressive bat control, he can cover all four quadrants of the plate exceptionally well, as evidenced by his sub-10% strikeout rate in college. While he showed some early promise of power with 11 home runs as a freshman, he had just 11 over his next two years combined and rarely drove balls during his Braves debut, seemingly more content to push balls the other way or shoot for liners over the infielders head, which frustrates some evaluators considering his impressive 6-foot-4 frame. There’s potential for average and on-base skills here, but the lack of ISO could limit his future, and we have him behind Ball here because we think Shewmake's ceiling is close to a 45, whereas Ball's power gives him more than that. There are still questions about Shewmake’s ultimate defensive home as well. Scouts were mixed as to his ability to stay at shortstop heading into the draft, as he’s just an average runner who looks a bit stretched there at times, with some projecting him sliding over to second. The Braves love Shewmake’s maturity and baseball IQ, and while his upside is limited, he has a chance to move quickly. (Alternate site)