Draft picks can be a lot like lotto tickets: some picks are scratch and win, giving quick gratification but low rewards; some are like the powerball, giving you that one-in-several-million chance at riches. Here’s a recap of some of the most interesting 2006 Braves picks by lotto type.
Powerball – the biggest reward at the longest odds. This is how the Braves used their top picks in this year’s draft. How would you spend $280,000,000?
Cody Johnson, first round (signed). After some initial confusion about who the Braves first round pick actually was (John Johnson, 1B?), here’s what we know: he’s not John he’s Cody, and he’s not 1B but OF. This is the kind of identity reassignment that the Braves like to do with their first round selections.  Remember Larry Jones, SS? The two key words with Cody are tools and raw. He’s 17, he’s fast, he’s got a very good arm, and oh yeah he’s got loads of power. There’s a long road between Cody and the big leagues, though.
Cory Rasmus, RHP sandwich pick. This Alabama high school pitcher has a power arm, throwing in the high 90s. What sets him apart from many other high schoolers is his good slider and change.
Steven Evarts, LHP sandwich pick. A big lefty whose pitching hasn’t yet caught up to what the scouts think his body is capable.Â
Jeffrey Locke, LHP second round. Another projectable high school pitcher, which I believe is an oxymoron (not Jeffrey, the term “projectable high school pitcherâ€). He’s raw, but has tremendous potential.Â
Chad Rogers, RHP third round. The day before the draft, Rogers pitched his high school to the Ohio state championship with a 3 hit, 15 strikeout, shutout.  Â
Adam Coe, 3B seventh round (signed). A high school teammate of Cory Rasmus with bigtime power potential.
Pick 3 – Because the powerball isn’t everyday and because winning a few hundred grand is still nice.
Chase Fontaine, SS second round (signed). Drafted but unsigned by Texas in the 2005 draft. He’s been compared to Chase Utley, though I’m not sure if it’s just because they’re both middle infielders named Chase. A power bat, I don’t think he’ll be a shortstop for long.
Casey Beck, RHP eighth round. A closer for San Jacinto Junior college with a plus fastball and slider.
Scratch and win – for the risk-averse among us. These are the ones where you have to match three liberty bells and win . . . “Hey, I got a LOOGY!â€Â The Braves pocketed some of these too. You know, for the car ride home.
Kevin Gunderson, LHP fifth round. A fastball/slider closer for Oregon State. A pretty safe bet to be a decent situational lefty.
Timothy Gustafson, RHP ninth round.  Another fastball/slider college closer of Scandinavian decent. This one went to Georgia Tech.
Ok, I’ll let you in on a secret. These three categories are just high school, junior college and college cleverly disguised. I know, that’s really a gross oversimplification of the draft, but hey if you want sophistication go pay John Sickles for his newsletter.Â
Another secret? I really like this draft. I think it fits a well stocked system like the Braves just right. Some teams might need to take safer bets in the top rounds, but not the Braves. Compare Cody Johnson with Matt Antonelli, who went seven picks sooner. Antonelli is a pretty polished college hitter, probably will be a league average guy. Johnson, on the other hand, may never play above A ball, but he could also be a superstar. Antonelli will not be a superstar. If I’m the Braves, and I’m looking at a system that’s already got some capable fill-ins, then I take the shot at the superstar. Johnson, if his number is lucky for the Braves, could be a franchise player. It’s not probable, but it’s possible.
But the Braves didn’t just gamble. As usual they drafted signable players, and are well underway with that less-noticed aspect of the draft. Plus, they didn’t just draft the 10 players I mentioned here. They picked 54, which is 44 better than 10.
Will the Braves draft of 2006 be lucky? I don’t know, but as the lottery folks say, “You gotta be in it to win it.â€
Nice writeup… For entertainment’s sake, my writeup on the speculation last year that they’d draft his brother.
Jeez, what’s in the water in Russell Co.?
Colby went 28th, right after the Braves drafted Devine 27th. I looked up what he’s up to this year . . . centerfielder for “Swing of the Quad Cities.” That’s apparently a baseball team in the midwest league, though I don’t know to which Quad Cities the name refers.
I think it’s the Iowa/Illinois border but I don’t know for sure. Iowa and someplace.
Sometimes these anaylsts swing and miss too:
From Baseball America last year pre-draft:
“Devine has dominated this season and is one of the closest players to the majors in this year’s draft. He has plenty of stuff, starting with a mid-90s fastball that touches 97, and throws it from a funky arm angle–not quite sidearm but lower than three-quarters. His frisbee slider, thrown in the mid-80s, is death to righthanded hitters, whom he dominates. Scouts like Devine?s competitiveness, makeup and athletic ability, which allows him to repeat his unorthodox delivery. He may need a changeup or split-finger pitch, though, to better attack lefthanded hitters in pro ball.”