Atlanta Braves take three high school pitchers, Auburn's closer on first day of MLB Draft
Jul. 18—The Atlanta Braves selected three high school pitchers and Auburn's closer on Monday, the first day of the Major League Baseball Draft.
The club's first-round pick, at No. 20 overall, was right-hander Owen Murphy from Riverside-Brookfield High in Illinois. Atlanta then took J.R. Ritchie of Bainbridge (Wash.) High at No. 35 overall, and Cole Phillips from Boerne (Texas) High with the 57th overall pick.
The Braves capped the draft's first night — it continues Monday and Tuesday — by drafting Blake Burkhalter, the closer for Auburn's College World Series team this past season.
Murphy is a dual threat with the talent to be a high draft pick as a pitcher or infielder, though he is expected to be a pitcher in the pros. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Illinois last season after posting 137 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings with a 0.12 ERA and hitting .548 with 18 home runs.
Murphy is a Notre Dame recruit.
Ritchie, a 6-2, 185-pound right-hander, struck out 75 to only four walks in 35 1/3 innings last season and had a 0.40 ERA.
Phillips is a hard-throwing right-hander from Texas who likely would have gone much higher had he not gone through Tommy John surgery this year. The 6-3, 200-pounder struck out 42 and didn't allow an earned run in 23 1/3 innings this season before his elbow injury. His fastball has been clocked over 100 mph.
Burkhalter had 16 saves and a 3.69 ERA last season at Auburn, earning All-American honors. The 6-0, 204-pounder's pitching coach the past two seasons was former Braves standout Tim Hudson.
