NEW YORK — The Atlanta Braves continued their stockpiling of young pitching Thursday night on the opening day of the 2016 Major League Draft.
Meanwhile, Buford outfielder Brandon Marsh was taken by the Los Angeles Angels with the 60th overall pick in the second round as the highest northeast Georgia player selected on the opening day.
The Braves used their three opening-day picks to take a right-hander and two left-handers.
Atlanta took right-hander Ian Anderson of Shenendehowa High School out of Clifton Park, N.Y. with the third overall pick. Anderson is a Vanderbilt-signee and once struck out 21 batters in a high school game. He has three-plus pitches and is mentioned as a Greg Maddux-type pitcher with outstanding control.
The Braves added another high school pitcher with the 40th pick in the Lottery A Round in southpaw Joey Wentz out of Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kansas south of Kansas City. They also took another left-hander in Kyle Muller of Jesuit College Prep out of Dallas, Tex., with the 44th pick, the third of the second round.
Atlanta finished the night taking University of California catcher Brett Cumberland with the 76th pick in the Lottery B round. Cumberland led the Golden Bears in hitting with a .344 average, home runs (16), RBI (51), and had a stellar .678 slugging percentage while starting all 52 of their games in 2016.
Atlanta owned five of the first 80 picks in the draft. The Braves first pick on Friday will be the 80th pick (third pick in the third round).
As for other Georgia players taken on the opening night of the draft:
Baseball America Player of the Year and Mercer University outfielder Kyle Lewis, a Shiloh High standout, was the first Georgia player taken. He was selected 11th overall by the Seattle Mariners.
Third baseman Joshua Lowe of Pope High was taken 13th by the Tampa Bay Rays. Lowe helped lead the Greyhounds to the Class AAAAAA championship series.
Westminster outfielder Wil Benson, who led the Wildcats to the Class AAA state title, was picked 14th by the Cleveland Indians.
Shortstop Carter Kieboom, who helped lead Walton High to the 2016 Class AAAAAA state championship, was selected by the Washington Nationals with the 28th pick.
Taylor Trammel of Mount Paran was taken with the first pick of the Lottery A round, No. 35 overall, by the Cincinnati Reds.
University of Georgia standout pitcher Robert Tyler was taken 38th by the Colorado Rockies.
McEachern's Alex Speas, a right-handed pitcher, was taken by the Texas Rangers with the 63rd pick and Salem outfielder Akil Baddoo was selected by the Minnesota Twins with the 74th pick in the Lottery B round.
The Draft will continue on Friday with Rounds 3-10 beginning at 1 p.m. on MLB.com only, with a draft show at 12:30 p.m. Saturday will feature rounds 11-40, beginning at 12 p.m. on MLB.com.
