The Braves have made their selections at 20 and 35, choosing intriguing two-way high school prospect Owen Murphy and high school pitcher JR Ritchie, respectively.
2022 Notre Dame signee Owen Murphy has been drafted by the Braves with the 20th overall pick in the MLB Draft.
Senior Stats
Record: 9-0
ERA: 0.12
Hits: 10
Walks: 4
Strikeouts: 137
No Hitters: 4
Perfect Games: 2Hitting
HR: 18
RBI: 75
Avg.: .548— Matt Freeman (@mattfreemanISD) July 18, 2022
JR Ritchie and Owen Murphy in Atlanta is going to be a huge problem for the NL East.
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) July 18, 2022
Murphy is a very interesting prospect; he put up video game numbers and absolutely dominated his competition:
Owen Murphy, 2022 Draft prospect and @NDBaseball commit, got it done on both sides of the ball in #PDPLeague21 action.
The 3B/RHP out of Illinois fanned six and swatted a two-run homer. pic.twitter.com/ZlxQhHGngh
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 31, 2021
Owen Murphy (‘22 IL) with 14 Ks in 6+ here today. Mostly 91-94, grabbed a couple 5s, lots of carry @ 2600 RPM, has CB & SL for strikes, spins both well & misses bats; over 78% strikes today, now up to 109 Ks in just 44 IP. #GoIrish commit. #PGHS #PGDraft pic.twitter.com/m33MFkAnZW
— Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) May 11, 2022
Murphy is a top two-way talent who set himself apart as a pitcher this year. He was Gatorade's 2022 Illinois state player of the year. Posted a 0.12 ERA with 137 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings while also batting .548 with 18 homers. https://t.co/IwvZfCS7A2
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) July 18, 2022
The 35th pick, JR Ritchie, is no slouch either. He was also the State Player of the Year like Murphy in Illinois. Ritchie took the honor home in Washington:
The #Braves flex their financial muscle acquired from KC grabbing Bainbridge HS RHP JR Ritchie. Love this kid. Up to 97. Flashes a plus slider. Fell victim to terrible PNW weather in 2022. Three-pitch mix. Starting pitcher floor with elite operation and athleticism on mound.
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) July 18, 2022
Just like Owen Murphy, JR Ritchie could have two-way potential on the mound:
Pitching:
7-0
39.1 IP
14 H
4 BB
84 K
0.40 ERAHitting:
.468/.614/.919
29 H
12 2B
4 HR
35 RBI
26 R
25 BB— SportsTalkATL Jake (@cantguardjake) July 18, 2022
In the second round, the Braves continued to seek out talented high school arms — snagging Cole Phillips with the 57th pick:
Add Cole Phillips to JR Ritchie and Owen Murphy. Good lord. Phillips underwent TJ this year, but was up to 100 with a flashy breaking ball. Changeup has a ways to come. He likely won't pitch until late 2023. Was a first rounder before the elbow popped. #Braves
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) July 18, 2022
The Braves took another high school pitcher Cole Phillips from Texas. The was throwing 100 mph before blowing out his elbow this year. He had TJ surgery in April.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) July 18, 2022
Cole Phillips is a steal by the Braves because he went for TJ surgery this spring. Would have been a first rounder if not for that. Red flags are health and a little old for class
— Matt Powers (@MattPowers31) July 18, 2022
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Photographer: Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire
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