MLB Pipeline projects Gabriel Hughes to Atlanta in latest mock draft

The Gonzaga righty has 138 strikeouts in 98 innings this season

We are just over two weeks out from the 2022 MLB draft and the news is starting to heat up. Mock drafts are becoming more frequent, and this time we have a new update from Jonathan Mayo at MLB pipeline. As has frequently been the case with these mock drafts, Mayo is projecting Atlanta to go with a college arm this time in Gabriel Hughes of Gonzaga.

If you’ve been following along with these mock drafts you’ve surely heard Hughes’s name connected to Atlanta before, as he presents an obvious fit to the Braves’s past selections. Hughes is a big-bodied right handed pitcher at 6’4 with a mid-90’s fastball to match and an above average slider. He can also mix in a changeup and has shown feel for the pitch, although it is not developed as well as his other two offerings. Other possibilities mentioned by Mayo are the oft-connected Connor Hjerpe from Oregon State as well as the tall right handed pitcher Justin Campbell from Oklahoma State.

Hjerpe, the ace of the Oregon State staff has been the most often projected player to the Braves through these mock drafts with Hughes following close behind. Another option not mentioned is pop up arm Cade Horton, whose performance for Oklahoma in the College World Series has him pushed up to the late first round in this mock. He would command a high signing bonus, but presents an upside rare this late in the draft that could make him an intriguing target for the Braves.