Dodgers select LHP prep Maddux Bruns with 29th pick in 2021 MLB Draft – Dodgers Digest

It was a pretty wild first round of the 2021 MLB Draft, and the Dodgers walked away with a new prospect (provided he signs). They selected the left handed pitcher of preparation Maddux Bruns on UMS-Wright Prep HS in Alabama, with the 29th pick overall to complete the first round. And yes, he’s named after the great Dodger of all time Greg Maddux.

Bruns, 6ft 2in, 205lb, is a guy who lined up my Big Board a few times, but he was by no means a sure-fire choice in the first round. The 19-year-old not only has one of the best left-handed fastballs in the class, but one of the best fastballs, period. He can reach the top in the 90s, but seems to work best when he takes a step back. He struggles to control the fastball at higher speed, but the skill of the arm is apparent. He pairs his heater with two breakout locations that have blinked in addition – a curve ball and a slider. Its curveball is a mid-70s 12-6 downer, while its slider is a late bite slider in the 83-85 MPH range. Sounds like someone you might have watched over the past 14 years? Yes it looks like Clayton kershaw (from whom he models his game), but it’s in certainly not a comparison. He said he admired the Braves as well Max Fried.

Rankings
Athleticism: 49
Baseball America: 49
Baseball flyer: NO
CBS Sports: NO
ESPN: 96
FanGraphs: 47
MLB pipeline: 49
Perfect game: 59
Live Outlook: 65

Public rankings differ greatly from internal team rankings, so do not put any your of stock in these. The general consensus is that it was in the open. Of course the Dodgers don’t have a 2nd round pick this year and there was almost no chance he would make it to the end of the third round, so Billy Gasparino liked him well enough to pull the trigger here. .

Here’s what connoisseurs say about him and the selection.

29. Dodgers: Maddux Bruns, LHP, MS HS. A good sized southpaw with huge stuff, in the mid ’90s with more cursor flashes and good CB, threw a lot more strikes this spring than on the circuit, extremely high end stuff at times. #PGDraft

– Brian Sakowski (@B_Sakowski_PG) July 12, 2021

Maddux Bruns is the opposite of Greg Maddux. Huge stuff, great speed and bigger break balls, but his drive has been extremely inconsistent, albeit better this spring. Definitely a project for LAD with high potential. Very old for the class, already 19 years old and changing.

– Zack Silverman (@ ZackMatt4) July 12, 2021

#Dodgers Maddux Bruns has an alluring FB / CB combo that has a ton of qualities missing for bats. Control has been a problem for the past year. I fell just outside of my top 50 https://t.co/9CCB7wpwbM

– Keanan Lamb (@keananlamb) July 12, 2021

Picks: 29
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Player: Maddux Bruns, LHP
From: UMS Wright (AL)

Low FB in the mid 90’s with a good plane and a good lifespan. CB flashes more with good depth. Also mixes in SL / CT and CH, both need more consistency just like CMD / CTL.#MLBDraft #Dodgers

– Eric Cross (@ EricCross04) July 12, 2021

And some video.

the #Dodgers took 19-year-old LHP Maddux Bruns with the 29th pick overall.

His fastball hit 97 mph and has the potential to develop 2 very good breaking balls. Control was a big deal for him though, something the Dodgers can fix. https://t.co/zT1MmoEQ7e

– Brook Smith (@ brookme3) July 12, 2021

#Dodgers go for a very high risk / reward choice in the preparation of left-hander Maddux Bruns

– Touched 97 in the Perfect Game National window last June
– Displays 2 good brittle balls (curveball, slider) and a change that he does not throw much pic.twitter.com/8C93BIISiZ

– Jack (@MidWestLAFan) July 12, 2021

Not our best workout in the class, but a ton to love in Saraland, AL, left-hander Maddux Bruns.

Large heavy duty 6-2 frame, 210 lb. Typically 93-96, hit 97. Mid-80s power slider with great vertical tilt at 2800 RPM. Also has a slower CB + CH. Solid and clean operation with a sturdy lead leg. pic.twitter.com/e6utp5LjMU

– Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) July 10, 2020

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Bruns signed up to Mississippi State University – the reigning NCAA champions. The last time they drafted a former Bulldogs-committed prep pitcher was JT Ginn, and we all know how that ended. I’m not saying it’s going to happen again, but it will probably take almost every $ 2,424,600 of the recommended amount to get him to forgo that commitment.

Overall, I like the selection. He definitely has a higher cap than some of the other guys I had on my board.