Atlanta Braves select left-hander Cam Caminiti 24th overall

With the 24th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Atlanta Braves selected left-handed pitcher Cam Caminiti from Saguaro High School (Scottsdale, Arizona).

Caminiti was ranked as the 15th-best amateur prospect by MLB.com and the second-best left-handed pitcher, behind two-way player Jac Caglianone of Florida (who will play first base) and Hagen Smith of Arkansas. Caminiti is also the third-best high school prospect.

Perfect game They ranked him the best player in Arizona and the best left-hander in the country. They also ranked him the fourth best player overall.

Caminiti committed to LSU before being drafted. He was reclassified to the 2024 class after being a year behind. He turns 18 next month.

If his name sounds familiar, he’s the cousin of Ken Caminiti, the late 1996 National League MVP. The family’s legacy in professional baseball continues. Caminiti finished his 15-year career in Atlanta in 2001.

In his senior year at Saguaro, Caminiti went 9-0 with a 0.93 ERA, striking out 119 batters in 52 2/3 innings. He also had a solid performance at the plate, hitting .493.

He played a key role in his high school team winning the state championship for the first time in 13 years. Caminiti struck out 11 batters en route to a two-hit game in the championship game.

According to MLB.com, the 17-year-old pitcher already has a top speed of 98 mph. Another career highlight was when he struck out 16 consecutive batters last March.

While the Braves have a plethora of pitchers among their top 30 prospects, they have just two left-handers, Dylan Dodd, ranked 14th, and Luis De Avila, ranked 19th. By comparison, they have 15 right-handers.

While it would have made sense to go after a position player, they definitely needed another lefty, and they went with one of the best options on the board.