ATLANTA (Braves) – The Atlanta Braves selected right-handed pitcher Lucas Sims from Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia with their first selection (21st overall) in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft on Monday night.
Sims, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound right-handed pitcher, was named the Georgia Region 8-AAAAA Pitcher of the Year after posting an 8-1 record with a 1.19 ERA while leading his team to the Georgia state championship game.
Ranked by Baseball America as the 29th-best player in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, he pitched last summer in the Prospect Classic for USA Baseball's 18U team. A Lawrenceville, Georgia native, Sims was also a three-year starter at shortstop and had committed to attend Clemson University.
"We are happy to be able to draft a Georgia boy, especially one from our backyard who is a great athlete with a great arm and great make-up." said Tony DeMacio, the Club's director of scouting. "We are looking forward to getting him into the fold as soon as possible. We think we have a top of the rotation type of player."
Sims was named to USA Baseball's 16U team in 2010 and pitched in two games for the gold medal-winning club. He went 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA with six strikeouts (7.0 IP, 4 R, 3 ER 4 BB).
The 40-round First-Year Player draft will continue Tuesday (June 5) at 12:00 p.m. ET with rounds two through 15 and will conclude Wednesday (June 6) at 12:00 p.m. ET with rounds 16 through 40. Atlanta's second selection will be the 85th overall pick and the Braves will select 21st in rounds three through 40.
Information provided by Atlanta Braves Media Relations.
