Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 40

After two years at San Diego as a seldom-used reliever, Braun transferred to Cal State Northridge. He worked as a starter and out of the bullpen in 2021, then moved into the rotation the following season, showing a feel for pitching and a full arsenal, albeit with mixed results. It was enough for the Braves to take him in the sixth round of the 2023 Draft, and he threw 27 effective innings during his pro debut.

Braun has a four-pitch mix and can land all of them for strikes, even though none of them jump off the page. His fastball sits around 92-93 mph, topping out at 95 mph with some occasional arm-side run. He missed bats at Northridge with his low-80s slider that can flash above-average while mixing in an upper-70s curve and showing solid feel for a low-80s changeup.

The six-foot right-hander has a simple and repeatable delivery, throwing from the stretch, and he’s long been a solid strike-thrower, something that continued during his pro debut. The ceiling is limited without a true out pitch, but the feel for his craft gives him the chance to perhaps be a back-end starter, giving the Braves another solid senior sign who makes the big leagues, a la Dylan Dodd.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40

Braun began his college career at San Diego, but pitched sparingly in 2020 and 2021, so he transferred to Cal State Northridge. After serving as a swingman in 2021, he was a full-time starter during the 2022 season. His combination of feel for pitching with decent stuff caught the eye of the Braves, who took him in the sixth round of the 2023 Draft, making him the highest-drafted pitcher from the school since 2008.

An undersized right-hander at 6 feet even, Braun has a feel for throwing all four of his pitches for strikes. He’ll typically work in the 92-95 mph range with his fastball, averaging 92.3 mph, according to Synergy in 2023. It occasionally has a little arm-side run, but it did get hit on occasion in college. His low-80s slider will flash plus at times and elicited a 42-percent miss rate this past spring. He can fold in an effective upper-70s curve and low-80s changeup as well.

Utilizing a simple delivery, basically throwing from the stretch at all times, Braun does a nice job of finding the zone with all of his offerings. The Braves will work to see if there’s more velocity to unlock, with the potential of him being a back-end starter type because of his pitchability.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	06/25/2024	RHP Lucas Braun assigned to Mississippi Braves from Rome Emperors.
	08/29/2023	RHP Lucas Braun assigned to Rome Braves from Augusta GreenJackets.
	08/02/2023	RHP Lucas Braun assigned to Augusta GreenJackets.
	07/16/2023	Atlanta Braves signed RHP Lucas Braun.
	06/15/2023	RHP Lucas Braun assigned to College Workout.