RHP Mike Soroka: 1st Round (28th Overall)-Atlanta Braves [Signed]
With the 28th pick of the first round (28th overall) the Atlanta Braves selected high school right-hander Mike Soroka.
Soroka has signed with the Braves.
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Hometown: Calgary Alberta
Teams: Canadian Junior National Team, Calgary PBF Redbirds
Coaches: Jim Lawson, Chris Reitsma and Greg Hamilton
College Commitment: California-Berkeley
Twitter Handle: @34mike19
Scout: Bret Evert
Slot Money: $1,974,700
Signed For: $1,974,700
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
Rated:56th on Keith Law's ESPN top 100. 60th on MLB Pipeline. 75th on Perfect Game's top 500 high school list, 3rd on top high school Canadian list. 90th on Baseball America top 500 combined list, 3rd on top high school Canadian list.
Scouting Reports:
Baseball America
There hasn't been a player out of Alberta selected in the top 100 picks since the Red Sox picked Chris Reitsma 34th overall in 1996, and while Soroka probably won't go that high, he should end up off the board in the first few rounds in June.
Armed with three pitches, Soroka attacks hitters with a low 90s fastball that he can spot down and to both sides of the plate. His best pitch is his above-average curveball, which projects as a plus pitch. In a spring start against the Toronto Blue Jays, Soroka's breaking ball froze righthanded hitters, including star catcher Russell Martin.
The pitch is as tight as any breaking ball in this class, and breaks very late as it drops into the bottom of the strike zone with 12-to-6 or 11-to-5 shape. Soroka also has feel for a changeup, which scouts see as a potential average pitch. There's some concern about the across-body finish to his arm action, but he has no history of arm trouble and has a physical, 6-foot-5 body. Soroka projects as a middle of the rotation starter, though he is a strong student and may be tough to sign away from his commitment to California.
MLB Prospect Watch
The Canadian bats -- Josh Naylor and Demi Orimoyole -- have made more of the noise "North of the Border," but Soroka might just sneak up on everyone and be the best Canadian in the class when all is said and done.
Working with pitching coach Chris Reitsma as part of the Canadian Junior National Team, Soroka has come a long way in the last year. He's been throwing his fastball up to 94 mph, consistently sitting at 92 mph this spring. Both his curve and his changeup could eventually be above-average Major League offerings, with the latter currently being a bit ahead of the former. The Cal-Berkley commit has a projectable frame with the chance to get stronger and should have an easily repeatable delivery.
The last time Canada saw a high school arm go in the top three rounds was Jake Eliopoulos back in 2009. A team that belives in Soroka's upside could decide to pull the trigger in the same neck of the woods.
Perfect Game
Ontario and British Columbia are usually Canada's baseball hotbeds but Soroka hails from Calgary, where he is mentored by former big league righthander Chris Reitsma. He has a smooth delivery with a low tension high three-quarters arm action that produces a fastball that has been in the 90-94 mph range this spring.
Soroka throws an 80 mph slider for his breaking ball that can get slurvish at time with a big, sweeping break to it. He also throws a quality changeup with good fading action. Soroka was especially impressive on the Canadian National Junior Team's March trip to Florida and elevated himself into near the same prospect level as top Canadian hitters Demi Oromoloye and Josh Naylor.