Braves take Wake Forest lefty Jared Shuster at 25

The Braves made a suprise pick with their first rounder at pick 25

The Braves took Wake Forest left-handed pitcher Jared Shuster with their first pick, the 25th overall, in the 2020 MLB Amateur Draft.

Shuster made four starts for the Demon Deacons in 2020 before the season was cut short. He was 2-1 with a 3.76 ERA, with 43 strikeouts and only four walks in 26.1 innings.

Shuster made big strides in his junior season compared to his sophomore campaign, as he went 5-5 with a 6.49 ERA in 15 games (12 starts). He had 37 walks and 94 strikeouts in 68.0 innings. As a freshman, Shuster had a 7.41 ERA in 22 appearances (six starts) and had 21 walks and 32 strikeouts in 34.0 innings.

A native of New Bedford, Mass., Shuster is 6-3, 210 and graduated from Tabor Academy. He will turn 22 on August 3.

Shuster made improvements last summer in the Cape Cod League, improving his control and command. His fastball was in the 92-94 mph range and hit 97 mph. His best pitch is his changeup. Reports have Shuster needing to improve his curveball.

Baseball America ranked Shuster as the 43 best prospect in the draft, while MLB.com rated him as the 77 best prospect in the draft.

Most reports have Shuster as one of the fastest-rising pitchers in the draft class based on his improvements last summer and then his better walk numbers in his four starts this spring.

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