For Middle Georgia baseball stars, major league dreams could come closer this week

Come 7 p.m. Monday, baseball players who have major league aspirations will try to keep their phone lines clear, hoping to get the one call that might change their lives.

The MLB draft is this week, beginning with the first two rounds Monday, continuing Tuesday with Rounds 3-10 and finishing Wednesday with the remaining rounds. The first round will be televised by MLB Network, with the entire draft webcast on MLB.com.

While the draft doesn’t signal an automatic transition into the professional ranks — the draft includes recent high school graduates, junior college graduates and rising college seniors, as well as college graduates — a good offer coming out of the draft often results in a signed contract.

For two high school players with Middle Georgia ties, that call could come Monday.

Westfield’s Cole Brannen is listed 68th on MLB.com’s top 200 list. The outfielder, who has signed with Georgia Southern, is given high marks for his speed.

“Brannen stands out most with his well above-average speed,” his MLB.com scouting report states. “It enhances his chances of getting on base, makes him a threat to steal once he does and allows him to cover a lot of ground in center field. He has good instincts and takes direct routes in the outfield, and his average arm is better than most at his position.”

Left-handed pitcher D.L. Hall, who pitched for Houston County’s 2016 GHSA Class 5A championship team before transferring to Valdosta for his senior season, is ranked 14th by MLB.com and is the No. 1 prospect from Georgia. Mock drafts have him going in the middle of the first round, although he does have a spot on Florida State’s roster awaiting him.

“Hall usually operates at 90-93 mph and can touch 95 with his heater, which has some running action but is more notable for his command than his (pitch) life, Hall’s MLB.com scouting report states. “His hard curve is often his best offering and features a high spin rate, though it can get slurvy at times. While his changeup is still in its nascent stages, it's showing improvement as he commits to throwing it more often.”

The Atlanta Braves will draft fifth, with MLB.com mock drafts expecting the team to take UC Irvine outfielder-second baseman Keston Hiura, with Vanderbilt pitcher Kyle Wright a possibility, as well.

This story was originally published June 12, 2017 at 2:26 PM with the headline "For Middle Georgia baseball stars, major league dreams could come closer this week."