Max Anderson, Mac Horvath, Carson Roccaforte Selected in Second Round of MLB Draft

By Mojo Hill

After Matt Shaw was picked 13th overall in the MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs, three more Bourne alums were selected in the second round Sunday night. Max Anderson (’21), Mac Horvath (’22) and Carson Roccaforte (’22) were all taken in the second round, bringing the total to four Braves picked on the first day of the draft.

Anderson was taken 45th overall by the Detroit Tigers. The slot carries an approximate $1.91m value. Going into the draft, MLB Pipeline had him as the No. 91 prospect.

The Nebraska Cornhusker played third base and first base for Bourne two summers ago, though he was drafted as a second baseman. He hit .283 with three homers in 28 games for the Braves.

Anderson posted an OPS in the mid-.800s in each of the first two collegiate seasons. After 44 games for the Wareham Gatemen last summer, he took his game to another level with a breakout season at Nebraska. He more than doubled his career high in home runs and hit .414 with a 1.232 OPS. His performance boosted his stock drastically and earned him an early second-round selection in 2023.

Horvath was the next former Brave taken, going 53rd overall to the Baltimore Orioles. At North Carolina, Horvath had a breakout season in his own right, improving his OPS from .947 to 1.129. His slot carries an approximate $1.58m value. MLB Pipeline had him as the No. 82 draft prospect.

The outfielder played 18 games for Bourne last year, hitting .250 with six homers and a .514 slugging percentage. He appeared at all three outfield spots and also played three games in the infield. Horvath has come a long way since he posted a .698 OPS as a freshman.

Roccaforte was picked 66th overall by the Kansas City Royals, despite MLB Pipeline ranking him all the way down at No. 129 heading into the draft. His slot carries a value of $1.16m. The selection came in Competitive Balance Round B.

Roccaforte is coming off back-to-back fantastic seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette. He burst onto the scene as a sophomore, hitting 16 home runs with a .374 average and an 1.107 OPS. Though his junior year was relatively less impressive, with half as many homers and a more human .318 average, his .964 OPS still kept him in the hunt for an early-round pick.

The left-handed-hitting outfielder played 22 games for Bourne in between those two seasons, and batted just .182/.241/.234. But he’ll be going on to bigger things nonetheless, as will the three former Braves picked ahead of him.

Day 2 of the MLB draft begins at 2 p.m. Rounds 3-10 will be completed on Monday, and the draft will wrap up with rounds 11-20 on Tuesday.