Think back a decade to the year 2012. Georgia high school baseball had the nation’s No. 1 overall player in Appling County’s Byron Buxton, as well as a few other players who were highly rated prospects in their own right. It was one of the state’s most talented classes in recent memory. Who were some of the top names in Georgia High School baseball in 2012, and where are they now?
Byron Buxton – Appling County
The Appling County star outfielder was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins, where he has remained. Since making his MLB debut back in 2015, Buxton has appeared in over 500 games and holds a career OPS just under .800 with over 70 home runs. He’s also won both a Gold and Platinum Glove.
Lucas Sims – Brookwood
The Brookwood right-hander was selected with the No. 21 overall pick in the first round of that same draft, landing with the hometown Atlanta Braves. After making his MLB debut with Atlanta in 2017, Sims was traded a year later to the Cincinnati Reds, where he has recorded a 4.17 ERA as a reliever.
Matt Olson – Parkview
One of the more accomplished prep players in Georgia high school baseball history, the former Parkview star was selected with the No. 47 overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Oakland Athletics. After spending his career in Oakland through 2021, Olson was traded to the Atlanta Braves before the 2022 season began. He is currently among the league leaders in hits, doubles, and OBP.
Dansby Swanson – Marietta
While Buxton was the highest draft pick of this group out of high school, Swanson was the highest overall selection – the former Marietta star was taken No. 1 overall in the 2015 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks after three years at Vanderbilt. Traded to Atlanta in 2015, Swanson has remained the Braves’ starting shortstop since, appearing in almost 700 major league games.
Cedric Mullins – Brookwood
Similar to Swanson, Mullins would go the collegiate route out of high school, attending Campbell, where he was selected in the 13th round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles. Debuting in the major leagues with Baltimore in 2018, Mullins is coming off a career year in 2021, when he was MLB’s lone 30-30 player.
Skye Bolt – Holy Innocents Episcopal
Bolt was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 2012 draft in the 26th round, but would go on to attend North Carolina instead. After his time in Chapel Hill, Bolt was selected in the fourth round in 2015 by the Oakland Athletics, where he has remained since, aside from one month with the San Francisco Giants last season.
