Braves first-round pick has MVP ties worth paying attention to

Alex Anthopoulos and the Atlanta Braves were tasked with trying to find a hidden gem with the No. 24 selection of the 2024 MLB Draft, and they might've done that by selecting Cam Caminiti, a 17-year-old fireballer with massive upside.

A pitcher as talented as Caminiti joining a Braves organization that has done a wonderful job developing pitching is a scary sight, especially since he was projected to go much earlier in several mock drafts.

Not only is Caminiti an exciting prospect for the Braves, but he has familial ties to a player who not only was in the majors but won an MVP award.

Who is Cam Caminti related to?

Caminiti's cousin happens to be 1996 NL MVP winner Ken Caminiti, a player who in addition to that MVP, made three All-Star teams, won three Gold Gloves, and took home a Silver Slugger. He played 15 years in the majors for four different teams including the Braves for the end of his career.

While Cam Caminiti won't be the hitter Ken was, he might have a better arm than Ken did, which is saying something. Ken had a rocket of an arm from the hot corner which helped him win those Gold Gloves. Clearly, the Caminiti have some good baseball genes.

If Cam can put together even close to as good of a career as Ken did, the Braves will be absolutely thrilled. Going 15 years, making a couple of All-Star teams, and winning a Cy Young award sounds awesome for the No. 24 pick.

It'll be a while until the 17-year-old makes it to the majors, but there's a good chance he'll be worth the wait. His potential is off the charts, he hasn't even finished growing yet, and he's joining a first-class organization.

Unfortunately, Ken won't be there to help Cam along the way as he passed away before Cam was born, but Ken's connections opened doors for Cam as he continued to develop as a player.

“He was a great big league baseball player,” Cam Caminiti said, h/t MLB.com. “He’s done a lot of incredible things for my family and Major League Baseball. I’ve met a lot of great people who knew him along the way.”

It's almost fitting that Ken ended his career with the same team that drafted Cam. Now, it's up to Cam to try to follow in Ken's massive footsteps.