Braves select pitcher Jason Hursh with No. 31 pick

When it comes to the MLB Amatuer Draft, the Braves are nothing if not consistent under general manager Frank Wren's guidance.

Since taking the reins of Atlanta's front office from John Schuerholz in October 2007, Wren's staff has made pitching the ultimate priority come draft day. The first round of the 2013 draft Thursday night was no different: the Braves took Oklahoma State pitcher Jason Hursh with the 31st overall pick.

“We are excited to draft Jason and we’re looking forward to adding him to our organization,” Tony DeMacio, the Braves’ director of scouting, said in a statement. “We feel we chose a pitcher with a real power arm who has a lot of years and innings ahead of him.”

Hursh becomes the fifth pitcher the Braves have drafted in the first round over the past six seasons. He follows in the footsteps of Brett DeVall, Mike Minor, Sean Gilmartin and Lucas Sims, respectively. Hursh, who posted a 6-5 record with a 2.79 ERA as a redshirt sophomore, is the third college pitcher taken by the Braves over that span (Minor, Gilmartin).

The Carrollton, Texas, native was also drafted in the sixth round by the Pirates in 2010, but chose not to sign.

The No. 31 pick was the franchise's compensation from the Cleveland Indians for center fielder Michael Bourn. The Braves surrendered their first-round pick to the Tampa Bay Rays (No. 29, Arkansas pitcher Ryne Stanek) when they signed free agent B.J. Upton in November.

The 6-foot-1 right-hander is largely referred to as a fastball-dominant pitcher, consistently hitting the mid-90s with "unusually good action" through the lower half of the strike zone, according to one draft expert. He logged 86 strikeouts in 106.1 innings pitched this season.

But there are two major issues that pop up with Hursh: for starters, he missed the entirety of the 2012 while undergoing Tommy John surgery (a procedure the Braves are all too familiar with) and his secondary pitches are not considered big league-ready. Right now, his changeup, slider and a reported curveball will need to be worked out in the minors.

Perhaps fortunately, he'll have ample time to do so.

With the emergence and/or development of recent draft picks — Minor, Sims, Gilmartin, Kris Medlen, Alex Wood and J.R. Graham — as well as the amateur free agent signings of Brandon Beachy and Julio Teheran, Atlanta will not need to rush Hursh. Some analysts also mentioned him as a future bullpen guy.

Either way, with Hursh now in the fold, the blueprint continues to be self-evident.

They say you can never have enough pitching. Frank Wren is simply putting that theory to the draft-day test.