If you have been following along with this series, we have covered how the MLB Draft works and looked at the draft tendencies Atlanta has shown over the last few years.
Now comes the fun part.
It’s finally time to start breaking down the players, beginning with the ninth overall pick. This is the highest the Braves have selected since 2019, when they also owned an additional first-round pick. That year, Atlanta selected Baylor catcher Shea Langeliers at number 9 and Texas A&M shortstop Braden Shewmake at number 21.
Langeliers signed for just under $3 million, roughly $1 million below slot value, while Shewmake came in almost exactly at slot value with a $3.1 million bonus.
That draft came seven years ago, so it would be a mistake to assume Atlanta will simply repeat that formula. But it does offer insight into how the organization has approached multiple first-round picks in the past, especially when paired with the trends we’ve seen under Ronit Shah in recent years.
Throughout this series, I will be highlighting players that I either believe should be legitimate targets or prospects who have been connected to Atlanta over the past few months.
Let’s get into the players I believe are firmly in the mix for pick number nine.
The connection between Drew Burress and the Braves is an easy one to make. He is from Warner Robins, Georgia, played his college ball at Georgia Tech, and would immediately become a hometown favorite if Atlanta called his name. But there is a lot more to like here than just the local ties.
Burress has been one of the most productive hitters in college baseball over the last three seasons. Across 179 games with the Yellow Jackets, he slashed .357/.484/.720 with a 1.204 OPS while launching 60 home runs, driving in 189 runs, and walking 38 more times than he struck out.
The biggest concern is his size. At 5’9” and 182 pounds, there are fair questions about how much more physical projection remains at 21 years old. At some point, though, production has to matter more than projection. From the day he stepped on campus, Burress has done nothing but hit for average, hit for power, and prove he belongs against top competition. He has also held his own defensively in centerfield. There simply aren’t many college hitters in this class with a résumé as complete as Burress’.
Tyler Bell entered college as one of the top prep players in the country after turning down the Rays in the 2024 Draft, and he has only strengthened his draft stock during two seasons at Kentucky.
If you have followed anything I have written here or over on X, this probably will not surprise you. Tyler Bell is my favorite target for the Braves at number nine.
In 97 career games, Bell has slashed .314/.438/.556 with a .993 OPS. What really stands out to me, though, is how much he improved from his freshman to sophomore season despite dealing with a nagging injury. His batting average jumped from .296 to .343, his on-base percentage from .385 to .510, his slugging percentage from .522 to .608, and his OPS from .907 to 1.119. That kind of development is exactly what you want to see from a young player.
Bell is a switch-hitting shortstop with legitimate power from both sides of the plate. As he has matured, that has only grown as he has gotten the ball in the air more consistently. Defensively, I think he has every opportunity to remain at shortstop, although we all know athletic shortstops can slide all over the diamond if needed.
He may not have the one flashy, elite tool that jumps off the scouting report, but that is actually part of what I like most about him. To me, Bell looks like a player with 50-55 grade tools across the board and enough room for another jump as he continues to develop. There’s a remarkably well-rounded player here, and I think his ceiling is even higher than many people realize.
AJ Gracia is another player I find really intriguing, as he may have the best strike-zone judgment in the class. The left-handed hitting outfielder has consistently hit everywhere he has played, and his swing is about as pretty as you will find in this class. It’s easy to envision that left-handed swing peppering The Chop House seats for years.
Gracia spent his first two seasons at Duke before transferring to Virginia this year. Across three college seasons, he slashed .317/.459/.583 with a 1.042 OPS, 43 home runs, 160 RBIs, and 23 more walks than strikeouts. Even more impressive, every season brought noticeable improvement across nearly every offensive category, which is not always something you see from power hitters.
Gracia is an extremely patient hitter, sometimes to the point where he lets hittable pitches pass by early in counts. On the flip side, when he decides to swing, he rarely misses. His bat-to-ball skills are outstanding, and there is much more athleticism here than in the typical power-hitting corner-outfielder profile. I think there is a chance people are underselling the complete player because the power tends to grab all the headlines.
The lone pitcher and high school player on my list is left-hander Gio Rojas out of powerhouse Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.
Rojas looks the part the second he steps on the mound. He stands 6’4”, weighs just under 200 pounds, and already features a fastball that consistently reaches the upper 90s. What makes that fastball even more impressive is his lower release point, making it extremely difficult to square up at the top of the strike zone. He complements the heater with a sweeper with over 16 inches of movement and a changeup in the low 80s. He has already shown the ability to throw all three pitches for strikes against hitters from either side of the plate.
The combination of present stuff, athleticism, and physical projection makes it easy to understand why teams are so high on him. If the Braves decide to bet on upside instead of a polished college bat, Rojas would certainly fit that mold. He would join a farm system with other high-ceiling prep lefties in Cam Caminiti and Briggs McKenzie.
Prediction: Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky
If I had to put my name on one player today, I would go with Tyler Bell.
There is a lot to like about every player on this list, and I would not be surprised if Atlanta ultimately went in a different direction. But Bell checks the most boxes for me. He is young for the class, has continued to improve every season, offers switch-hitting ability with power from both sides of the plate, and has a legitimate chance to stick at shortstop long term.
Most importantly, I think there is still another jump in there. Bell is already an outstanding player, but his combination of athleticism, well-rounded tools, and steady year-over-year development makes me believe his best baseball is still ahead of him.
We’ll find out soon enough if the Braves see it the same way.