After the Major League Amateur Draft finished July 14, Caden Merritt remained hopeful.
No team selected him during the two-day, 20-round draft. But the 2025 Gainesville High School graduate thought it was still possible, however remote, for him to begin his professional baseball career this summer.
The next day, the Atlanta Braves fulfilled that opportunity with an offer that Merritt accepted to sign as an undrafted rookie free agent.
Instead of preparing his freshman year at Coastal Carolina, the 2025 Class 6 state baseball player of the year left his Haymarket home July 19 and drove his truck to the Braves’ spring training facility in North Port, Florida in time to report the following afternoon.
It’s uncommon for high school players to sign UDFA deals. Typically, only college players go that route. In fact, Merritt is one of five 2025 high school graduates out of 106 overall players who have signed such agreements so far, according to a running list of signings compiled by Baseball America.
Four-year starter Caden Merritt is a two-way threat for Gainesville
Merritt was working out at the time at Mike Colangelo’s hitting facility in Manassas when the Braves’ scout Porter Reinhart called him during the early afternoon July 15. Merritt, who turned 18 May 19, said he took some time to discuss the offer with his family before calling the Braves back and accepting.
“[My parents] were very supportive in what I wanted to do,” Merritt said. “At the end of the day, they wanted me to make the best decision for me. I want to play pro ball. I think I’m ready.”
Merritt is expected to play outfield for the Braves. His speed along with his hitting ability caught the eye of MLB teams.
As a pitcher for Gainesville, Merritt finished the season with a 10-1 record, 1.537 ERA, 74 strikeouts and 15 walks. As a hitter, Merritt recorded a .421 batting average with six homers, 27 RBI, 38 runs and a state-best 30 stolen bases.
He is Gainesville High School’s first pro athlete since the school opened in 2021.
Merritt said other MLB teams, whom he declined to name, were interested in selecting him during the draft, but nothing happened after Merritt held firm to the signing bonus he wanted to bypass college.
Once the draft is over, players can sign as undrafted rookie free agents for up to $150,000 without counting toward a team’s draft bonus pool. Merritt declined to reveal how much he signed for, but confirmed it was higher than $150,000. He also received money for college.
The Braves met Merritt’s demand since they had more money available in their $9,081,100 bonus pool after picks like their first three selections, including first-round pick Tate Southisene, agreed to sign for under slot.
The Braves met Merritt’s demand because they had more money available in their $9 million bonus pool.
After agreeing to sign with Atlanta, Merritt said he spoke with Coastal Carolina head baseball coach Kevin Schnall to let him know his decision.
“He’s a great coach,” Merritt said. “I would have loved to have gone there but it ended up not working out.”
Merritt has been on the move over the last month. After helping Gainesville win the state title June 14, he reported the next day to Frederick to play with the Keys in the invite-only MLB Draft League as a way to increase his draft stock.
He was one of three 2025 high school graduates on the Keys’ roster and was invited to compete in the MLB Draft League’s exhibition game against a team from the Cape Cod League June 30th at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.
Merritt’s time with Frederick helped prepare him for the rigors of pro baseball, from living on your own for extended period of time to playing nearly day either at home or on the road.
“It’s been a little bit of a roller coaster,” Merritt said of the last month. “But it hasn’t been too stressful. If I can call this my job, then I’m a pretty blessed human.”
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