MLB.com<\/a>).<\/p>\nBraves first 12 picks and bonuses<\/p>\n
RoundPlayerBonus<\/p>\n
1<\/p>\n
AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia<\/p>\n
$4 million (slot: $6.68 million)<\/p>\n
PPI<\/p>\n
Carter Beck, OF, Indiana State<\/p>\n
$2.68 million (slot: $3.58 million)<\/p>\n
2<\/p>\n
Kaiden McCarthy, RHP, Vermont Academy<\/p>\n
$2.5 million (slot: $2.08 million)<\/p>\n
3<\/p>\n
Jensen Hirschkorn, RHP, Kingsburg HS<\/p>\n
$4 million (slot: $973,700)<\/p>\n
4<\/p>\n
Cole Dennis, RHP, Bishop Snyder HS<\/p>\n
$523,280 (slot: $697,700)<\/p>\n
5<\/p>\n
Wil Libbert, LHP, Mississippi<\/p>\n
$447,500 (slot: $511,400)<\/p>\n
6<\/p>\n
Tyson Grulkowski, RHP, Muskego HS<\/p>\n
$597,500 (slot: $389,900)<\/p>\n
7<\/p>\n
Jack Brenner, C, Fond du Lac HS<\/p>\n
$1.25 million (slot: $307,300)<\/p>\n
8<\/p>\n
Jacob Jarrell, C, Clemson<\/p>\n
$500 (slot: $244,500)<\/p>\n
9<\/p>\n
Parker Brosius, OF, Georgia Tech<\/p>\n
$500 (slot: $212,000)<\/p>\n
10<\/p>\n
Ben Zeigler-Namoa, 1B, Hawaii<\/p>\n
$500 (slot: $198,300)<\/p>\n
11<\/p>\n
Ryan Barker, 3B, Casteel HS<\/p>\n
$697,500<\/p>\n
The draft worked out almost exactly how the Braves would have wanted it to go, but for them to assemble this class, they had to take a methodical approach to their selections.<\/p>\n
That approach starts with their first two selections.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the draft, predicting Atlanta\u2019s first-round pick proved difficult. The Braves had been linked to Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress, but the Athletics selected him one pick earlier than the Braves\u2019 first pick at No. 9. High school left-hander Gio Rojas was still on the board when the Braves picked. He was another name frequently connected to Atlanta, and taking a prep player would have fit the organization\u2019s recent draft tendencies.<\/p>\n
Instead, the team went a different direction, selecting Virginia outfielder AJ Gracia, marking the first time in 31 years the organization used its top pick on a college outfielder. It was a departure from the Braves\u2019 usual draft strategy and the first indication that this year\u2019s class would look different than those of recent years.<\/p>\n
Gracia signed for $4 million, well below the slot value of $6,675,300 for the ninth pick. That savings became a key part of Atlanta\u2019s draft strategy.<\/p>\n
Thanks to Baldwin\u2019s Rookie of the Year season, the Braves received a Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick, which came with an additional $3,578,800 in bonus pool money. They used that selection on Indiana State outfielder Carter Beck, who signed for $2,684,100. Combined, the Braves saved roughly $3.5 million in pool money with their two college outfielders.<\/p>\n
![\"Indiana](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP25087840896141-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n The Braves took Carter Beck with the No. 26 pick and signed him to a deal that saved nearly $1 million in slot money. (Melissa Tamez \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n
Those savings gave them the financial flexibility to aggressively pursue one of the clear priorities of their draft: high school right-hander Jensen Hirschkorn, whom the Braves signed for $4 million, which became the biggest bonus issued to a player after the second round in MLB Draft history.<\/p>\n
The strength of Atlanta\u2019s draft grew evident a few days later, when its seventh-round pick \u2014 Fond du Lac (Wis.) High School third baseman Jack Brenner \u2014 signed for $1.25 million, forgoing his commitment to the reigning NCAA champion Oklahoma Sooners. The Braves made history again, as they tied the seventh-round bonus record.<\/p>\n
But if the organization had already given extra money to Hirschkorn, where did it get the funds for Brenner?<\/p>\n
Look no further than picks in rounds eight through 10, which the Braves used to select Clemson catcher Jacob Jerrell, Georgia Tech first baseman Parker Brosius and Hawaii first baseman Ben Zeigler-Namoa, who each signed for $500. They saved $653,300 among those picks.<\/p>\n
All three players were college seniors (Zeigler-Namoa was a fifth-year senior). Smaller bonus deals like these are common in the back end of the draft, especially for players with their profiles \u2014 college seniors with no leverage and who would likely go undrafted but still wanted a shot at making their major-league dreams a reality, by any means necessary.<\/p>\n
So that\u2019s how this impressive draft unfolded for the Braves. Below are scouting reports from industry sources on notable picks from the Braves\u2019 2026 draft:<\/p>\n
Favorite pick: Jensen Hirschkorn, RHP, Kingsburg (Calif.) High School\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hirschkorn\u2019s selection didn\u2019t just excite the Braves\u2019 front office.<\/p>\n
When left-hander Dylan Lee, a fellow Central Valley native from Dinuba, Calif., learned that Kingsburg\u2019s Hirschkorn had been drafted, he wasted little time reaching out to his new organization-mate. Lee called to congratulate Hirschkorn and welcome him to the organization, offering a warm introduction from someone who grew up just 11 miles down the road.<\/p>\n
Hirschkorn put himself on the scouting map thanks to his 6-foot-7, 205-pound physique with plenty of room to fill out, adding potential to improve his already impressive arsenal.<\/p>\n
Hirschkorn\u2019s fastball has reached 96 mph and typically sat 93 this summer after working in the 90-93 range during the spring. With his arm speed and projection, scouts expect more velocity to come. He throws both four- and two-seam fastballs and pairs them with two plus secondary pitches: a swing-and-miss slider against righties and an upper-80s changeup that misses bats against lefties.<\/p>\n
Top pick: AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia<\/p>\n
Gracia brings a prototypical pro frame at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds and has some of the best raw power in the 2026 draft class. After hitting .317\/.459\/.583 with 43 home runs over three college seasons at Duke and Virginia, the left-handed hitter established himself as one of the nation\u2019s top bats.<\/p>\n
His patient approach and improved contact skills helped him cut his strikeout rate while drawing more walks. Though his unconventional swing has evolved throughout college, his bat speed and leverage consistently produce plus power.<\/p>\n
Defensively, Gracia has experience in both center and right field, but most evaluators project him as a corner outfielder.<\/p>\n
High ceiling: Kaiden McCarthy, RHP, Vermont Academy<\/p>\n
When you think of baseball hotbeds, Southern California, Texas and South Florida all immediately come to mind. But Vermont? Not so much. Yet, McCarthy has the chance to be the best athlete to play in a \u201cbig four\u201d sport from the state of 644,663 residents.<\/p>\n
McCarthy, a 6-foot, 190-pound right-hander who reclassified from the 2027 class, boasts premium athleticism and a fastball that reaches 99 mph, sitting in the mid-90s early in outings. He complements it with a high-spin knuckle curve, a sweeping mid-80s slider and a fading changeup. Despite missing time this spring with a shoulder impingement, he returned with his electric arsenal intact and significant upside.<\/p>\n
Sleeper pick: Jack Brenner, C, Fond du Lac (Wis.) High School<\/p>\n
Brenner, a 6-foot, 185-pound catcher, impressed on the 2025 showcase circuit with his advanced bat-to-ball skills and consistent contact. The right-handed hitter features a compact, direct swing geared toward driving the ball up the middle. Defensively, he\u2019s still refining his receiving and blocking, but his arm already stands out.<\/p>\n
For the love of the game: Ben Zeigler-Namoa, 1B, University of Hawaii<\/p>\n
It was only fair to shout out to one of the guys who signed for $500.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s going to be a long road for Zeigler-Namoa to become a big leaguer, but there is potential for him to reach that goal. Standing at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, the 23-year-old has already reached his end build physically. He\u2019s a corner outfielder who can play first base, but the power doesn\u2019t show in his profile with just five home runs during his senior year.<\/p>\n
A scout noted that Zeigler-Namoa puts up good at-bats, but hits a lot of groundballs. If the organization can help his swing path target more elevation, he has a chance to be a serviceable left-handed bat off the bench.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ATLANTA \u2014 Until recently, the Atlanta Braves\u2019 farm system was running thin. Long regarded as the gold standard…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":756631,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2276],"tags":[46,5,2291,4,1586],"class_list":["post-756630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb-draft","tag-atlanta-braves","tag-baseball","tag-major-league-baseball-draft","tag-mlb","tag-mlb-draft"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116951573297571256","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/756630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=756630"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/756630\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/756631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=756630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=756630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=756630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}