While the Atlanta Braves' struggles at the big league level are at the forefront of most fans' minds right now, the 2026 MLB Draft is coming up fast, and it is of critical importance that Atlanta not screw it up. The Braves don't pick in the top 10 often, and between their first pick, their additional first-round pick thanks to Drake Baldwin's ROY win, and their sizable bonus pool, this draft should (in theory) be the largest infusion of talent into their farm system in quite some time.
However, for that talent infusion to pay off, you have to make the correct bets, and that is easier said than done with amateurs. The failure rate of draft picks is very high, even among the top picks, and that means you have to be very intentional when it comes to the guys you target.
There are the 2026 draft prospects the Braves should push for (and a couple that they should not)
There are SO many ways the Braves could handle the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft. While it probably wouldn't work, they could make an over-slot offer to a player that is slated to go before they pick at No. 9 and hope they fall to them. They could just go chalk and just pick the best players on their board and stick to slot values early on. Alternatively, they could pick someone under slot with one or more of their early picks and try for the quantity approach with over-slot picks later on. The following draft prospects could potentially fit into all of those strategies.
Drew Burress, OF
While concerns over his size and potential struggles against elite breaking stuff are fair, it does feel like Georgia Tech star Drew Burress is firmly in play for the Braves at 9 if he is there (which is debatable). The Braves probably don't love him enough to make an over-slot play to push him down to them, but he fits their first pick on talent pretty easily. In terms of college performers with real offensive upside, Burress makes a lot of sense.
Ryder Helfrick, C
Elite catching prospects are hard to come by, and they are among the best forms of prospect capital to have as a result. Most organizations have to hold on to the good ones for their own purposes, but the Braves seem to be covered for the foreseeable future with Baldwin unless his struggles become permanent. In either event, Ryder Helfrick seems like a peak "best player available" pick that is going to give the Braves value no matter how they end up using him.
Hunter Dietz, LHP
It felt weird to not have a pitcher as an option for the No. 9 spot, and in terms of under-slot options, Dietz is pretty interesting. The stuff is very good with a mid-90's fastball in addition to three other potentially plus pitches in his curve, slider, and cutter. The Braves love college arms, and it wouldn't be crazy to see them take a chance on Dietz depending on how the board breaks down.
Cade Townsend, RHP
For a while, it felt like every mock draft had the Braves picking Cade Townsend with one of their first-round picks, and that tracks with the current chatter out there. Townsend didn't pitch well towards the end of the season, so No. 9 doesn't make much sense. However, pitchers with this diverse an arsenal and with this much upside don't usually last to 26, and Atlanta is right to have him on their radar. The results of his medicals DO matter, though, as he missed to
Logan Reddemann, RHP
Logan Reddemann was a candidate to go in the top 10 before he had some injury issues this year, and that is where the problem with picking him is. Reddemann did throw for scouts recently, and it reportedly went okay, but this isn't the kind of risk the Braves need to take this year. These are picks that have to at least start off well as pros, and Reddemann is not guaranteed to do that at all.
Gio Rojas, LHP
There have been a lot of mock drafts recently that have the Braves picking high school lefty Gio Rojas. There isn't anything wrong with Rojas per se, but it is a risky demographic to take with a high pick, especially with as much leverage as prep players have, given that they can just threaten to go to college if their price isn't met. Rojas would be a no-brainer at 26, but picking him at nine without a real discount feels suboptimal.
Chris Hacopian, 2B
Chris Hacopian has been polarizing as a draft prospect, although it is highly likely he still goes in the top half of the first round somewhere. The guy can definitely hit, but his power and future defensive position are uncertain, and he has had some back issues this year that have some teams spooked. He won't be there at 26, and there are too many question marks to pick him at nine unless, again, he is willing to take under slot.
Add us as a preferred source on Google