The Atlanta Braves were able to temporarily solve their need for a shortstop when they re-signed Ha-Seong Kim to a one-year, $20 million contract. Kim showed enough promise in his ability to be healthy and still perform on the field.
He bet on himself with a one-year contract, and that will allow him to potentially get a longer deal in free agency next year. This means the Braves will need to consider a longer-term option after this season.
Shortstop is an important position, and you don't want to always have doubt surrounding who will be at the position year after year. This is why Atlanta drafted three shortstops with their first three picks in the 2025 MLB Draft.
Tate Southisene was the first pick for the Braves, but he just finished high school. So he won't be ready for the big leagues for a few years (unless he just tears through the minor league system). The next picks were college shortstops Alex Lodise and Cody Miller.
Braves prospect Alex Lodise could have a huge opportunity to become Atlanta's starting shortstop in 2027
Lodise is the most likely to make his MLB debut in the next two years. He was awarded the Dick Howser Trophy by the NCAA Writers' Association and named ACC Player and Defensive Player of the Year for 2025. It makes sense why the Braves took him with their second pick in the draft. Atlanta values defense very highly from their infielders, so Lodise fits that perfectly.
Lodise had a decent first appearance in professional baseball. He was assigned to High-A Rome and carried a slash line of .252/.294/.398, with one triple, one homer, 10 doubles, nine RBI, five walks, 42 strikeouts, a .417 BABIP, and a .692 OPS.
The 2025 ACC Player of the Year is now going yard at High-A!@Braves No. 4 prospect Alex Lodise -- the No. 60 overall pick out of @FSUBaseball -- clubs his first pro homer for @GoEmperors. pic.twitter.com/VL8AboP3E5
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 2, 2025
It is a very small sample size, encompassing only 25 games. But there are good and bad things, which are expected with his first taste of pro ball. The strikeout-to-walk ratio isn't encouraging to see at all. However, that should improve over time.
Defensively, his fielding percentage was great, and he had 26 putouts, 45 assists, 10 double plays, and only two errors over 193 innings. That will certainly play at the big league level, should he be able to sustain that production. He is currently ranked as Atlanta's fourth-best prospect just below Southisene, JR Ritchie, and Cam Caminiti.
If Lodise can improve his plate approach and add some power to his swing, he could make a huge impact as early as 2027. He can hit the ball to all fields, but his tendency to chase breaking pitches could hinder that.
Having a full season in the minor leagues will help him improve on these things. Should he succeed, there's a chance the Braves can promote another young prospect to fill a major need.