The 2026 MLB Draft is less than two months away, and in a lot of ways, we are no closer to figuring out what the Atlanta Braves are going to do. A combination of a wide-open field after the first five or six picks, Atlanta having a substantial bonus pool to go along with an extra pick, as well as having a front office that is not afraid to make their own path, makes the Braves one of the bigger wild cards in the entire 2026 MLB Draft. Instead, it might be more instructive to see how the Braves' 2025 draft is doing before we make any real guesses.
Last year's Braves draft class was interesting, as it marked a departure from their previous drafts, which prioritized pitching with their first few picks. Not only did the Braves take bats early and often, but a few of them definitely went against industry consensus where they were picked.
Here is how the Braves' first 5 picks from the 2026 MLB Draft are doing
All told, the Braves used their first five picks in the 2026 draft to take four position players and a pitcher, with both the high school crop and college prospects being represented. It is still early, but it looks like Atlanta did pretty well with its first few picks last year.
Tate Southisene
The Braves' first-round pick came at No. 22 overall, and they opted to take Tate Southisene out of Basic High School in Nevada. While Southisene's willingness to take $1.3 million under slot definitely helped his case, he has turned out to be a strong player in his own right as well. Through 43 games this season, Southisene currently has a .286/.426/.472 line with seven homers and an eye-popping 33 stolen bases.
Alex Lodise
The Braves went with another infielder with their next pick and selected the reigning Dick Howser Trophy winner (basically the baseball version of the Heisman), Alex Lodise. The hope was that Lodise could be a quick mover through the minor leagues at a position of need at shortstop, but it looks like he could take a bit more time to get going. Lodise has been fine, but a .745 OPS at low-A doesn't exactly scream "put me on the fast track", either.
Cody Miller
Many casual draft observers didn't have Cody Miller as a third-round talent, but the Braves saw enough from him to make him their pick once he was willing to take $500K under slot. After a strong pro debut during his draft year, 2026 has been more of a challenge as he is only slashing .193/.287/.323 through 189 plate appearances, including a bunch of strikeouts.
Briggs McKenzie
The only arm that the Braves took in their first five picks, Briggs McKenzie, also received the highest signing bonus of their entire class at $3 million. LSU commitments can be expensive to get players to forgo, but Atlanta might be glad that they made such an investment with McKenzie. The prep lefty only JUST made his pro debut in rookie ball, but has looked good through his first six innings or so as a professional. If he can just get his fastball and changeup to catch up to his curveball, McKenzie could be a lot of fun.
Dixon Williams
Finally, we come to the Braves' fourth-round compensation pick, where they selected Dixon Williams out of East Carolina. Williams has some speed, but has also shown a bit of pop in 2026 with high-A Rome as well. Through his first 28 games this season, his numbers look very similar to what he posted during his draft year debut with a .257/.374/.465 line. He will have to hit a bit more to be a true prospect, but there are some tools to work with here.