The 2025 MLB Draft is a little over a month away and there has been little in the way of real clarity as to who the Atlanta Braves could be targeting. Part of that is just that Atlanta is picking #22 overall and predicting who will even be available that far down in the first round is nearly impossible especially this far out. However, that hasn't stopped the various draft experts out there from trying to do just that with the various mock drafts rolling out right now.
Among the more accurate media outlets out there when it comes to the draft is Baseball America and their draft czar, Carlos Collazo, released BA's mock draft version 4.0 (subscription required) and in that mock, he has the Braves taking high school SS/RHP Josh Hammond who, in a number of ways, feels like a very similar to what Austin Riley was like as a draft prospect.
Baseball America has the Braves picking prep star Josh Hammond in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft
There is obviously a lot of guesswork here and any mock draft is far from a guarantee. Even on this list, Collazo notes that Arkansas starter Gage Wood would fit the mold of pitchers the Braves like if he happens to be available that late in the first round. However, BA also notes that it sounds like Atlanta is among the teams that likes Hammond the most and, frankly, there is a lot to like given their history in the draft.
While Hammond is currently listed as a two-way player, he is going to be a position player as a pro almost certainly. Given his background as a pitcher, he has an at least plus arm over at shortstop or third base (with the latter being more likely) and has shown a knack for showing plus power in games and lighting up the exit velocity leaderboards at the plate. There are some questions about his hit tool and the high school hitter demographic is scary as a whole, but there is plenty to work with here.
If that scouting report sounds familiar, it is eerily similar to what scouts were saying about Austin Riley when he was drafted out of high school and that did not escape BA's notice. There was more interest in Riley as a pitching prospect back then than Hammond is getting, but both were likely corner infielders with big time power, but a questionable hit tool leading up to the draft. Riley was a slightly different build and from Mississippi instead of North Carolina where Hammond resides, but they are still pretty close when you think about it.
With the Braves' success with Riley and seeming to like guys who were two-way athletes, drafting Hammond does feel like an Atlanta pick if you can get past the fact that he isn't a pitcher which is what they usually pick when.