Historically, the Atlanta Braves have leaned on their ability to evaluate pitching in the MLB Draft. It was true in the John Schuerholz and Frank Wren days, and it remains true now. The Braves firmly believe that there is no such thing as too much pitching, and while there have been some deviations in the past, Atlanta definitely prefers to draft arms and develop them instead of taking a chance on bats. In the 2026 MLB Draft, we may see the Braves continue that tradition.
Unfortunately, the draft lottery balls did not bounce the Braves' way, and they ended up with the ninth overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, although Drake Baldwin's Rookie of the Year win also ended up giving the Braves the 26th overall pick as well. This draft class does have a pretty steep drop-off after the first five or six picks, so picking at nine does not feel particularly awesome.
However, that doesn't mean that the Braves don't have their eyes on someone they like. In fact, it seems like they are watching Ole Miss RHP Cade Townsend very closely and could very well decide to snag him with their top pick.
Braves connected to RHP Cade Townsend in multiple expert MLB mock drafts
We are getting to the point of draft season when there is genuine buzz around certain teams and players, so this is when the mock drafts can actually tell us more than just where the experts think they should be picked. That doesn't mean those mocks aren't fun exercises, but the hidden rumors with real substance to them generally start coming out now.
Keith Law recently posted his first 2026 mock draft over on The Athletic, and he mocked Townsend to Atlanta with notes that he heard that connection from multiple sources and that Townsend is particularly appealing to model-friendly organizations like the Braves. If that weren't enough, MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis released his mock draft a day later, and yep, there was Townsend again with notes on his diverse repertoire of plus pitches and ability to touch 98 with his heater.
While it may seem "safe" to project a college arm to the Braves, the experts have been split on Townsend for some time now. This isn't a situation where both Law and Callis saw the second-best college arm still available and just defaulted to the Braves. There is real juice to this connection, and if Townsend keeps pitching reasonably well, it feels like Townsend might be the heavy favorite going in.
Some fans may be disappointed to see that the Braves appear to be targeting an arm at No. 9 when bats are often the sexier pick. However, the biggest thing to think about here is the draft bonus pool money game that Atlanta has to play. The Braves already have the eighth-largest bonus pool in 2026, and if they are in love with Townsend and potentially sign him under slot, picking him would give Atlanta a great arm and potentially add some higher-end, over-slot talent later in the draft.
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