The Atlanta Braves broke everyone's mind when they didn't select a pitcher first, or second or third? It wasn't a sign of the apocalypse, and everything returned to normal with the fourth pick. When the dust settled, the Braves selected three shortstops, a second baseman, three outfielders, and, of course, 13 pitchers.
Who knew the Braves were allowed to draft a non-pitcher first?
As I go through the selections, remember that selecting a player as a shortstop doesn’t mean the player will remain at shortstop. Speaking of shortstops, let’s start there. All scouting scores in this post come from Baseball America’s prospect list.
Tate Southisene Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run:55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60.
Southisene is the youngest player the Braves selected, 19 in October. He was primarily an outfielder in high school while his brother Ty played short. The Cubs selected his brother Ty in the 2024 draft, and Tate moved onto the dirt. He’s still young at that position, but scouts say he has a high baseball IQ and could be an above-average defender at short or in the outfield. He’s got the tools and IQ to become an above-average hitter and a fast runner with good hands.
I don’t expect him to fly through the system, but everything points to a quicker than average trip. He could end up in center or, in my view, at second base as well as shortstop.
Alex Lodise Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run:50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60
Alex Lodise looks like he could play short in Atlanta now. He’s 6’1 with a slim, athletic build, but strong and powerful on the dirt and at the plate, excellent range and a plus arm that allows him to make strong, accurate throws from deep in the hole. Lodise batted .394/.462/.705/1.167 with three triples, 18 doubles, and 17 homers in 275 PA and led his team to a 42-16 record, winning him the 2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and college baseball’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. The Dick Howser Award.
Cody Miller (unranked)
Miller batted .331/.430/.623/1.052 and stole 27 bases for East Tennessee State in 2025. The information I found suggests that his best position may be second base, or a super-utility man capable of playing all outfield positions as well as second, short, and third. He hit well in the Cape Cod League this year, but the main question is how well his bat translates to pro ball.
Dixon Williams – Second Baseman Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run:55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50
Baseball America calls Dixon Williams a well-rounded college infielder and lefthanded hitter with a solid foundation of athleticism. He batted .299/.451/.561, hit 14 homers, and stole 22 bases this year and walked 13.9% of the time. He’s an average and on-base hitter with occasional power, but his football mentality and solid play mean he’s likely to settle into an everyday starter at second.
Pitching
Pitcher ranks are weird because opinions vary so widely. Pipeline placed one of the 13 pitchers selected by Atlanta, but BA looked and placed two in their top 100. All that’s to say, evaluating pitchers depends on a lot of variables, and even when they say the same thing, as the following overviews will show
Briggs McKenzie Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
McKenzie is a 6’2, 220-pound lefty that many have likened to MacKenzie Gore, albeit with slightly less velocity. BA and Pipeline agree on the grades and talk about McKenzie’s. Watching him pitch reminded me of Max Fried when he first came to Atlanta. He spins the ball well, and as he gets stronger, the velocity may tick up. Scouts suggest he’s a solid number two starter with a chance to be a one. I’ll take two of those, please.
Landon Beidelschies Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50
Beidelschies is a 6’3, 230-pound lefty who began his college career as a reliever before moving to the rotation as a sophomore. As his graded indicate, he leans on his 90-94 fastball, a low-to-mid 80s with gyro-slider as his out pitch, and throws a mediocre change now and then. His fastball can touch 97, but it lacks ride. Scouts suggest he needs to get farther down the mound to make it effective. Better mechanics could push him into a third starter role, with the worst case being a late-inning reliever.
Aiven Cabral (Ranked 373 by BA)
Cabral is a 5'11, 185 lb RHP who made 16 starts for Northeastern, striking out 74 and walking 14 in 89 1/3 IP while pitching to a 2.92 ERA. According to Baseball America:
Cabral is an above-average strike-thrower with good feel for a three-pitch mix, though his arsenal lacks a true plus offering. His fastball sits around 89-90 mph and touches 93. He also mixes in an upper-70s slider and a mid-80s changeup…His lack of a consistent bat-missing weapon lowers the overall ceiling, but Cabral’s polish and ability to fill the zone should give him a chance to develop as a starter.
Other Potential Starters
Rounds 11-20 provided a few pitchers who will be given a chance to start, but could end up in the pen.
- Colin Daniel is a 6’2, 215-pound righty who made 15 starts for the University of Alabama, striking out 80 and walking 15 in 91 1/3 IP while pitching to a 3.15 ERA.
- Jay Woolfolk is a 6’0, 200-pound reliever turned starter, who pitched the Friday games for the University of Virginia this season. He features a low-90s four-seam fastball that touched 96, a low-80s change, and a plus mid-80s slider. He pitched to 4.73 in 64 2/3 IP, striking out 75 and walking 24.
- Mathieu Curtis is a 6’5, 220-pound RHP out of Virginia Tech who appeared in 17 games - 15 starts - and posted a 5-2 record while striking out 57 batters in 67 IP.
- Broy Fowler is a 6'7, 240 lb RHRP out of North Greenville University, who appeared in 16 games, including 15 starts, striking out 90 and walking 17 in 83 2/3IP while pitching to a 3.33 ERA.
Relievers
Many of the late inning selected fall into the category of potential relievers who strike out a lot of batters with raw stuff that needs work/
- Royse features a plus slider and a fastball that touches 97-98. He strikes batters out, but walks a lot and tends to leave pitches over the plate too often.
- Kade Woods is a 6'3, 220 lb RHRP out of LSU and likely the closest to getting in a groove.
- RHRP Carter Lovasz out of William and Mary struck out 73 batters, mostly with his slider, walked 31, and allowed 48 hits in 49 IP.
- Logan Forsythe is a 6’0, 200 lb RHRP out of Louisiana Tech with a power arm, who struck out 71 batters in 51 1/3 IP, while walking 37, and allowing 39 hits, eight of which were homers, and threw 10 wild pitches while pitching to a 5.61 ERA and 1.48 WHIP.
- Nico Wagner is a 6’5, 220 lb RHRP out of UNLV Reno, who appeared in 12 games, including two starts, striking out 16 and walking 12 in 19 2/3 IP.
- Ryan Heppner is a 6’0, 195 lb RHRP out of the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC), who threw 38 2/3 innings over 15 appearances, including five starts, striking out 41 and walking 11 while pitching to a 3.96 ERA.
The Outfielders
The only ranked outfield of the four selected is Conor Essenburg.
- Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40 (Pipeline)
- Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run:40 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55 (BA)
Essenburg is a 6’-0, 200lb RHH and RHP; a two-way player that the Braves drafted as an outfielder. His calling card as an outfielder is bat speed and big power, as described by Baseball America.
Most high school players never even see upper-90s velocity, let alone do anything with it if they do. Essenburg can claim both. In a high-profile matchup against 102-mph lefthander Jack Bauer, Essenburg swung and missed a few times and then got his barrel on a 99-mph fastball that he sent out of the park to the opposite field…He’s a below-average runner who should fit best in a corner, but his strong throwing arm would make for a great fit in right field…
Logan Braunschweig
In the old days, Braunschweig would have been the automatic selection as leadoff man. He’s a 6-foot-1, 195-pound center fielder, a 70-grade runner, who hits for a high average, and carries a high on-base rate, who went 72-for-90 (80%) in steals over his four years at Alabama-Birmingham.
He’s batted .306/.419/.415/.834 in 836 PA, striking out 132 times and walking 129 since 2022, but managed just 10 homers. Imagine what Luis Arráez could do with 70-grade speed, and you’ll understand why the Braves took a chance on him.
Dallas Marcias
Marcias ran into a season-long slump that squashed his hopes of being selected higher in the draft. In 2024, he batted .315/.389/.512/.901, hit eight jacks and 42 doubles as Oregon State reached the Super Regionals.
This year, he didn’t hit at all, but he retained his superb plate discipline, walking more than he struck out in his 41 games. I expect Marcias to go back to Oregon and try it again after he’s had a chance to figure things out. If not, and the Braves fix whatever’s wrong, they could have a real bargain in Macias.
Hayden Friese
Friese is a 6’-1, 220lb LHH corner outfielder/first baseman. The Braves selected him as an outfielder. Over the last two years, he’s batted .314/.437/.456/.893 in 478 PA for Western Carolina University and two summers in the Cape Cod League. He’s never hit a lot of home runs, but the Braves are hoping they can coax his hidden power out of hiding.
That’s A Wrap
The Braves signed three undrafted free agents Tuesday; catcher Scott Mudler, RHP Daniel Brooks, and lefty Adiel Melendez. Now you know everything important I know about them.
Based on what I’ve read, Lodise is really close to ready, the only question is his bat. Dixon Williams might be close as well, while Tate Southisene, McKenzie, and Essenburg will take longer.