When the Atlanta Braves selected Tate Southisene in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft, it was quite the departure for them. Known as a team that really prefers to grab arms in the first round, it spoke volumes about Southisene that Atlanta was willing to use such a high pick on him. Unfortunately, Southisene's stock took a big hit when his first look at pro ball was a disaster, but that has changed for the better this season.
Southisene made his professional debut at low-A Augusta in 2025 despite being drafted right out of high school. It was an aggressive assignment to be sure at his age and experience level, but it was still jarring to see him struggle so much with a paltry .539 OPS while striking out almost half the time.
However, Southisene clearly put in some work this offseason, and now, after an uneven start to the 2026 season, it looks like he is fully locked in as we get into the heart of May.
T as in Troy? No, T as in TaTe SouThisene is Tied for the league lead in homers. pic.twitter.com/GV6zf3OoVz
— Augusta GreenJackets (@GreenJackets) May 13, 2026
Tate Southisene is forcing his way into the Braves' future infield plans in a hurry
Through Southisene's first 12 games this season, the results were all over the place. His .196/.393/.348 line left a lot to be desired, but the details were even stranger as he had a handful of terrific games and a bunch of stinkers. However, Southisene rebounded nicely to end April with a .937 OPS, although that was heavily weighted by an unsustainable .442 OBP.
The month of May has seen Southisene push his foot down harder on the gas. So far, he is slashing .282/.404/.564 this month with three homers and six stolen bases in just 10 games of work. It also feels like he is heating up as Southisene has homered in back-to-back games and has just one strikeout over his last three games.
All of a sudden, Southisene looks like he could be that five-tool bargain that the Braves hoped he could end up being. He's still very far away from the big leagues, but Southisene has at least put himself on the path to get into the conversation when the Braves are talking about their short-term and long-term future. Considering where his stock was at the start of the season, that is nothing short of remarkable.
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