Everyone loves a prospect comeback story, but many of those who love those stories fail to have much patience when it comes to a player's development. Baseball is really hard, and some guys take longer to figure things out than others, but many fans (and more than a few experts) are quick to dismiss such players as failures prematurely. For the Atlanta Braves, outfielder Isaiah Drake seems to be one such case.
Drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Drake was one of those overslot picks that many teams make to get a talented, if raw, player to forgo a tough college commitment in hopes of landing a top-round talent before their stock rises too far. Unfortunately, Drake's first two seasons of pro ball in 2023 and 2024 saw him struggle mightily with strikeouts, and some were quick to label him a bust. However, Drake began to turn things around in 2025, and his performance this year is catapulting him back into the top Braves prospects conversation.
Isaiah Drake is not messing around in 2026, and the Braves should strongly consider promoting him
There were certainly clues that the Atlanta-native Drake was figuring things out after he got bump up to high-A at the end of 2025. In those 32 games, Drake slashed .303/.346/.336, which, while not amazing overall, was a really good sign that his hit tool questions were resolving against more advanced competition than he had seen.
However, no one realistically expected him to do what he is doing right now. Drake impressed early in the season, but he has not taken his foot off the gas, and his performance last week (.536/.594/1.071 with three homers and four steals) got Drake named to MLB's Prospect Team of the Week. All told, Drake has managed to put together a .291/.361/.519 line with seven homers and 10 steals.
While it is easy to get caught up in the hype Eric Hartman is creating for himself as another guy who seems to have come out of nowhere, Drake may be the most deserving of a promotion to Double-A at the moment. Not only are his numbers loud, but he has the experience necessary to handle such a move.
It may have taken longer than Braves fans would have wanted, but Drake may end up being worth the wait after all.
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