The Braves made AJ Gracia the No. 9 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, grabbing one of college baseball’s steadiest bats with their first-round selection.
Gracia, MLB Pipeline’s No. 19 Draft prospect, became the first Virginia player taken in the opening round since catcher Kyle Teel went 14th overall in 2023.
The 21-year-old outfielder has built his case on year-after-year production, and the numbers back it up. He posted an OPS above 1.000 in each of his three college seasons, topping out at 1.121 this past spring.
Over his career, he hit .317 with 43 home runs and 39 doubles, while going 14, 15 and 14 homers across his three seasons.
His path started at Duke, where he immediately made noise with Freshman All-American honors after setting Blue Devils rookie records for home runs and RBIs. A swing change during his sophomore year led to a sluggish start, but once he moved away from it, the production settled back in. Gracia then followed head coach Chris Pollard from Duke to Virginia for the 2026 season, helping the Cavaliers reach an NCAA Regional.
That junior year locked in his prospect status. Gracia picked up second-team, third-team or honorable mention All-American recognition from different outlets, along with second-team All-ACC honors.
A New Jersey native, Gracia brings a left-handed swing from an upright stance that he compared in an MLB Network interview to Cody Bellinger’s. He’s listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, with a frame that still has room to add strength.
Scouts give him 55 grades for both hit tool and raw power, and his disciplined approach stands out too: 152 walks against 129 strikeouts in his career. Defensively, he gets above-average 50 marks in the field. Some evaluators think he can stay in center because of his instincts and efficient routes, though if he ends up in a corner, his 45-grade arm could fit better in left field.
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