With the 2026 MLB Draft about to get rolling and the Atlanta Braves sitting on the ninth overall pick, the guessing game has already taken over. For a team with a big bonus pool and multiple first-round selections, this should be the kind of night that can shape the future. Instead, it’s turning into one of the toughest drafts to read.
The problem starts at the top of the class. There isn’t a clean consensus order this year, just a loose group of roughly six players near the front and a whole lot of uncertainty after that.
Jackson Flora could even slide out of that top tier on draft day, and beyond those names there are at least 20 prospects who could realistically fit as full-slot or under-slot selections. That kind of board makes life messy for everyone, especially Atlanta.
Still, a few names keep coming up around the Braves. Georgia Tech OF Drew Burress and Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick have both been tied to Atlanta enough that they look like real possibilities at No.
- The appeal is obvious: the Braves would love to land a college bat there.
The catch is that neither player seems especially likely to still be available when Atlanta is on the clock.
That’s why some recent mock drafts have started leaning in a different direction, with the Braves taking high school LHP Gio Rojas as an under-slot move. It fits the way this front office has operated before, though a lot of that chatter feels more like educated guessing than a hard connection to Atlanta.
If the Braves do stay on the college-bat track but want to save some money, there are still a few names in the mix. Chris Hacopian and Tyler Bell have both been popular choices, though medical concerns could complicate things. Mississippi State 3B Ace Reese and Virginia OF AJ Gracia also make sense, and LSU OF Derek Curiel has been mentioned too, even if it seems doubtful that he would agree to an under-slot deal.
The No. 26 pick, which Atlanta got because of Drake Baldwin’s ROY win, is even tougher to sort out. But if the Braves go bat at 9, the logic points toward an arm there.
Ole Miss offers a couple of candidates in Taylor Rabe and Cade Townsend, and Townsend was linked to Atlanta earlier this spring before his stock dipped. Tennessee RHP Tegan Kuhns is another name worth watching.
If the Braves decide to go the prep route, injured high school flamethrower Brody Bumila could be in the picture, along with Cole Prosek, who may be the best pure prep hitter in the class.
However this plays out, the Braves have a lot of paths available to them in 2026. That’s the reality of this draft class: wide open, hard to pin down, and full of moving parts. For now, all anyone can do is wait and see what Atlanta actually does when the picks start coming in.
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Braves May Already Have Their Best Shortstop Answer In House
Cristian Dubn has quietly become one of the more useful bats in the Braves mix, showing up near the top of the club in batting average and OPS while adding the kind of situational production that tends to matter in October-style baseball. His work has been especially notable with two outs and runners in scoring position, and he has also given Atlanta valuable defensive flexibility by handling shortstop and several other spots around the diamond.
That versatility is part of why Dubn has started to look like a real answer for a team still sorting out its long-term shortstop picture. The Braves have other options in the conversation, and rookie Jim Jarvis has done enough to stay on the radar, but he still profiles more as a utility piece than a clear everyday solution. With the position unsettled beyond this season, Dubns all-around value is making the decision harder, not easier. [Read more 🡒]
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The emphasis on starting pitching makes sense for a team trying to steady itself for the stretch run, and the market could push the Braves toward a familiar veteran type if they decide to make a move. Sonny Gray has surfaced as one name to watch, giving fans a reason to keep an eye on how aggressively Atlanta pursues rotation upgrades over the next few weeks. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Revealed Two Braves Deadline Fits Fans Will Obsess Over
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Abrams is the more intriguing name for Braves fans because the upside is obvious, but the path to a deal is anything but. Passan noted the Nationals are highly unlikely to move him and would drive a massive price if they even entertained it, which leaves Atlanta in the familiar spot of weighing big-name possibilities against the reality of what actually gets done in July. [Read more 🡒]