With the 2026 MLB Draft only days away, the Braves still don’t look locked into one name at No. 9 overall. In fact, the latest Baseball America mock draft only reinforces how wide open this thing remains.
Carlos Collazo’s newest projection links Atlanta to high school left-hander Gio Rojas, and that fit is easy enough to understand. Rojas is the kind of pitcher who could make sense for a Braves team that has often been tied to the idea of grabbing a talented prep arm who might be open to an under-slot deal. That part of the forecast isn’t a surprise, and it’s a connection that has shown up in other mock drafts too.
But Collazo’s read goes well beyond one player. He also says college bats could absolutely be in play for Atlanta, with Derek Curiel, Chris Hacopian, AJ Gracia, and Ace Reese all mentioned as possibilities. If high school shortstop Jacob Lombard slips, he could also be a fit, and toolsy Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron is another name Collazo flagged as intriguing.
That’s the real takeaway here: the Braves don’t appear to be sitting on a clean, final answer yet. The board around them is still moving, and Collazo’s own note makes that clear.
He wrote, “Similar names up top. And it sounds like teams are still dealing with pretty large groups of players down the board.”
He added, “Starting to hear more legit connections further down. We're also in silly season for noise: https://t.co/9oTvzQnTdo”
That uncertainty only gets amplified by the players still expected to come off the board ahead of Atlanta, including Drew Burress and Ryder Helfrick. Until those spots shake out, the Braves are going to need to be ready for a few different paths.
So while Rojas may be the cleanest headline from Baseball America’s mock, the bigger story is that the Braves’ pick at No. 9 is still very much in flux.
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His college path has already shown plenty of adaptability, beginning at Duke before following coach Chris Pollard to Virginia for his junior season. Across that run, Gracia stacked up the kind of numbers and honors that keep him near the top of draft boards, and Atlanta is betting on a left-handed hitter with impact power, a disciplined approach and enough athleticism to give the club options in center field as he begins the next stage of his career. [Read more 🡒]