Here are the Braves' 2026 Draft picks

ATLANTA -- The Braves took two collegiate outfielders in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft. That’s one more than they had taken with all of their first-round picks combined over the previous 61 years since this selection process had been staged.

“[College outfielders] wasn’t an area we were narrowing down, but these two guys for hitters, we were really excited to get,” Braves vice president of amateur scouting Ronit Shah said.

The Braves opened this year’s Draft by using their two first-round picks on University of Virginia outfielder AJ Gracia (ninth overall) and Indiana State outfielder Carter Beck (26th overall). Mike Kelly (second overall in 1991) had previously been the only collegiate outfielder selected by the Braves in the Draft, which began in 1965.

Beck wasn’t projected as a first-round pick -- and not necessarily a second- or third-rounder, either. But because he will sign for less than the $3.58 million slot value attached to the 26th pick, the Braves can use the money saved to sign the two highly regarded high school pitchers, Kaiden McCarthy (No. 48) and Jensen Hirschkorn (No. 84), they took with their third and fourth picks, respectively, on Saturday.

This marks the second straight year the Braves have prioritized position players with their earliest selections. A position player accounted for each of their top three picks and five of their top six picks last year. Before that, their most recent selections of position players in the first round were Shea Langeliers (2019), Braden Shewmake (2019) and Austin Riley (2015).

All-Star Drake Baldwin, who won the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year, and Michael Harris, the 2022 NL Rookie of the Year, headline the list of stars who have recently been drafted and developed by the Braves. Atlanta gained the No. 26 pick because Baldwin began the 2025 season in the Majors and was named ROY.

Here is a look at each of the Braves’ final four picks from Day 1 of this year’s Draft:

Carter Beck, OF

• Round 1, Pick 26
• Bats/throws: L/R
• School: Indiana State
• Calling Card: Beck likely won’t replace Larry Bird as Indiana State’s greatest product. He was this year’s No. 193 Draft Prospect, per MLB Pipeline. This selection indicates he’ll accept an under-slot signing bonus, allowing the Braves to go over slot with one of their other picks. The Canadian outfielder was named this year’s Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. His contact rates and exit velocities drew notice and he improved his stock during the recent MLB Combine. The Braves have gotten great value out of Eric Hartman, a 20th-round selection in 2024 who is now their No. 2 prospect. Like Hartman, Beck is a product of Canada’s growing talent pool.
• Quote: “I was expecting to go today, but I'll be honest, I wasn't thinking it would happen here [with the 26th overall pick]. It was super cool to get that opportunity. I joked around with a few people and said, ‘Oh, we’ve probably got 20, 30 more minutes of waiting to do.’ Then all of a sudden, I got a phone call and there it was. I'm still a little over the moon.” -- Beck

Kaiden McCarthy, RHP

• Round 2, Pick 48
• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: Vermont Academy (VT)
• Calling Card: McCarthy, who ranks as MLB Pipeline’s No. 61 Draft prospect, has an incredibly gifted arm that has garnered more notice since he reclassified to graduate from high school this year. The Braves will likely have to go over slot to get McCarthy to break his commitment to the University of Tennessee. The right-hander, who will turn 18 in August, has a fastball that sits around 96 mph and has touched 99. No other Vermont product has been selected this early in the MLB Draft. In fact, just one other player from Vermont had ever previously been selected in the first five rounds of the Draft.
• Quote: "Our area scout, Tucker Meredith, he's been scouting him even before he reclassified. He had huge grades on him. He just thought he was such a big talent for, like the 2027 Draft class. Then we get a phone call late in the winter and we find out he's reclassifying in this Draft class. That was really exciting because it's a big-time talent.” -- Shah

Jensen Hirschkorn, RHP

• Round 3, Pick 84
• Bats/throws: L/R
• School: Kingsburg High School (CA)

• Calling Card: This 6-foot-7 hurler has garnered a lot of interest over the past year. His fastball sits in the 90s and his slider has shown some potential. Further development of a changeup will help the 18-year-old pitcher who ranked as this year’s No. 56 Draft Prospect. The Braves will likely have to go over slot to sign Hirschkorn, who has committed to LSU.
• Quote: “There's not a whole lot he can’t do. He's athletic. He’s a big-time basketball guy. We're really excited to see what he can do. He throws a ton of strikes. We saw him in the summer at a big-time event, the Area Code Games. He struck out nine guys in three innings. It’s hard to do better than that." -- Shah

Cole Dennis, RHP

• Round 4, Pick 112
• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: Bishop Snyder High School (FL)
• Calling Card: This 17-year-old garnered more attention as he placed a greater focus on pitching last summer. His 6-foot-4 frame has helped him regularly generate mid 90s fastballs. He is committed to Jacksonville University (FL).

More on the Braves' 2026 Draft:

• Virginia OF Gracia selected by Braves at No. 9 overall
• Braves Draft tracker

Rounds 5-10
The Braves added two more intriguing players to the Draft class with their fifth-round selection of University of Mississippi left-handed pitcher Wil Libbert (MLB Draft Prospect No. 181) and their sixth-round pick of Wisconsin high school pitcher Tyson Grulkowski. Libbert’s stuff has been more impressive than the results he has generated at the University of Missouri and Ole Miss. Atlanta’s selections in Rounds 7-10 will help the club go over slot with some of the club’s early picks and possibly at least one made after the 10th round. Two of those players are Clemson senior catcher Jacob Jarrell and Georgia Tech senior outfielder Parker Brosius.

Player to watch: Tyson Grulkowski, RHP

• Round 6, Pick 173
• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: Muskego High School (WI)
• Calling Card: There’s a lot to like about a 6-foot-5, 225-pound pitcher who is already touching 95 mph. He has a clean delivery, and Wisconsin’s climate has benefited his arm. The University of South Florida commit has shown the ability to throw a good curveball and sweeper.

Rounds 11-15
The Braves certainly liked the info they received from their scouts who cover Wisconsin. Wisconsin-Milwaukee catcher Dominic Kibler, their 12th-round selection, was the third player Atlanta took from the Badger State, which also produced Braves All-Star and reigning NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin. It’s also interesting to see the Braves use their 14th-round pick on Canadian high school pitcher Cole Dorland. Beck will also be trying to follow in the footsteps of fellow Canuck Eric Hartman, the Braves' 20th-round pick in 2024, who has become one of baseball’s most hyped prospects.

Player to watch: Ryne Barker, 3B

• Round 11, Pick 322
• Bats/throws: L/R
• School: Casteel High School (AZ)
• Calling Card: Ranked as MLB’s No. 197 Draft Prospect, Barker was a late riser who garnered attention when his team made it to USA Baseball’s National High School Invitational semifinals. He’s already 19 years old, but his speed and power potential have continued to impress scouts. The Braves gained some value when they lured AJ Smith-Shawver away from his commitment to Texas Tech. They hope to also keep Barker away from Lubbock.

Rounds 16-20
You can never have enough pitching. At the same time, you can never have enough catchers. The Braves addressed both areas as they made their final five selections on Sunday. Taken in the 16th round, Niagara County Community College’s Dalton Harper was one of five catchers the Braves selected this year. They also used three of their final four selections on college seniors who can bolster the organization’s pitching depth at a low cost.

Player to watch: Ethan Stade, LHP

• Round 18, Pick 532
• Bats/throws: L/L
• School: Bowling Green State (OH)
• Calling Card: Stade’s stock grew as he garnered multiple pitcher of the week honors while spending the past month pitching for Mahoning Valley in the MLB Draft League. The left-hander produced a 4.36 ERA over 64 innings for Bowling Green this year. But he also produced a 36.5 percent strikeout rate.