Braves 2025 draftee turns in electric Single-A debut
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Briggs McKenzie wasted no time showing Single-A competition what he’s made of.
The Braves’ No. 6 prospect made his Augusta debut Friday night and more than looked the part. The 19-year-old McKenzie cruised through five scoreless innings and allowed just one hit, striking out eight batters with 11 swings-and-misses against Delmarva in a 6-0 loss at SRP Park.
McKenzie made three starts for the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Braves and allowed just one earned run over 11 1/3 innings (0.79 ERA). His first Single-A start brought career highs in innings and strikeouts, an encouraging sign for an arm in the realm of the first anniversary of his high school graduation.
McKenzie’s profile features a three-pitch mix with a fastball, changeup and 60-grade curveball to build around. He flashed 94 mph Friday night and tallied at least one strikeout with each pitch. His 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame draws comparisons to Rangers southpaw MacKenzie Gore, a solid foundation to grow into as an exceptional former top prospect in his own right.
Atlanta drafted McKenzie in the fourth round of the 2025 Draft as a high school arm from North Carolina, but handed him a signing bonus of $3 million (approximately first-round money) to forgo his LSU commitment. He currently sits as the second-ranked left-handed pitcher in the Braves’ organization behind Cam Caminiti (ATL No. 1/MLB No. 47), who starred for Augusta last summer.
McKenzie headlined a number of strong outings across the system Friday night. Luke Sinnard (ATL No. 10) racked up nine strikeouts in five scoreless frames for High-A Rome, while Garrett Baumann (ATL No. 11) pitched into the eighth without allowing a run. He struck out seven for Double-A Columbus.
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