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.
COMPLETE BRAVES PROSPECT COVERAGE
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.