The college baseball season gets underway today, or I should say is already underway with a 9:30 AM game kicking things off, and some high school seasons have already gotten underway. That means we are
officially in MLB Draft season. This is an especially big draft for the Atlanta Braves, thanks to Drake Baldwin. As of today the Braves are sitting on a pair of first round picks, coming in at both No. 9 and No. 26 – though that second pick, the pick from Baldwin winning Rookie of the Year, could still be forfeited should the Braves sign a qualifying offer free agent such as Zac Gallen.
We have already gone over some of the names of the players the Braves could be taking a look at with their top pick, but now is a chance for us to focus on some of the guys they could be looking at when the No. 26 pick gets on the clock. I have picked 10 guys who as of today could be options for the Braves – though there is still an entire spring for these guys to move themselves up or down, or even other prospects to emerge.
Brady Ballinger, 1B/OF, Kansas
One of the biggest bats in this draft after a massive first year on campus, following his transfer from a JUCO. Ballinger is a middle of the order slugger with excellent data and numbers who could potentially hit for both average and power. He pretty much hits everything against everyone, though will need to show better against elite velocity this spring in order to go this high in the draft. Although he is listed as “1B/OF”, he is pretty much a first base-only prospect thanks to his 20-grade speed and struggled in the outfield during the fall.
Blake Bowen, OF, California HS
Bowen is an athletic multi-sport athlete who really saw himself rise late in the summer into the fall, and has emerged as a serious first round candidate. He’s got a bunch of plus tools in the power, speed, and arm, and could be a plus defender in right – though he has a chance to stick in center as well. The hit tool is the biggest question about his profile, though he showed growth there last year. The thing to watch with him this spring will be whether the hit tool growth continues to progress this spring, which could push him up even higher into the first round.
James Clark, SS, California HS
Although not quite the same prospect, James Clark reminds me a bit of Kayson Cunningham from last year’s draft. A high school shortstop with a very strong hit tool, plus speed, enough power, and also some questions on whether he sticks at shortstop longterm. While he has a strong hit tool, I don’t think it’s quite as good as Cunningham’s – though he could end up growing into slightly more power than Cunningham. Signability could come into play a bit here, as he is committed to Princeton along with his twin brother.
Joseph Contreras, RHP, Georgia HS
The son of Jose Contreras is a legitimate first round contender on his own. Already possessing a fastball that has touched 98 MPH with a plus forkball and both a slider and change that could become above average offerings, Contreras has the four-pitch mix with potentially average command that could make him a steal in the late part of the first round. Contreras already began his sign school season, and came out throwing fire this week.
Daniel Cuvet, 3B/1B, Miami
Cuvet is a proven college power bat with massive power. He’s got potentially double plus power to work with, but will also strike out quite a bit. Despite the strikeouts, he has shown enough ability with the hit tool to have what projects as a fringe average grade there, or enough to be able to tap into his power in games. The other real question mark is that the odds are very unlikely he sticks at third base, which likely pushes him to first and puts more pressure on his bat to produce. Still this is a potential first rounder, especially with a little growth as a hitter this spring.
Gabe Gaeckle, RHP, Arkansas
Gaeckle is an interesting case in this draft. On one hand he has the stuff to be an easy first round pick, a fastball up to 98 MPH, plus slider, solid change and curve, and potentially fringy command. On the other hand he has very little starting experience, and his time as a starter last year ended up seeing him demoted back into a bullpen role – though some of that is also on the Razorbacks being loaded with talent. This spring will go a long way to shaping his stock up or down, but based on stuff Gaeckle is a guy to watch closely. As for why he is listed here, the two guys that Pipeline compared his stuff to are current Brave Spencer Strider, and a guy the Braves were rumored to really like last year in Gage Wood.
Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee
Kuhns is a sophomore eligible pitcher who was highly touted out of high school, had a solid freshman season at Tennessee, and looked excellent for a very short time in the Cape last summer. The projectable right hander has the plus fastball and curve, though there are some concerns that he doesn’t really have a third pitch at the moment. Kuhns has used a slider, cutter, and change at times, and will need to improve at least one of them, as well as his command, but if he can do that he will put himself firmly in the mix for a first round selection.
Tommy LaPour, RHP, TCU
Tommy LaPour is likely a bit more of a project than his 2025 stat line would indicate, but the big former multi sport athlete has a lot of potential. He’s got a huge fastball, up to 101 MPH, and the makings of a plus slider, though he will need work to improve his command of it. He also has shown a solid change and in general has solid command. The big key for him will be finding a way to command that slider better, and also to a lesser extent improving his ability to miss bats with the big fastball, as it presently plays down from what the velocity reads.
Aiden Ruiz, SS, New York HS
Ruiz is not only a sure thing to stick at short, but is one of the better fielding shortstops in the class. He’s a little undersized at 5’10, 168-pounds, but he’s an excellent hitter with a real feel for taking professional at bats as a switch-hitter. The power is definitely looking like it is just below average, but he does a good job of spraying the ball into the gaps for extra base hits. The ability he has to hit, run, field, and throw to go with plenty of at least doubles power, with a polished game, makes him a strong pick later in the first round.
Savion Sims, RHP, Texas HS
A projectable 6’8, 205-pound pitcher who has already touched 100 MPH with his fastball, Savion Sims is a bit of a lottery ticket arm. That would be because he is pretty much all about the fastball right now, and the rest of his arsenal needs to be refined. Sims has at times shown flashes of at least an average slider, and will really need to improve his change. Command is also a work in progress for him, but that’s a normal thing when dealing with a young arm with such long limbs, as they are typically trickier to lock down their mechanics and delivery – which is what effects his command. Still there is a lot to work with in this package, and for an organization confident in their ability to grow pitchers, Sims has to be interesting.
