With their 7th round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft the Atlanta Braves have selected Wisconsin prep catcher Jack Brenner. Brenner is a sleeper catcher with a promising bat for the position and a chance to develop further as a cold weather prep.
Bio
Name: Jack Brenner
Position: Catcher
Hometown: Fond du Lac, WI (Fond du Lac HS)
School: Oklahoma
Height: 6’0
Weight: 180
Bats/Throws: R/R
Rankings
Baseball America: 209
Perfect Game: 169
Pipeline: NR
ESPN: 158
Overslot: 144
My Own: 222
Consensus: 199
Hit 55
Brenner is most known for his feel
for contact. He’s the type of player who will take plenty of walks and not swing and miss often. It’s definitely an advanced approach for a player this young. Brenner was in the 98th percentile of contact rate last summer on the showcase circuit over 53 plate appearances where he slashed .439/.516/.707.
Power 45
Brenner will need to both grow into a little bit more power, and potentially make some adjustments with his approach in order to incorporate more power in his game. He has a chance to grow into average raw power, but it would likely play down without some changes to the contact oriented approach.
Speed 50
The speed is presently above average, though figures to slow down a bit as he fills out – especially if he sticks behind the plate. Still this is a very athletic player for a catcher.
Glove 50
He’s still a work in progress as a catcher, but that is in part due to the fact he hasn’t played a ton of catcher yet. He’s played all over, including a significant amount of time at shortstop. The feel for his receiving and blocking skills are a positive starting point for him, but it will take refinement to be a solid big league catcher. If catcher doesn’t work out he’s got a chance to be a versatile utility player with the athleticism and arm to handle a number of different positions.
Arm 55
It’s a strong arm that has produced sub-2.0 second pop times and would also be more than enough for other positions.
Overall Thoughts
This is a strong pick. Brenner has excellent contact ability, room to add some power, athleticism, and a real chance to stick at catcher. He is likely years away, especially if his future is behind the dish, but he will have the ceiling of being a big league starter. It’s tough to say where he would start his pro career, as he has the advanced bat to handle Augusta – but there is a chance he gets sent to the FCL in order to continue refining the defense as well.
