With the Atlanta Braves draft position being settled in as of Tuesday evening, it is now time to start taking a look at some of the potential targets for the team in the 2026 MLB Draft. This series will take a look at 10 players who will have some chance to be available for the team with the ninth pick. We will be skipping over the four guys who as of right now have no shot at falling that far, the top three shortstops (Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson, Justin Lebron) and the top pitcher (Liam Peterson).
We will start our series with a familiar name to Braves fans in Jacob Lombard, the son of former Brave George Lombard and brother of Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr. This group of players is based on how things look ahead of the spring, as players could see their stock or even game change significantly over the next eight months.
Jacob Lombard is a shortstop from Miami’s Gulliver Prep, who is committed to Miami. He is a 6’3”, 185-pound right handed hitting and throwing prospect. Heading into the showcase circuit last summer he was seen as a real candidate to potentially push for the #1 overall pick, and was considered the 1B prep prospect to Grady Emerson’s 1A status.
Things happened over the summer that dampened his stock however, as his hit tool – which had been considered advanced, took a step backward with the swing and miss becoming a bigger part of his game than it previously had been. Still he is presently a guy most scouts have in the Top 10 overall and among the top tier of shortstops.
The draws of Lombard is that he is the son of a coach and former big leaguer, who has a mature, advanced game. He has in the past shown a good feel for hitting, but also has potentially plus power and plus or better speed. Defensively he is a prospect who looks like he will stick at shortstop and be a quality defender there.
This spring will be a big one for Lombard. The way his hit tool plays will likely boost him up to a spot where the Braves won’t have a chance at selecting him, or it will drop him down to a spot where they wouldn’t be comfortable selecting him with the ninth pick. Still the upside is huge and his tools along with his feel for the game should still keep him in the first round, even in a worst case scenario for him.
Lombard has legitimate All Star potential and could end up being the longterm answer for the Braves that they haven’t had since Dansby Swanson left town. He would immediately be in the conversation for the top prospect in the system from the moment he gets selected, if he ends up being that choice.
