The group over at Overslot Baseball has come out with an interesting and fun new tool ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft, giving us a mock draft simulator to play with, just like there is for the NFL and NBA drafts. I would recommend giving it a try for yourself if you have a few minutes.
This will be the first official mock draft of the season, and there will be more in the series as Overslot tweaks their draft board, with one final one to come just ahead of the actual draft.
The mock draft lasts 10 rounds,
and the bonuses listed are their best estimates at what bonuses could look like for some of these prospects. While not perfect, they are mostly pretty reasonable. I will note ahead of time that the player database is not quite the full list of players you will find eligible for the actual draft, and there is no current ability for senior signs. For my senior signs, I will just take placeholders and subtract the amount they sign for and project that money to be used to sign overslot guys in rounds 11-20.
You can see below the screenshot of the mock draft, and get more reasoning on why each player was picked, along with who else was considered for each pick. For the top pick, I am noting who was already taken ahead of the Braves pick. Note that the placeholders are the final two picks, Derrick Mitchell and Ty Horn.
Pick 1.9 – Jacob Lombard, SS, Florida HS
The first eight picks ended up being Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson, Vahn Lackey, Justin Lebron, Chris Hacopian, Eric Booth Jr., AJ Gracia, and Liam Peterson. That left me to choose from Jacob Lombard (significantly overslot), Jackson Flora (slightly overslot), and my current favorite Sawyer Strosnider (underslot). I went with Lombard, who cost $1.6M overslot at $8.3M, with $6.7M being the slot value. It was a tough choice between three very talented players, but Lombard may have the highest upside of anyone in this class if he hits, and the reports on him this spring have been quite positive following a slightly disappointing summer.
Lombard is a player capable of being the face of a franchise if he hits enough. The son of George Lombard and brother of George Jr.has plus power, double plus speed, and will stick at shortstop. The hit tool has rebounded since the summer, but should be an average tool for him with continued work. He is immediately the Braves best prospect if he was drafted.
Pick 1.26 – Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee
Slot here is $3.6M and the Lombard pick makes it tough to consider the two best players on the board, prep lefty Gio Rojas (significantly overslot), and a second prep shortstop Tyler Spangler (slightly over). I started to look at some of the other options on the board, and it was filled with Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell, Texas outfielder Aiden Robbins and a grouping of college pitchers led by Mason Edwards, Cole Carlon, Tegan Kuhns, and Joey Volchko among others. I’ve liked Kuhns a for a bit, and his deep pitch mix and upside definitely feel like a Braves pick, plus it doesn’t hurt that he’s on the cheaper side of that group at $3.1M – saving $500k on slot.
Kuhns has the plus fastball and curve and the rest of his five-pitch arsenal could all be average to slightly below. Command is probably going to be below average, but that shouldn’t hold him up too much with his arsenal, assuming he can get it to a 45-grade. He is a guy with legitimate middle of the rotation upside, and a fall back of a late inning reliever.
Pick 2.48 – Jake Brown, OF, LSU
Slot is $2.1M here and I want to save a little bit more money since I am still $1.1M overslot. That removes Canadian lefty Sean Duncan and prep right-handers Cooper Sides and Jensen Hirschkorn from the mix despite being the best players available. Texas catcher Carson Tinney, LSU outfielder Jake Brown, Notre Dame righty Jack Radel, and Liberty righty Ben Blair are the best of the college options, while on the prep side shortstops Aiden Ruiz and Rocco Maniscalco, and outfielders Noah Wilson and local Martin Shelar are among the best options in the price range. Another local option is Blessed Trinity right-hander Joseph Contreras, though his price is listed at $2.2M. If I hadn’t grabbed Lombard with the top pick, Ruiz would be the pick here – but doubling up on shortstops this early after last year’s draft doesn’t feel realistic. It comes down to Brown and Wilson, with Brown being $200k cheaper. Brown is the pick here as the Braves can both use outfielders and bats who are closer to the big leagues, plus he saves $300k on his slot – bringing us to halfway through the overage on Lombard.
Brown has been productive in the past, but has taken a step forward this spring. He projects to be above-average with four of his tools, with average to slightly above power being the one thing that isn’t. He will have a chance to play center in the pros, but would be a good defender in right that should move through the minors fairly quickly. In a different draft, he would probably not be available with this pick.
Pick 3.84 – Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia
Slot is $974k here and there are several interesting options on the board. UCLA outfielder Will Gasparino, Kansas State breakout shortstop Dee Kennedy, and Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson are the best of the bats. North Carolina’s Jason DeCaro is the top righty with East Carolina’s Ethan Norby being the best lefty. I decided to take the toolsy Jackson here over DeCaro with the Braves interest in drafting catchers, especially after not grabbing one last year. Jackson costs $730k, saving $244k and putting us $556k over.
Jackson has been a huge breakout star this year for the Bulldogs. He has gone from a three true outcomes hitter to among the national leaders in homers due to the strides he has made with his plate discipline. That isn’t the only reason he is being drafted here, as he is an excellent athlete who could develop into a solid defensive catcher – with a fallback option of an outfield spot as well.
Pick 4.112 – Gavin Grahovac, 3B, Texas A&M
Slot is $698k and there are three names that are really sticking out. Texas A&M slugger Gavin Grahovac, NC State lefty Ryan Marohn, and Miami slugger Daniel Cuvet. I decided on Grahovac at $516k, saving $182k and reducing the deficit to $374k.
Grahovac has big power, but swing and miss and will always be a below average hitter. Still he’s easily got plus power and is a good athlete. There are some defensive questions, but with average speed and a big arm he could make a quality corner outfielder. The hope here is that you can continue to progress with the hit tool, as he has cut his 2024 strikeout rate down from 34.3% to 16.3% (he missed all but six games last year due to injury). This is probably the latest he would be available, as his power has started to show up recently after a slow start to the season in that department.
Pick 5.144 – Tommy LaPour, RHP, TCU
Slot is $511k and one name sticks out, TCU’s Tommy LaPour. The right hander would have been projected to go much higher, but an early season injury has prevented him from pitching. Getting him for $359k here is a steal, saving $152k and dropping that total to $222k over.
LaPour came into the year as a potential late first rounder, but hasn’t pitched since Opening Day. He’s a big, physical college right-hander with a fastball that has touched 101 MPH, an inconsistent slider that at its best is a second plus pitch, and a solid change. His command also projects to be an average tool. The makings are there for this former two-sport star to continue developing as a pro, which is something the Braves would love to work with.
Pick 6.173 – Lorenzo Carrier, OF, Pitt
Slot is $390k and I decided to get under budget by taking a senior, though he will not be a traditional senior sign ($5-50k). A breakout this year by Pitt’s Lorenzo Carrier is enough to get him $150k, a savings of $240k – putting us $18k in the green. It is important to remember Carrier could have had top three round money out of high school, but turned it down to head to Miami. The power and speed have always been there, but he seems to have unlocked the hit tool that had held him back for his entire college career. Despite the breakout and tools, this is a fifth year senior who presently has a half year of production on this level, so he isn’t going to cost slot.
While Carrier is picked as a money saver, the plus power and speed are for real. His strides with his hit tool have him currently hitting .396/.563/.871 with 13 homers and more walks (36) than strikeouts (32). It’s not just about the stats either, as his analytical data is pointing to real growth too. His speed and arm should also allow him to be an asset in right.
Pick 7.202 – Matt Scott, RHP, Georgia
Slot is $307k and once again I focused on one name. Georgia’s Matt Scott is a big, talented pitcher who has never quite performed to his tools yet in his college career. He has been better at UGA than he was at Stanford, but this is a bet on the Braves player development to maximize his stuff and improve his command. He will cost $207k, a savings of $100k.
Scott’s breakout this year with his command has coincided with him being mostly used as a reliever, as six of his eight appearances are out of the pen – though he has the arm to work multi-innings. His strikeout rate is a career high 13.9 – more than two above his previous high. Command will probably never he his strength, which will likely keep him in the pen, but he has a chance to be a very useful power arm out of the bullpen, and in the seventh round without a ton of money left in the bonus pool, that would be a win.
Pick 8.232 – Jaxon Jelkin, RHP, Kentucky
Slot is $245k and I wanted to grab another arm. Kentucky’s Jelkin is one of the better arms available to close out the picks based on pure talent in the first half of the draft. He will cost me $150k, a savings of $95k.
Jelkin is in the middle of his best season, and the well traveled 23-year-old, is one of those guys with both stuff and pitchability. He’s up to 96 MPH, has a four pitch mix, and gets excellent movement on his pitches. Like Scott, the traits are there and for not much money, this is worth a flier.
Pick 9.262 – Gable Mitchell, INF, Iowa
Slot is $212k. The Derrick Mitchell name in the picture is a place holder for Iowa senior sign infielder Gable Miller. Derrick Mitchell is listed at $150k, but I’m giving Gable $10k here, a savings of $202k, and a savings of $140k from the picture.
Mitchell is the kind of player the Braves like – a kid with a high-end ability to make contact who doesn’t strike out often. He doesn’t quite impact the ball hard often enough to go earlier, but this is the type you keep sending out there to prove himself until he can’t. He is hitting .385/.483/.582 with 18 walks to only five strikeouts in 149 plate appearances. Mitchell’s limited power and not impressive exit velocity numbers probably give him a ceiling of a utility guy, but the Braves do like adding players in this mold here.
Pick 10.292 – Darin Horn, RHP, Coastal Carolina
Slot is $198k. The Ty Horn name above is also a place holder for Coastal Carolina senior sign right-hander Darin Horn. Ty is listed as $150k, but I’m giving Darrin $10k here, a savings of $188k, and a savings of $140k from the picture.
Horn is a multi-inning reliever for a strong Coastal program who has been very productive for the last two seasons. He has seen his command improve this year, cutting his walk per nine rate from 6.5 last year to a career high 3.0 this year. Also important to note is the fact his sinker has a 47% whiff rate (min 100 pitches), which completely dominates the category, as the guy in second is only at 30.8%.
Rounds 11-20 budget:
Rounds 11-20 show as having $263k remaining to spend, but with the Mitchell and Horn place holders, there is an additional $280k available. That means there is an extra $543k to spend overslot in the second half of the draft. With the first $150k in those rounds not counting towards the bonus pool, that means the Braves would be able to go up to $693k to sign a player.
Overall thoughts:
I want to say that I never intended for this draft to avoid prep players minus one, but due to the way the budget worked that wasn’t really a possibility. This is a strong draft, though the flexibility was removed at the start by taking Lombard with the first pick. If I had gone Strosnider followed by Spangler instead, I would have had a little extra money to work with – but Lombard is the type of player you don’t want to watch become a superstar in some other team’s uniform. Brown, Jackson, and Grahovac help infuse more talent into the hitting side of the system, and Brown and Grahovac especially could move quicker. Getting a talented arm like Kuhns, plus LaPour means I added to the pitching in the system as well. Then a pair of toolsy lottery tickets in Carrier and Scott could further add to the talent in the system. The final three picks in Jelkin, Mitchell, and Horn are longer shots, but each of them has something to work with. Finally with this draft the Braves could spent nearly $700k on a prep in the 11th round, or spread that money around to give out four bonuses of around $300k for the final 10 selections.
