"In recent drafts, the Braves have gone extremely heavy on arms with their first couple of selections. However, the franchise bucked that trend in 2025, selecting Nevada high school shortstop Tate Southisene with the team's first selection and following that up by taking Florida State shortstop Alex Lodise with their second choice."
"A two-year standout player at Duke University, Gracia transferred to Virginia during the offseason and has continued to rake with the Cavaliers. In 120 games played with the Blue Devils, Garcia batted .299 to go along with 29 homers and 112 RBI."
"While the power and contact rates are exactly what you want from a top-10 selection, what really makes Gracia stand out is his discipline at the plate. In 130 NCAA games, he has only struck out 98 times while walking 117 times."
Baseball America released their initial 2026 MLB Draft mock, projecting the Braves will hold two first-round picks at 9th and 26th overall. The mock predicts Atlanta will select University of Virginia outfielder AJ Gracia with the 9th pick, marking a continuation of the franchise's recent trend toward positional players rather than pitchers. Gracia transferred to Virginia from Duke, where he batted .299 with 29 homers and 112 RBI across 120 games. At Virginia, he has maintained elite production, hitting .362 with a 1.243 OPS through 16 games this season. His standout quality is exceptional plate discipline, evidenced by 117 walks against only 98 strikeouts in 130 NCAA games.
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