Braves sign 20 of 21 2023 Draft picks
Below is a list of every player drafted by the Braves.
Each club had until 5 p.m. ET/2 PT on Tuesday, July 25, to come to terms with its Draft selections. If a player has exhausted his collegiate eligibility, he can sign at any time up until one week prior to the next year’s Draft.
- Draft Central | Day 1 analysis | Day 2 | Day 3 | Best hauls
Draft-and-follow picks -- high school and junior college players selected after the 10th round who attend a two-year college after the Draft -- can sign with their selecting teams for up to $250,000 up until a week prior to the following year’s Draft.
Players drafted from Round 11 on do not count against the bonus pools unless their signing bonus exceeds $150,000; any amount over that total will count against the pool.
Total bonus pool: $8,341,700
MLB rank: 22
1 (24): Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Florida
Pick value: $3,270,500
Signing bonus: $2,997,500
Waldrep was the fourth-ranked college pitcher in the Draft, thanks to an upper-80s splitter that rivaled Paul Skenes' slider as the nastiest secondary pitch in this year's Draft. He also features an upper-90s fastball and upper-80s slider.
2 (59): Drue Hackenberg, RHP, Virginia Tech
Pick value: $1,369,300
Signing bonus: $1,997,500
Hackenberg is a Draft-eligible sophomore who throws lot of strikes with a low-90s fastball and low-80s slider. He has an athletic family, with brothers who were drafted by MLB, NFL and MLS teams.
2C (70): Cade Kuehler, RHP, Campbell University
Pick value: $1,047,500
Signing bonus: $1,045,000
Kuehler generates great spin rates and carry with a four-seam fastball that sits between 93-95 mph and has touched 98 mph. The 6-foot hurler posted a 2.71 ERA and produced 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings this past season for Campbell University.
3 (94): Sabin Ceballos, SS, Oregon
Pick value: $714,100
Signing bonus: $597,500
It’s too early to know how Ceballos might fit defensively, but his power potential and recently improved plate discipline create excitement for his future. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Puerto Rico native hit .333 with 18 homers and a 1.069 OPS while helping Oregon win the Pac-12 Conference tournament championship this year. There have been questions about his glove, but he was awarded a Rawlings Gold Glove after showing improvement as a third baseman this year. The Braves’ decision to announce him as a shortstop indicates they believe the 20-year-old has room to grow defensively.
4 (126): Garrett Baumann, RHP, Hagerty HS (FL)
Pick value: $521,800
Signing bonus: $747,500
Baumann commands attention when he steps on the mound with his 6-foot-8, 245-pound frame. The big right-hander’s heavy fastball sits around 93 mph, but it has touched 98 mph. He has shown a good feel for his changeup, but like many high school products, his slider has been inconsistent. The Braves had to go over-slot to sign this high-upside pitcher, who was committed to Central Florida. Baumann comes from the same high school that produced Vaughn Grissom and the Tigers’ Riley Greene.
5 (162): Isaiah Drake, OF, North Atlanta HS (GA)
Pick value: $367,500
Signing bonus: $747,500
Looking to extend the organization’s success with hometown talent, the Braves selected Drake, who has run the 60-yard dash in 6.15 seconds. The 18-year-old outfielder possesses plus speed and plus power from the left side. He was committed to Georgia Tech, but he chose the hometown pro team over the hometown college team. Drake is the brother of NFL running back Kenyan Drake.
6 (189): Lucas Braun, RHP, Cal State Northridge
Pick value: $292,700
Signing bonus: $347,500
Braun had some success while primarily being used out of the bullpen during his first three collegiate seasons. He struck out 25.6 percent of the batters faced in 2022 and had a 25 percent strikeout rate this year. But his ERA rose from 2.91 in 74 1/3 innings to 4.83 over 91 1/3 innings. Braun is the first college senior selected by the Braves in 2023. These selections are usually made to create a chance to give an over-slot bonus to another one of the players taken within the first 10 rounds.
7 (219): Justin Long, RHP, Rice
Pick value: $229,400
Signing bonus: $172,500
Long began his collegiate career as a catcher, then began pitching this year. The 21-year-old hurler posted a 4.93 ERA in 45 2/3 innings for the Owls, and he never pitched more than 4 2/3 innings in any appearance. He struck out 18.9 percent of the batters he faced but showed improvement during his first year on the mound.
8 (249): Cory Wall, RHP, William & Mary
Pick value: $190,300
Signing bonus: $47,500
Wall is a fifth-year college senior who posted a 3.98 ERA over 52 innings for the Tribe this year. The 23-year-old hurler spent his first four collegiate years at Fordham. Wall struck out seven while working a season-high 5 2/3 innings against the College of Charleston in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament on May 25.
9 (279): Riley Gowens, RHP, Illinois
Pick value: $173,800
Signing bonus: $47,500
Gowens, a fifth-year senior, posted a 6.30 ERA while totaling 60 innings over 12 starts for the Illini this year. The 23-year-old has touched 96 mph with his fastball and shown an above-average breaking ball. The Braves have already gained value from Dylan Dodd, who was a fifth-year senior when he was drafted in 2021, so you never know what you might get from guys like Gowens, Wall and Braun.
10 (309): Pier-Olivier Boucher, OF, Southern Illinois U Carbondale
Pick value: $164,800
Signing bonus: $1,000
Boucher earned second-team All Missouri Valley Conference honors after hitting .331 with 16 homers and a 1.026 OPS for the Salukis this year. The 23-year-old outfielder was successful in 29 of 34 stolen-base attempts over the past two seasons. He was born and raised in Quebec, where he spent nine years playing hockey. He played baseball during his final two years of high school.
11 (339): Jace Grady, OF, Dallas Baptist
Signing bonus: $150,000
12 (369): Brady Day, 2B, Kansas State
Day will return to Kansas State to play his final college season.
13 (399): Will Verdung, 3B, Itawamba JC
Signing bonus: $150,000
14 (429): Mitch Farris, LHP, Wingate
Signing bonus: $125,000
15 (459): David Rodriguez, RHP, San Joaquin Delta College
Signing bonus: $150,000
16 (489): Isaac Gallegos, RHP, New Mexico
Signing bonus: $100,000
17 (519): Kade Kern, OF, Ohio State
Signing bonus: $150,000
18 (549): Cam Magee, SS, Washington State
Signing bonus: $150,000
19 (579): Riley Frey, LHP, Milwaukee
Has agreed to sign; terms of deal not disclosed
20 (609): Will King, C, Eastern Kentucky U
Has agreed to sign; terms of deal not disclosed
Every team's signings:
How bonus pools and pick values work
Each choice in the first 10 rounds comes with an assigned value, with the total for a club's selections equaling what it can spend in those rounds without incurring a penalty. If a player taken in the top 10 rounds doesn't sign, his pick's value gets subtracted from his team's pool. Clubs near the top of the Draft often spend less than the assigned value for those choices and use the savings to offer more money to later selections.
Teams that exceed their bonus pool face a penalty. Clubs that outspend their allotment by 0-5 percent pay a 75 percent tax on the overage. At higher thresholds, clubs lose future picks: a first-rounder and a 75 percent tax for surpassing their pool by more than 5 and up to 10 percent; a first- and a second-rounder and a 100 percent tax for more than 10 and up to 15 percent; and two first-rounders and a 100 percent tax for more than 15 percent.
Bonus pools by club
Pirates: $16,185,700
Tigers: $15,747,200
Nationals: $14,502,400
Twins: $14,345,600
Athletics: $14,255,600
Reds: $13,785,200
Mariners: $13,170,900
Marlins: $12,829,600
Royals: $12,313,500
Rockies: $11,909,800
D-backs: $11,084,300
Brewers: $10,950,600
Rays: $10,872,100
Orioles: $10,534,800
Red Sox: $10,295,100
Rangers: $9,925,300
Giants: $9,916,900
White Sox: $9,072,800
Cubs: $8,962,000
Guardians: $8,736,700
Mets: $8,440,400
Braves: $8,341,700
Angels: $8,328,900
Dodgers: $7,274,600
Astros: $6,747,900
Blue Jays: $6,529,700
Cardinals: $6,375,100
Padres: $5,416,000
Yankees: $5,299,400
Phillies: $5,185,500