Grading the Braves 2025 MLB Draft

A live look at how I would grade the Braves 2025 MLB Draft choices

This is a running grading of the picks the Atlanta Braves make in the 2025 MLB Draft and will be updated frequently during the draft.

1.22- Tate Southisene, SS, Nevada HS
Grade: A-

Southisene can hit for average and power, and just showed the thump in his bat at the combine. He runs well, has a good arm, and should be able to stick at either short or center. He’s also likely to be underslot, which will help the Braves add talent later. Even though he wasn’t the highest ranked player available on my board, I liked him enough to have a first round grade on his talent and do agree with the approach of taking him over some higher rated (but also flawed) other players in order to give themselves more shots at talent in this draft that should be strong in these early rounds.

2.60- Alex Lodise, SS, Florida State
Grade: B

Lodise isn’t exactly the high upside guy that a Josh Owens or Coy James is at short, but he is a solid pick who isn’t going to cost a ton. He’s got above average power potential with a fringy hit tool and could play a solid shortstop. He’s a high floor guy who can move fast and also fill a utility role, but an everyday shortstop who is bat first is also a possibility. This could increase the grade if he does in fact come in underslot.

3.96- Cody Miller, SS, East Tennessee State
Grade: C+
I was a bit surprised to see the guy I ranked #66 at shortstop come off the board on Day 1. That said he is likely underslot and he has performed well in the Cape with wood bats and against top competition, after a big breakout season for ETSU. He’s an aggressive hitter who doesn’t swing and miss a ton, though it increased in the Cape and he can struggle a bit against velo up in the zone. His power has increased to above average this year and he has plus or better speed. He also has defensive versatility and a strong arm, so that adds to the pick. This could increase the grade if he does in fact come in underslot.

4.127 - Briggs McKenzie, LHP, North Carolina HS
Grade: A

This is an overslot pick on a talented arm. He’s athletic and projectable and already touches 95 with the ability to reach 3,000 RPM with his plus curve. Even the change is an average pitch after improvement. He is also a strike thrower. So he fits the boxes the Braves want and gives their player development a lot to work with.

4.136 - Dixon Williams, 2B, East Carolina
Grade: A

Dixon Williams was a college shortstop that I really liked and specifically mentioned as a guy who fits the Braves to a friend last month. He’s a former football player who started to make gains in 2024, then won MVP at the NECBL. He continued the breakout this year with career highs in homers and walks this spring. He’s got a chance to hit for both average and power and the best could be still to come for him as he gets pro coaching. He brings some defensive versatility, but the Braves announced him at second base.

5.157 - Connor Essenburg, OF, Illinois HS
Grade: A+

I love this pick of a talented two-way cold weather player with big right handed power and a feel for hitting. I identified him as a very good fit for the Braves based on talent, traits, and profile and now he is a Brave. The opposite field homer off Jack Bauer showed how he feels about elite velo. He is also a legit two-way guy who was gonna get to play both ways at Kentucky, so more gains could be on the way as he focuses on just hitting.

6.187 - Landon Beidelschies, LHP, Arkansas
Grade: B+

Beidelschies is a solid lefty arm who at his best has two above average or better pitches and a track record of success in the SEC. He can get swings and misses and has a history of starting, but will greatly need to improve the well below average change for that and see the fastball velo return, after it backed up this year. Still this is a potential fast moving lefty reliever if starting doesn’t work out for him.

7.217 - Zach Royse, RHP, UTSA
Grade: B

Zach Royse is a college starter who is likely to end up as a reliever. He can touch 97, but is best known for his plus slider. He’s a guy that pro coaching plus a move to the pen can help, as there is stuff to work with. He is a solid addition who shouldn’t be too costly and could move fairly quick as a reliever.

8.247 - Carter Lovasz, RHP, William & Mary
Grade: B+

A senior sign, Carter Lovasz is coming off a rough year, but that follows a strong 2024. He’s a reliever with big strikeout numbers and a decent pitch mix with the change showing plus at times. He has historically had solid command, but lost his feel for it this year.

9.277 - Logan Braunschweig, OF, UAB
Grade: A

Braunschweig is a very productive senior sign with a strong hit tool and 70 grade speed. He doesn’t have any real power, but for a senior sign to get a guy with some real tools it is a win.

10.307 - Kade Woods, RHP, LSU
Grade: B+

Woods hasn’t pitched much in college since his 2023 at Alabama, but a strong showing in relief in the MLB Draft League has gotten him drafted as a senior sign. He’s up to 97 MPH with some feel for an inconsistent curve, and projects as a reliever but has some untapped potential. He will need to improve on his command though, as it has been a slight issue in the MLBDL. He’s the Braves 11th Draft Leaguer in its not 5 years of existence.

11.337 - Colin Daniel, RHP, UAB
Grade: B+

Daniel is an extremely successful smaller school starter who posted great numbers. He doesn’t have the biggest stuff, but he relies on his plus command and pitch ability to get the job done. The hope is a big league strength and conditioning program and coaching can coach a little more stuff out of him and allow him to continue starting. But in the 11th round he presents an interesting lottery ticket as a kid who knows how to pitch.

12.367 - Jay Woolfolk, RHP, Virginia
Grade: A-

Woolfolk is interesting. He was a quarterback for UVA and actually got some real playing time there. He’s a former top recruit who did well out of the pen, but struggled as a starter and his future may lie in the pen. He can get to 97 and has a slider that can also get swings and misses as part of his four pitch mix.

13.397 - Logan Forsythe, RHP, Louisiana Tech
Grade: B

Logan Forsythe isn’t the former big league utility player but a reliever who came to LT from Mississippi State for this year. He’s got huge stuff, upper 90s fastball and a swing and miss slider. However he also has serious command issues. In his only real extended time this year in addition to the big K numbers, he also walked 6.5 per nine and needs to get that ironed out. He’s got first day raw stuff though.

14.427 - Mathieu Curtis, RHP, Virginia Tech
Grade: C+

Curtis came from USC Upstate this year and transitioned into relief. He’s a three pitch pitcher who can touch 95. He gets his share of strikeouts, but his command is going to need serious work to play out of the pen - especially since the stuff isn’t huge.

15.457 - Dallas Macias, OF, Oregon State
Grade: B+

There’s no getting around the fact that Macias was not good this year, when he was even available. However he was pretty good for the Beavers last year and wasn’t awful in the Cape. A return of his health and a transfer to TCU were his hope before being drafted, but he has some feel for hitting, gap power, and instincts to steal some bases. It’s a play with some upside, though he’s more of a fourth outfielder.

16.487 - Nico Wagner, RHP, West Valley College
Grade: B-

Wagner started out at Nevada and transferred to WVC this year. He had a solid year and then went to the MLB Draft League and showed his stuff there. He’s going to need to improve his command but he’s a big, projectable kid already hitting 95 with the makings of a slider and a change.

17.517 - Brody Fowler, RHP, North Greenville
Grade: B-

Fowler is a former two way player for NG who saw an uptick in his command this year as a starter, after missing all of 2024. He’s a bit off the radar, but a 6’7, 240 pounder with a two way background.

18.547 - Aiven Cabral, RHP, Northeastern
Grade: A

Cabral is a solid enough pitcher with decent stuff and above average command. He’s undersized and mostly filled out, and doesn’t have a plus pitch. However he knows how to pitch and gets the most out of his fringy to average three pitch mix. The fastball tops out at about 94 MPH. At this point in the draft he is a solid pick after a big year at Northeastern as a starter, following a strong Cape out of the pen last summer. You would hope putting him in the pen would allow his stuff to further play up, though if pro development can help him gain a little he could be worth throwing out there as a starter.

19.577 - Ryan Heppner, RHP, U British Columbia
Grade: N/A

I actually don’t have any info on Heppner beyond his stat line right now and can’t really grade him. However the Braves had to have seen something in him that they liked to draft him.

20.607 - Hayden Friese, OF/1B, Western Carolina
Grade: B+

Friese has always had a good feel for plate discipline and walks more than he strikes out, but he more than doubled his home run total to 9 this year and went to the COPL and continued to show his on base skills - though the power hasn’t come there. He’s a nice late shot on on base skills, hoping you can get more power out of him and keep him in left.