The pick is in. With the ninth pick in the 2026 MLB draft, the Atlanta Braves selected outfielder AJ Gracia from the Virginia Cavaliers. Gracia is a 2026 All-American and a Second Team All-ACC player. In 56 games, he batted .354 with a 1.121 OPS. This was a system that was in need of a bit more position player depth. They get one in the top 10 of the draft in the form of another outfielder. As of now, the Braves have two top-10 outfield prospects: Eric Hartman, who quickly rose to No. 2, and Diego Tornes, who is No. 7. Since last year, there as been an effort to add more position-player depth to the system. Gracia is the Braves' first top-10 pick since 2019, when they selected ctcher Shea Langeliers. The Braves held two first-round picks in this year's MLB draft. They have the ninth pick due to the draft lottery, and they were awarded the 26th pick after Drake Baldwin on the Rookie of the Year Award last year. Last year, they picked Tate Southesine with the 25th pick in the draft. He's now in High-A Rome and the No. 3 prospect in the system. The first-round pick from the previous year, left-hander Cam Caminiti, is the top prospect in the system. He is going to represent the organization in the upcoming Futures game on Saturday. Sign up for our Free Atlanta Braves Newsletter and follow us on Facebook for the latest news Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow