​It might be hard to believe it’s already been this long, but this marks Ronit Shah’s fourth draft leading the Atlanta Braves amateur talent evaluations since Dana Brown departed to take over the Astros’ GM role in early 2023. With the draft just days away, I figured it would be a good time to examine Shah’s hits and misses in the draft and look for any patterns that might emerge.
First Round Picks
So far there isn’t a clear pattern to learn from the first round. In 2023, the Braves selected Hurston Waldrep, a college right-hander, at the 24th slot, a pick many projected would be gone by then. In 2024, the 24th pick was Cam Caminiti, a prep left-hander who was widely expected to be off the board earlier. Last year, Atlanta bucked the consensus and drafted underslot prep infielder Tate Southisene at No. 22. There isn’t a simple pattern beyond the fact that two pitchers—one right-handed and one left-handed—and a mix of college and prep players were chosen, all of whom were projected to go earlier in the round. Then there was Southisene, a toolsy but advanced-hitting prep infielder who carried both talent and cost-saving value. If anything can be inferred, it’s that the Braves are willing to pounce on talented players who slip to them.
The results of these first-round choices have been solid. Caminiti and Southisene both currently reside on Top 100 prospect lists, while Waldrep demonstrated his big-league potential last season, even though health has limited him thus far this year.
Second Through Sixth Rounds
In 2023, the Braves had an extra second-round pick and used it on college right-handers Drue Hackenberg and Cade Kuehler in the second round, followed by college slugging infielder Sabin Ceballos. They also took projectable prep right-hander Garrett Baumann with an overslot deal, a toolsy but raw local prep outfielder Isaiah Drake with overslot, and finished the early rounds with the advanced pitchability college right-hander Lucas Braun.
In 2024, the Braves’ early rounds included college left-hander Carter Holton, a talented but injured college right-hander Luke Sinnard, and college left-hander Herick Hernandez. They also went overslot for prep catcher Nick Montgomery and overslot again for prep right-hander Ethan Bagwell to round out the early rounds.
Last year’s strategy featured a pair of fourth-round picks and a focus on both upside and position depth. The picks included college shortstop Alex Lodise, underslot but speedy and contact-oriented college infielder Cody Miller, a sizable overslot deal on prep left-hander Briggs McKenzie, prep two-way star Conor Essenburg overslot as a bat, and college left-hander Landon Beidelschies to close the class.
What stands out here is that the Braves place a strong emphasis on adding pitching depth in the early rounds. They aren’t shy about taking chances on players with health concerns, and they are willing to deploy overslot money for prep players when it fits their long-term plan. The mix of college and prep, plus a willingness to prioritize pitching early, has defined Shah’s approach in these drafts.
The outcomes of these picks have been uneven so far, but they are encouraging in several respects. I won’t pass judgment on the 2025 class yet, since it has only been a short time since they were drafted, but the early returns are promising, especially from an SEO perspective. Overall, Shah’s track record suggests a deliberate strategy: trust the talent, be prepared to overslot when necessary, and capitalize on opportunities when players slip to them.