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Draft  | Story | 8/23/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL East

Tyler Henninger
Michael Albee
Joey Cohen
Ryan Miller
With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system.

NL East



Atlanta Braves 
Grade: 55
Risk: High
Notable Selections: OF AJ Gracia (1st rd) | OF Carter Beck (PPI) | RHP Kaiden McCarthy (2nd rd) | RHP Jensen Hirschkorn (3rd rd)
 

Atlanta had $15,870,800 to spend in this year’s draft, and they certainly made some splashes with that capital early on in the draft. The prep right-hander category is historically a mixed bag and comes with plenty of risk, but this staff was confident and spent nearly 6.5 million on Kaiden McCarthy ($2.49m) and Jensen Hirschkorn ($3.97m). McCarthy was young at draft (just 17.9), on the smaller side and worked in the upper 90’s with the fastball, holding mid 90’s deep into starts. He throws a pair of quality breaking balls and has a usable change plus average control, giving him a pathway into a mid-backend rotation role at the big league level. Hirschkorn provides more size at 6’7/205, getting downhill with ease and working low-mid 90’s on the fastball. There is plenty of capacity to spin here, and there is reason to believe both the fastball and slider could turn into 55-plus offerings at peak. Combined with his strike throwing ability, it’s easy to dream on. On the flip side, their first two selections in the draft came in the form of left-handed hitting collegiate outfielders. Gracia was taken in the 1st, a bat that is selective with good swing decisions, quality contact rates and maximizes his power output thanks to angles. A three year producer in the ACC with an OPS over 1.000 in each year, there is comfort knowing what this type of profile should turn into. Beck was a mid-major late riser on boards, showing an attractive hit/power combo with good contact rates and a chance for average game power. A plus runner as well, he will get every chance to stick in center. If not, his fringe arm will push him to left. He has already been assigned, and is hitting .409 over 44 AB to this point in his professional career. Another seven figure bonus man is prep catcher Jack Brenner. He presents a quality arm behind the dish, good athleticism and a clean linedrive stroke in the box. The body will hold strength nicely without sacrificing a step. To cap off the spending spree, Atlanta took a trio of arms in rounds 4-6: Cole Dennis, Wil Libbert, and Tyson Grulkowski. 

New York Mets 
Grade: 45
Risk: Extreme
Notable Selections: RHP Carson Wiggins (1st rd) | OF Aiden Robbins (3rd rd) | LHP Shane Sdao (4th rd) | RHP Luke McNeillie (5th rd)
 

Overall, New York signed just one high school player this year, opting for the college route with the rest of their selections. The Mets started their draft with a surprise selection of Arkansas righty Carson Wiggins, who totaled just 14 college innings due to injury and missed all of 2026. Maybe a bigger shock was that Wiggins was paid full slot value, a pick that looked like an underslot deal when it was made. Wiggins has power stuff from a large workhorse frame, including a fastball up to 102 and a pair of distinct breaking balls. Next, the Mets took Texas outfielder Aiden Robbins in the third round, someone who was generating first-round buzz throughout the cycle. Robbins slugged 24 homers and drove in 64 for the Longhorns last spring, but whiff-and-chase concerns impacted his draft stock. Overall, Robbins brings a track record of hitting and loud tools, proven in the SEC. New York went with Texas A&M southpaw Shane Sdao in the fourth, an experienced starter coming off a down senior campaign. Sdao works with an advanced three-pitch mix, including a riding mid-90s fastball, sharp sweeping slider, and a fading change-up. In the fifth, the Mets continued their trend of college pitching with Florida right-hander Luke McNeillie. McNeillie, similar to Sdao, has logged a good amount of innings at school, splitting time between the bullpen and rotation. He has seen the high-90s with the heater, mixing in a nasty two-plane slider, flashing a change-up. Overall, the Mets gained a good amount of pure tools in this class, but risk and inconsistencies will limit their immediate value. 

Miami Marlins 
Grade: 55
Risk: High
Notable Selections: SS Jacob Lombard (1st rd) | LHP Ethan Kleinschmidt (2nd rd) | RHP Ryan Peterson (CB-B rd) | OF Wessley Roberson (4th rd) 
 

It is hard not to come away from the draft excited if you are a Marlins fan. Shortstop Jacob Lombard was the No. 4 overall prospect on our final board and Miami was able to grab him at 14th overall. The hometown kid does come with some hit tool risk, but he is a ridiculous athlete with the ability to stick at shortstop and has power ability at the plate. At that point in the first round, you have to feel good about getting a talent like that even with the risk. They followed it up with one of my favorite arms in the draft with the selection of Ethan Kleinschmidt. The Oregon State left-hander has quality stuff, a performance history, and some projection still remaining. They were able to grab a handful of quality college arms, including Ryan Peterson, Trey Beard, and Cole Selvig. The class as a whole has a nice mix of depth and upside that could turn into legit big league contributors. 

Philadelphia Phillies
Grade: 45
Risk: High
Notable Selections: INF Tyler Spangler (1st rd) | OF Caden Bogenpohl (2nd rd) | OF Will Gasparino (5th rd) 


The Phillies embraced upside throughout this class as nearly every major selection comes with some level of risk. Tyler Spangler was viewed as one of the better pure hitters in the prep class entering the spring as his combination of offensive ability, athleticism and defensive skill gave Philadelphia plenty to dream on at No. 36. The concern is the limited exposure this year, which makes his evaluation more difficult than most players taken in that range. If he gets back to his previous trajectory, this could prove to be a strong value pick. Caden Bogenpohl brings perhaps the loudest offensive tools of the early group. His ability to produce elite contact is obvious but translating that strength into consistent in-game production will be the ultimate question. If Philadelphia can unlock more playable offense, there’s legitimate impact potential. Will Gasparino also feels like an intriguing fifth-round developmental bet for the Phillies. The UCLA outfielder has shown enough physicality and raw power to create real offensive upside, but the hit tool remains the swing skill. If Philadelphia can help him tighten the approach and turn more of his strength into consistent game production, there’s enough here for him to outperform his draft slot.The pitching selections carry their own set of concerns. Ruger Riojas has the fastball and secondary stuff to advance quickly, although his age leaves less room for development. Jaxon Jelkin offers intriguing arm talent but comes with an even greater projection hurdle also given his long college path and age. Bo Rhudy could wind up being one of the class’s better Day 2 values. His stuff isn’t overwhelming, but his ability to consistently get ahead and finish hitters with his breaking ball gives him a fairly straightforward bullpen path. Overall, this is a class built around solid bets rather than certainty. Spangler and Bogenpohl give the Phillies two intriguing offensive swings, while the pitching group offers potential for relatively quick returns. The ceiling is high, but Philadelphia will need some of these gambles to pay off.

Washington Nationals 
Grade: 50
Risk: Moderate-High
Notable Selections: INF Chris Hacopian (1st rd) | OF Chase Brunson (2nd rd) | SS Luke Williams (3rd rd) | RHP Cooper Harris (4th rd)
 

The Nationals put together a strong class built on different demographics and a whole lot of tools. In the first, Washington selected Texas A&M infielder Chris Hacopian, a Maryland transfer with a proven track record of hitting. Hacopian posted a .339/.449/.604 career line with 40 homers, 144 RBIs, and more walks than strikeouts. He has a well-rounded offensive profile, keeping whiff and chase in check while hammering extra-base damage. Defensively, Hacopian should stick on the infield dirt. In the second, the Nationals took TCU outfielder Chase Brunson, coming off a season in which he produced a 1.018 OPS and slugged ten homers. Brunson is a corner outfield profile with a well-rounded offensive game, limiting in-zone whiff and posting high-end exit velocities. In the third, Washington landed Pittsburgh-area infielder Luke Williams, giving him a significant overslot deal. An athletic shortstop with loud tools, Williams is an advanced runner with significant arm strength, giving him the skill set to stick at shortstop. He will need to polish parts of his offensive game moving forward. Texas right-hander Cooper Harris was the Nationals’ fourth-round selection, another significant overslot deal. Harris operates with a four-pitch mix, starting with a low-to-mid 90s fastball from a projectable frame. Overall, Washington blended safe college profiles with high-upside preps. 
 
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Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 9/4/2026

2027 Draft: Way Too Early 1:1 Predictions
Tyler Henninger
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Tyler Henninger
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With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. AL East Baltimore Orioles Grade: 50 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF Eric Booth Jr. (1st rd) | OF Ty Head (2nd rd) | OF Kevin Roberts Jr (4th rd)  Eric Booth Jr. (26 MS) goes big fly 💣 that carried out oppo. Explosive athlete w/ huge LH juice & tools. Big time in several facets. #NatElite #Vandy commit. @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/kXl7ZVyD9G — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 12, 2025 Baltimore was about middle of the pack in terms of money available this year, having $13.1m to spend on their class. Booth Jr. is a...
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