The Atlanta Braves drafted two right-handed pitchers in the second and third rounds of the 2026 MLB Draft who committed to Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools.
Vermont Academy’s Kaiden McCarthy and Kingsburg High School’s Jensen Hirschkorn signed overslot deals with the Braves. This pulled them toward a professional baseball career straight out of high school as opposed to a college career.
Braves second-round pick, Kaiden McCarthy
McCarthy was selected by Atlanta in the second round of the 2026 MLB Draft with the 48th overall pick. He was a top-65 2026 MLB Draft prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
The right-handed pitching prospect played high school baseball for Vermont Academy in Chester, Vt. According to Perfect Game, he is the number one player in the 2026 high school class from Vermont and is ranked 52nd overall in the class nationally.
The pick value for where McCarthy was selected was estimated at around $2.08 million. According to MLB reporter Jonathan Mayo, McCarthy signed a $2.49 million deal with the Braves instead, making more money.
McCarthy committed to play college baseball for the Tennessee Volunteers. However, his deal with the Atlanta Braves gave him much more money than he would make in college with NIL.
To put it into perspective, SportGrid put out valuations on the biggest NIL deals in college baseball back in February. Texas A&M’s Caden Sorrell was projected to be the highest at $850,000. SportGrid’s valuations were based on market-based compensation reports.
In other words, not only did McCarthy sign an overslot deal with Atlanta, but he will also make significantly more money than he would with the Volunteers.
Atlanta’s third-round pick, Jensen Hirschkorn
Hirschkorn was selected by the Braves in the third round of the 2026 MLB Draft with the 84th overall pick.
The right-hander played high school baseball for Kingsburg High School in California. According to Perfect Game, he was a top-30 player in the 2026 high school class nationally. He is the number one right-handed pitcher in the class from California.
Hirschkorn committed to play college baseball for the LSU Tigers. However, much like McCarthy, he is taking the professional route after receiving an overslot deal from Atlanta after they drafted him.
The pick value for where Hirschkorn was selected was estimated to be around $974,000, according to MLB.com. According to MLB reporter Jim Callis, the right-hander from California is signing for $4 million. It is the record for the highest MLB Draft signing amount after the second round.
A record-breaking deal like this for Hirschkorn is an obvious answer as to why he will not be playing for the Tigers in Baton Rouge. Instead, he is staying in the Braves organization straight out of high school.
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PHOTO: An Atlanta Braves hat sits in the dugout during a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, June 25, 2023, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
