Braves successfully sign entire 21-man draft class

The Braves went away from their tried and true strategy of drafting almost exclusively pitching, going with athletic shortstops in the first three rounds, headlined by Tate Southisene, a prep shortstop out of Las Vegas.

Southisene, along with many of the Braves other early selections, signed well under slot value, and the club used that extra cash to sign North Carolina prep arm Briggs McKenzie. McKenzie was committed to the reigning national champions down in Baton Rouge, but instead will be entering Atlanta’s farm system after receiving a nearly $3 million signing bonus, which was $2.4 million over slot value.

It’s always a delicate process to get any prospects to the majors, but it all starts with getting these draft selections signed. The Braves were able to go a perfect 21 for 21 in that aspect, which is something that can often get overlooked this time of year.