When the Atlanta Braves selected Tate Southisene in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft, the pick came as a bit of a welcome surprise. For years, the Braves had forged a well-earned reputation for prioritizing pitching with their early picks in the draft and that was really showing in the quality of their bats in the minor leagues. The change in draft strategy was largely embraced, but the devil was always in the details and Southisene (and the other bats the Braves picked early in 2025) were going to have to hit.
Despite being undersized, Southisene was considered to be a top draft prospect last year thanks to tantalizing athleticism, the strong likelihood that he will play up the middle, and a surprising amount of power.