Braves sign Jensen Hirschkorn and other MLB Draft picks

Key Points:

• The Braves strategically signed Nolan Gracia for $3,997,500, well below his ninth overall pick slot value of $6,675,300, allowing them to allocate more funds to later picks like pitcher Hirschkorn, who received a record bonus for a post-second-round pick.
• Hirschkorn, a 6-foot-7 high school pitcher from Kingsburg, California, signed for $3,023,800 over slot value, choosing to forego his commitment to LSU, with Braves scouting praising his athleticism and pitching skills.
• The Braves signed 11 of their first 12 draft picks, with only seventh-round catcher Jack Brenner unsigned, as the team managed their $15,870,800 bonus pool carefully, going underslot on early picks and overslot on later high-potential players.
• By saving $3,572,500 on their first two picks combined, the Braves were able to exceed slot value by $3,439,400 on their third and fourth picks, balancing their overall spending while staying close to their bonus pool limit.
• The team remains slightly under their bonus pool cap by about $430,000, which could be used to convince Brenner to sign instead of attending Oklahoma, the recent College World Series champions.