When the Atlanta Braves picked Isaiah Drake in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB Draft, it certainly raised some eyebrows, especially when it required a $750,000 over slot bonus to get him to forgo his commitment to Georgia Tech. Everyone agreed that Drake was immensely talented and his elite speed was tantalizing, but he was young for his draft class, and most thought that he needed seasoning in college before they would consider him for a future in professional baseball.
The Braves clearly disagreed with that latter assessment, but they appeared to have made a poor bet through the end of the 2024 season.