The Atlanta Braves selected 6-foot-7 right-handed pitcher Jensen Hirschkorn in the third round of the 2026 MLB Draft (No. 84 overall) over the weekend.
Hirschkorn hails from Kingsburg High, which is a public high school in Kingsburg, California, on the outskirts of Fresno. He finished his senior campaign with a staggering 0.71 ERA and 112 strikeouts, largely because he throws a fastball in the mid-90s.
There were constant MLB scouts at the games he pitched this past season, who seem to believe that his huge frame means his velocity can increase even further with the right coaching and development.
That’s where Hirschkorn’s next decision comes in. He had initially committed to play college baseball with the LSU Tigers, who are one of the best programs in the country. After the Braves selected him, Hirschkorn must now decide whether he still wants to attend LSU or if he wants to skip that step and go straight into professional baseball.
This isn’t a unique decision, as every elite high school pitcher who gets taken in a MLB Draft must make the same tough choice. And there’s no simple decision, as the player and their families must weigh several factors that differ depending on their unique situation in order to know what the right move for them is.
The bottom line is that Hirschkorn is in a win-win situation, as he can either sign with the Braves and most likely receive around a seven-figure signing bonus (the 2026 MLB Draft’s No. 84 pick has a value of $973,700) or play for one of college baseball’s most prestigious programs, where he could improve enough to be drafted even higher once he’s eligible again in 2029. That’s a good problem to have.
