Braves Part Ways With Former Third-Round Pick

The Atlanta Braves released their third-round selection from the 2020 MLB amateur draft.

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker / D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves found three Major League players with just four selections in the 2020 MLB amateur draft. But outfielder Jesse Franklin was not one of them.

A third-round pick for Atlanta in the 2020 draft, Franklin was released by the Braves this past week.

The Braves organization announced the transaction on his MILB page on Jan. 29. He was last with the Columbus Clingstones at the Double-A level.

Atlanta selected Franklin at No. 97 overall in the third round. Interestingly, the organization picked Franklin ahead of starting pitchers Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder, who were Atlanta's fourth and fifth-round picks that year.

But in four years with the Braves organization, Franklin never advanced past Double-A. In 2023 for the Mississippi Braves, he slashed .232/.315/.419 with 15 home runs, 46 RBI and 55 runs in 387 plate appearances over 94 games.

Franklin didn't play for Double-A Mississippi in 2024 because of an injury. The team changed his roster status to Columbus on Dec. 13.

While in the Braves organization, Franklin also played at High Single-A Rome.

The Seattle Marniers actually drafted Franklin in 2017 but in the 37th round. He elected to go to college instead of immediately to the professional level from high school.

At Michigan, Franklin became a star, posting a .327 batting average and .967 OPS in 2018. He then had a .262 average and .865 OPS but with more home runs, RBI and runs scored during 2019.

In addition to Franklin, Strider and Elder, the Braves drafted left-handed pitcher Jared Shuster in the 2020 draft, which was only five rounds because of COVID-19.

The Braves traded Shuster, who they drafted at No. 25 overall in the first round, last offseason to the Chicago White Sox as part of a deal to land reliever Aaron Bummer.

In three minor league seasons, Franklin has posted a .238/.319/.467 slash line with 87 extra-base hits, 116 RBI and 116 runs in 210 games.