Braves Prospect Report: Homegrown Isaiah Drake More Than Just Speed

Despite the small sample size, the Braves prospect showed he has plenty to offer with his bat

Jun 20, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Draft prospect Isaiah Drake during a high school baseball game at the MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Isaiah Drake is an Atlanta native who comes in at No. 29 on the Atlanta Braves' prospect list. Speed is his primary calling card, and it often draws comparisons to the likes of former MLB speedster Billy Hamilton.

To show the promise that comes with being compared to the former Reds centerfielder, Hamilton stole over 50 bases in four consecutive seasons and finished with 326 in his career.

The downside of a comp like that is that speedsters like Hamilton, or even the late Terrance Gore and even former Braves prospect Mallex Smith, are often profiled for their speed alone, with any offense they produce viewed as a bonus.

Drake doesn't fall into that category. He has a good arm in the outfield and plays above-average defense. After being drafted in the fifth round in 2023, he struggled in his first taste of A-ball with Augusta, hitting below .200. But in the two years since, he has shown a lot of improvement.

Drake hit .272 in 2025 and .264 in 2026, a campaign that saw him play just 68 games due to injury. He also cut his strikeout rate dramatically, from 36% in 2024 to 21.5% in 2025. It rose slightly to 25.8% in his abbreviated 2026 action, but that's still a sign of great improvement.

Speed runs in the family. He's the younger brother of former NFL running back Kenyan Drake. Instead of pushing for the end zone, he's pushing for the extra base. Drake swiped 46 bags in 116 games in 2025.

One reason I don't love the Billy Hamilton comparison is that Drake has shown significantly more power than Hamilton ever did, and I find the comp to be something of an insult to his offensive upside. Hamilton had 14 home runs in 578 minor league games. Drake hit 12 in just 68 games in 2026.

I'm not saying Drake will ever be a consistent 20/20 guy, but I think a far more realistic comp would be Trea Turner or Corbin Carroll, two players with speed to burn who can also drive the ball into the gaps and really hurt you. He also stands in the left-handed batter's box with a similar form and presence to fellow Atlanta-grown outfielder Michael Harris II, and even boasts a similar bat path and follow-through.

With a 2028 MLB ETA, Drake is still a couple of years away, but he could be the next in a long line of Braves prospects with quick feet on the bases and pop at the plate. Isaiah Drake's time will come.

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