Gaurav VedakTue, December 2, 2025 at 6:00 PM UTC·1 min readHow Acquired
Cooper was an undrafted free agent signed by the Braves following the 2025 MLB Draft. What Were Expectations?After a strong collegiate career, Cooper went undrafted so while the potential is there, the expectations were not.
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In his final year at Auburn, Cooper appeared in 61 games and hit a robust .326/.431/.588 with a strong 13.9% walk rate, but also struck out 23.5% of the time. He would go on to play in 21 games for the Rome Emperors where he was a bit overpowered – slashing just .132/.263/.235 with just one extra-base hit. His 10% walk rate was fantastic, but he struck out 36% of the time flagging concerns. What Went Right?
His final season in college went great for Cooper.What Went Wrong?
The start to Cooper’s career, unfortunately, was not successful. He was often overpowered and had a meager .189 BABIP despite a 51% ground ball rate, painting a picture of some very weak contact. His near 40% strikeout rate is also of concern heading into 2026.
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There will not be many expectations for Cooper heading into 2026 but with the way he looked at the plate in Rome, there are some serious flags heading into 2026. With the lack of positional depth in the organization, Cooper will more than likely get another opportunity to start, and at 24 years of age, start at Rome despite the poor end to the season. With any success, because of his age, Cooper will likely be moved quickly – however there is a lot that needs to be seen in 2026.
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