Monmouth County baseball fans have another hometown success story to celebrate. Former Ranney School standout AJ Gracia was selected by the Atlanta Braves with the ninth overall pick in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft, making him one of the highest-drafted players ever to come out of New Jersey. The first round concluded Saturday night, with Gracia hearing his name called among the nation's top amateur baseball prospects.
For local fans, Gracia's journey began on the diamond at Ranney School in Tinton Falls, where he developed into one of the country's top high school players. After graduating, he began his college career at Duke University, earning Freshman All-America honors before transferring to the University of Virginia, where he enjoyed a breakout season and established himself as one of the premier hitters in college baseball.
The Braves selected Gracia because of the complete package he brings to the field. Scouts have praised his advanced approach at the plate, ability to consistently make hard contact, strike-zone discipline, and baseball IQ. During his lone season at Virginia, he hit .354 while leading the Cavaliers in runs scored and producing the type of all-around offensive numbers that elevated him into the top 10 of the draft.
The Braves reportedly signed Gracia to a $3,997,500 bonus. While that's nearly $4 million, it came in below Major League Baseball's assigned slot value for the ninth overall pick, giving Atlanta additional flexibility to sign other members of its 2026 draft class.
Gracia’s pick made history for Shore Conference baseball. He's the highest MLB Draft pick from a Monmouth or Ocean County high school in more than 40 years, according to Shore Sports Insider. He also becomes the second Shore Conference player selected in the first round in as many years, following former Wall High School standout Andrew Fischer, who was taken 20th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2025. Before Fischer and Gracia, the Shore Conference had not produced a first-round pick since 2016.
