Cooper was an undrafted free agent, signed by the Braves after the 2025 MLB Draft.
What were the expectations?
After a strong collegiate career, Cooper went undrafted, so while the potential was there, the expectations were not.
In his final year at Auburn, Cooper played 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 spent 36% of the time signaling concerns.
What went well?
His senior season in college went great for Cooper.
What went wrong?
Unfortunately, the start of Cooper’s career was not successful. He was often overpowered and had a measly .189 BABIP despite a 51% groundball rate, which paints a picture of very weak contact. His strikeout rate of nearly 40% is also concerning heading into 2026.
There won’t be many expectations for Cooper heading into 2026, but with the way he looked at the board in Rome, there are some serious flags heading into 2026. With the lack of positional depth in the organization, Cooper will most likely get another chance to start, starting in Rome at age 24 despite the poor finish to the season. If there is any success, Cooper will likely be moved quickly due to his age, but there is still a lot to be seen in 2026.
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