Atlanta Braves Make Carter Holton's Childhood Dream Come True

Growing up as a young baseball player in Guyton, Carter Holton was naturally a huge fan of his home state team, the Atlanta Braves.

As a freshman at Benedictine, it was immediately apparent that Holton was a special player. Blessed with natural talent, he also had the work ethic and passion for the game that allowed him to rise through the ranks of baseball. He committed to Vanderbilt before the start of his sophomore season and continued to shine on the mound for the Commodores over the last three seasons.

On Sunday, in his second round of the MLB draft, Holton’s childhood aspirations came to fruition when the Braves selected the left-hander in the second round with the 62nd pick of the 2024 MLB draft.

Holton was at home in Nashville with his family, girlfriend and friends when he heard the news.

“I didn’t know the Braves were going to pick me until I got the call about 30 seconds before they announced it on TV,” said Holton, 21, who signed with the organization for $1.35 million on Wednesday. “I was really shocked and speechless. My parents and everyone were jumping around and screaming. We couldn’t believe it, it was awesome.”

Holton was known for his deadly hitting and being an ace on the mound during his prep years with the Cadets. He hit .434 with 27 career home runs and 127 RBIs during his high school career, while setting a Georgia high school state record with a career 0.59 earned run average, going 31-4 over four seasons.

He said that when he was young, his favorite Brave was Hall of Fame third baseman Chipper Jones.

“I’ve always loved Chipper Jones, and over the last few years I’ve watched their pitchers Max Fried, Spencer Strider and Chris Sale this year,” said Holton, who is also a big fan of Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw.

Holton had a career record of 18-10 with a 4.09 ERA during his career at Vanderbilt. He pitched 69 1/3 innings this year and said he doesn’t know yet if he’ll be on the mound this summer in the minor leagues for the Braves, who likely will want to protect his arm.

The Braves have their minor league affiliates in Augusta (Low A), Rome (High A), Pearl, Mississippi (AA) and Gwinnett (AAA).

“I’m not sure about the logistics yet,” Holton said. “I could launch the project, but it all depends on their plans.”

Former Benedict coach Kevin Farmer said he went to bed early and didn’t hear about Holton’s selection until around 11 p.m. Sunday morning.

“I had so many text messages when I woke up and I was so happy that Carter went to the Braves,” Farmer said. “I had texted him a few days before wishing him the best, so I was really happy for him. He’s a great young man who’s been so persistent in pursuing his goals.”

“And now his family, friends and fans will have the opportunity to watch him play in the minor leagues here in Georgia, and I know his dream is to one day make his debut at Truist Park in Atlanta.”

Carter’s father, Carl Holton, remembers taking his son to his first major league game in Atlanta when he was about 8 years old. He said it was an incredible moment when the Braves selected his son.

“I still get a lump in my throat days after thinking about it,” Carl Holton said. “Carter worked so hard his whole life for this, and now everything he dreamed of is coming true. There was a lot of noise in the room for about 10 minutes after he was chosen. It was just awesome, words can’t describe it.”

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