Braden Nett

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Athletics #5 prospect in 2026
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Average
  
  Adjusted Grade: 45
  
  Track Record: A Missouri native, Nett attended St. Charles Community College but never appeared in a game. He was working a shift at Home Depot when the Padres called with an undrafted free agent offer in 2022 after they were intrigued by his 16.2 innings in the MLB Draft League that summer. That decision looks wise. Nett blossomed under pro instruction and spent all of 2025 in Double-A—first with San Antonio, then Midland after joining the Athletics in the Mason Miller-Leo De Vries blockbuster.
  
  Scouting Report: Nett forces hitters to contend with premium velocity and a dizzying array of up to seven pitches, including three fastballs. The headliner is his mid-90s four-seamer, which touched 99 mph in 2025 with solid carry, though his command of it backed up slightly from 2024. He leaned more heavily on a low-90s cutter in search of a way to get lefthanded hitters out more consistently, and he also mixes in a mid-90s sinker that generates grounders and functions as a strike-stealing efficiency pitch. Nett’s preferred breaking ball is a 78 mph curveball with big shape and more than 3,000 rpm of spin, complemented by a tighter mid-80s slider and a low-80s sweeper with 15 inches of break. After previously using a splitter, Nett shifted to an upper-80s changeup in 2025 seeking more consistent strikes. He’s a dynamic athlete with a compact arm stroke and impressive arm speed, but he remains a fringy strike-thrower who walked 10.3% of Double-A hitters in 2025 and too often fell behind early in counts.
  
  The Future: Given his limited college track record and deep arsenal, the 23-year-old might require some patience as he seeks a consistent combination of pure stuff and strikes, but there’s midrotation upside if he can strike the right balance.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 45 | Cutter: 55 | Sweeper: 55 | Control: 45
• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #6 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme.
  
  Track Record: Nett is a scouting success story for the Padres. He did not pitch in college, recorded just two outs in the summer collegiate Appalachian League in 2021 and worked a 6.48 ERA across 16.2 innings in the MLB Draft League in 2022. The Padres signed him that August. Nett spent much of 2023 in the Arizona Complex League, while reaching Low-A Lake Elsinore for 13 innings and then adding 17 more in the Arizona Fall League. In 2024, Nett reached a career-high 65 innings between High-A Fort Wayne and, briefly, Double-A San Antonio.
  
  Scouting Report: Nett has an athletic frame with some length in his lower half and strength throughout. He moves well on the mound and features a compact delivery with a short, quick arm stroke and attacks hitters from a three-quarters slot. A former basketball player, Nett’s athleticism is evident in his dynamic movement patterns. His fastball sits in the mid-to-upper 90s and is most effective—and generates the most whiffs—in the top half of the strike zone thanks to its carrying life. Nett’s low-to-mid-80s slider flashes tight sweeping life as well as some depth. In 2024 it generated a 38% miss rate. He rounds out his arsenal with a seldom-used changeup which ranges between the high 80s and low 90s. Nett’s control is fringe-average and his strike-throwing ability can escape him at times. He will need to continue to take positive strides in that department in order to maximize his upside.
  
  The Future: Nett figures to begin 2025 with Double-A San Antonio, and he could earn a promotion to Triple-A El Paso before the end of the season. Much of Nett’s ceiling hinges on how his command and control progress. At his best, he could be a serviceable No. 4 starter. A 2025 MLB debut is not completely out of the question, though 2026 is more realistic.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45.
• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #20 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Post-pandemic, the Padres have prized themselves on adding to smaller draft classes with undrafted free agents. Nett is quickly becoming the best of the bunch. Nett did not pitch in college, recorded just two outs in the Appalachian League and posted a 6.48 ERA in the MLB Draft League, but the Padres saw enough raw stuff to sign him for $10,000 after the 2022 draft. Shoulder weakness limited Nett’s first pro summer and he was inconsistent in the complex league and Low-A Lake Elsinore in 2023, but his command took a leap forward in the Arizona Fall League. He emerged as one of the AFL’s breakout prospects, was selected for the Fall Stars Game and started the league’s championship game.
  
  Scouting Report: Nett is a wiry, 6-foot-3 righthander with a fresh, emerging arm. His fastball sits between 94-96 mph and touches 98 with late explosion and carry at the top of the strike zone. It’s a borderline plus-plus pitch he can blow by hitters. Nett’s best secondary offering is sweepy breaking ball with tight spin and good shape that projects to be an above-average pitch, although it’s inconsistent. He also flashes a below-average, rarely used changeup that is a bit firm in the low 90s. Nett’s effectiveness comes down to control. He jumps forward in an effortful delivery and is prone to losing his hat. His stuff plays with even below-average control, but it is often worse than that.
  
  The Future: Nett projects to be a hard-throwing reliever if he can throw enough strikes. He’ll see High-A Fort Wayne in 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 40