Douglas Glod was signed by the Braves during the 2022 International Free Agency Period for $1.3M. He was given the second biggest bonus by the Braves that year, with Diego Benitez signing for $2.5M.What Were Expectations?
Given his struggles in his first three seasons, there weren’t many expectations for Douglas. He was a Top 50 international free agent when he signed, but has since struggled across each level. Coming into 2025, there was hope that Douglas would progress some, however overall expectations weren’t high.2025 Results
Douglas definitely showed signs of improvement. He continued to struggle making contact which resulted in a .213 walk rate, and struck out a ton with a strikeout rate sitting at a mammoth 35%. His walk rate was still outstanding, though it was a career low 14.9%. The result – a batting average of .213 but an OBP of a respectable .343. The power also saw a minor uptick as he hit a career high 7 homers, and an ISO of .129. There were stretches of strong play where Douglas looked to be the guy the Braves gave that bonus to – hitting the ball, and hitting the ball hard while being able to draw a great walk rate, but ultimately he would put up a 109 wRC+ season and leave 2025 with just as many questions as last year.What Went Right?
His walk rate continued to be strong, and he set a career high in games played, homers, and RBI.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
A 35% strikeout rate in Low-A simply isn’t getting the job done. Douglas has continued to struggle making contact on a regular basis and as a result will likely return to Low-A to start his fifth season.2026 Outlook
It’s important to note that Douglas is still just 20 years old. Lots of players his age are still in college, and he left his home country of Venezuela at just 17 years of age. It takes time to adapt and to feel comfortable and it absolutely is a factor in his lack of production. That said, we saw positive strides as he really began squaring up the ball more, and his contact% went up dramatically in 2025 as well. Hopefully those positives continue into 2026 and we see him limit the strikeouts but a considerable amount, while starting to make more reliable contact and we see some of that shine that led him to being considered one of the top international free agents on the market.
.webp?ssl=1 "5 Winners and 5 Losers from 2026 so far – who has started the season in style?")
