'My arm feels amazing'
Daniel Brooks’ major league dream continues.
The former Bishop England and College of Charleston baseball star will report to the Atlanta Braves’ spring training camp next month and begin his journey to the big leagues at the minor league level.
“I’ll show up. I’m ready to go,” said Brooks, a pitcher who signed with the Braves organization as an undrafted free agent last July. “You never know what’s going to happen because this is baseball. But my arm feels amazing.”
Brooks, who graduated from BE in 2021 and played for the College of Charleston, had teams interested in him last summer.
The Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, and the Braves all had interest in the 6-foot-7, 250-pound right-handed flamethrower.
But Brooks did not hear his name called during the draft, which was held July 13-14, 2025. The draft included 20 rounds and involved 615 players. Brooks, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023, ended up inking a free-agent deal with the Atlanta Braves.
Brooks is returning to his old form, with his fastball registering 93-94 mph on the radar gun with an occasional pitch hitting 95. But he will have a new role as a reliever. The Braves told Brooks his quickest path to the majors would be coming out of the bullpen as a reliever.
“When you are a reliever, that’s when the adrenaline really starts pumping,” Brooks said. “Being a reliever is a lot more exciting. But you have to remain calm.”
Brooks was all-state in baseball and basketball and signed with the College of Charleston.
He had an impressive freshman season in 2022 with 55 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings of work, with a 2-2 record and a 4.87 ERA to earn a spot on the Colonial Athletic League’s all-freshman team.
He missed all of 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and pitched in 10 games his redshirt sophomore season.
He was 6-4 with a 4.44 ERA last spring in 17 appearances, including 14 starts. He struck out 74 batters in 75 innings.
The Braves did not assign him to a minor league team, opting to keep him at their baseball complex last summer, competing in scrimmage games in his new role as a reliever. He also pitched against the Tampa Bay Rays’ Florida Complex League entry and was effective with two hitless innings, striking out four.
He hasn’t set a goal for the 2026 baseball season.
“I just want to be more consistent and remain healthy,” Brooks said. “I’m happy to be part of the Braves’ organization. They are first class all the way.”
Once his baseball season came to a close, Brooks, who became a born-again Christian his freshman season at the College of Charleston, focused on his personal life. On Dec. 7, he married Caitlin Watts.
“It’s the best decision I ever made in my life other than giving myself to Jesus Christ,” Brooks said. “I’m blessed.”