CHESTER, Vt. – Chester native and Vermont Academy (VA) graduate Kaiden McCarthy recently made Vermont baseball history when the hard-throwing righty was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft. McCarthy becomes the first native Vermonter ever to be drafted within the first two rounds (selected 48th overall) of the draft.
Along with the excitement of being drafted, of course, also comes the realization of all the hard work, assistance, and development along the way. McCarthy put in years of work and dedication in hopes of one day being recognized as a legitimate Major League prospect.
“I started to feel like I potentially had a shot at getting drafted when I first started getting invited to various baseball scout events in Jupiter, [Fla.] with the Milwaukee Brewers scout team as a high school freshman,” McCarthy said in a recent interview. “In my sophomore year, I was the youngest player there, and then once my reclassification went through, we started having meetings with scouts and I was fortunate enough to connect with every [Major League] organization.”
Kaiden has also been lucky enough to have several great coaches to this point in his career, including Frankie Pizzo, Andrew Pedone, and Matt Frey from the baseball “All Stars Academy,” based in Latham, N.Y.; Marc Nellist from the USA Prime National Scout Team, based in Carrollton, Texas; and of course, the local coaching staff at VA, including head coach Russ Williams, Rich Senerchia, and Dom Senerchia.
After graduating from VA in June, McCarthy, who turns 18 in August, had also been accepted to attend and pitch for the University of Tennessee. However, Kaiden and his family have chosen to sign his first contract with the Braves to begin his professional baseball career.
In his senior year at VA, McCarthy was 3-0 with an impressive 0.72 ERA, while leading the Wildcats to the Lakes Region championship game. During his time at the Saxtons River school, Kaiden was a two-time Lakes Region pitcher of the year, and has also been named the 2026 Gatorade Top Baseball Player in Vermont.
Growing up in the small, hard-working, community atmosphere of a town like Chester, with values learned from his parents, Matt and Shanna, are principles this young athlete will bring with him moving forward into the grind and demands of a career in professional sports.
“We have always told both our sons to work hard, trust the process, and be true to yourself,” Kaiden’s father, Matt McCarty, said in a recent interview. “As Kaiden begins his professional career, we want him to remember where he came from and stay true to his roots, and enjoy the journey. We are so proud and can’t wait to see what the future holds.”