There is a distinction to be made between the visible grain lines on the face of a board not intersecting the side surfaces of the board and the fibres of the wood running parallel to the face (not intersecting the face).
The splitting of the wood you have done is the first and ensures that grain is "straight" and "continuous" on the piece. For braces and the like, what is more important is that the fibers of the wood run parallel to the face of the piece. This is what is usually referred to as "runout" and it is 90 degrees to the orientation of your splitting. Limiting runout increases strength when loaded vertically, like a beam. Limiting the angle of the grain relative to the sides of the piece increases strength when loaded from the side, not usually a major factor in braces and tops. Ideally, one would have both little runout and a continuous "parallel" grain.
Looking at your second photo, the two bottom pieces, towards the ends, show a lot of runout.
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