Atlanta Braves Top 30 Prospects

Under is an evaluation of the prospects within the farm system of the Atlanta Braves. Scouting studies have been compiled with data supplied by trade sources in addition to our personal observations. That is the third 12 months we’re delineating between two anticipated reduction roles, the abbreviations for which you’ll see within the “place” column beneath: MIRP for multi-inning reduction pitchers, and SIRP for single-inning reduction pitchers. The ETAs listed typically correspond to the 12 months a participant must be added to the 40-man roster to keep away from being made eligible for the Rule 5 draft. Handbook changes are made the place they appear applicable, however we use that as a rule of thumb.

A fast overview of what FV (Future Worth) means will be discovered here. A a lot deeper overview will be discovered here.

All the ranked prospects beneath additionally seem on The Board, a useful resource the location gives that includes sortable scouting data for each group. It has extra particulars (and up to date TrackMan knowledge from numerous sources) than this text and integrates each workforce’s record so readers can evaluate prospects throughout farm programs. It may be discovered here.

Different Prospects of Notice

Grouped by sort and listed so as of desire inside every class.

Catching Depth
Javier Valdes, C
Tyler Tolve, C

Each of those guys are well-built and convey one offensive software to the desk (Valdes has above-average really feel for contact, Tolve has massive energy), however each are fairly tough behind the dish. Valdes, 24, struggles with ball-blocking and controlling the working recreation. Tolve’s points are much less particular and apply extra to his protection total, and he might not make sufficient contact for the facility to matter, however he’s solely 22.

Younger Gamers to Know
Luis Sanchez, 3B
Didier Fuentes, SP
Leiker Figueroa, INF
Adam Shoemaker, LHP

Sanchez, 19, is a compact third baseman who walked twice as typically as he struck out within the 2022 DSL, then obtained some journey squad reps in the course of the Grapefruit League. Boots on the bottom scouts are describing him as extra of a skills-over-tools sort. Fuentes, 17, was despatched to Low-A to begin 2023. He’s very versatile and athletic however appears to be like to have some energy and conditioning work to do, which could assist him discover extra constant really feel for his driving, low-90s fastball and inconsistent secondary stuff. Figueroa has above-average bodily projection and bat-to-ball expertise, however he’s not an particularly twitchy athlete. Shoemaker is a 6-foot-6, 20-year-old Canadian lefty who had a velo spike earlier than the 2021 draft and obtained about $500,000 within the eleventh spherical. He’s dialed again down into the 89-92 mph vary and is a late-blooming sleeper at this stage.

Spot Starters
Tanner Gordon, RHP
Allan Winans, RHP
Luis De Avila, LHP
Alan Rangel, RHP

Gordon, 25, instructions 92-93 to the highest of the zone and has a mean breaking ball and changeup. Winans, 27, survives with a heavy sinker and above-average changeup. De Avila is the teen of this group, simply 21, however he’s comparatively projectionless and is sitting simply 90-92 mph. He has a shot to develop plus command of a plus changeup and be a 40. Rangel is much like Gordon however with a grade much less of command.

Bats on the Fringe
Cal Conley, 2B
Keshawn Ogans, SS
Brandon Parker, RF
Brandol Mezquita, RF

Conley is much like Luke Waddell in that neither of them is sure-handed sufficient to play a giant league shortstop, and perhaps not the infield in any respect. Conley is totally different than Waddell in that he’s a extra balanced offensive participant with common hit and energy, each of which play down as a result of his strategy. Ogans is nearly the exact opposite, a slick infield defender who can play quick however who in all probability received’t hit a ton. Parker has an fascinating mixture of energy and endurance, however he’s a corner-only man and has been previous for the extent to which he’s been assigned, so we’re nonetheless skeptical. If he will get a fast hook to Double-A and retains hitting, we’ll re-evaluate. Mezquita is a bit more clearly wanting hitting sufficient to profile in a nook due to his hit software, although he does have an attractive bat velocity/foot velocity mixture.

Aid Seems
Luis Vargas, RHP
Jared Johnson, RHP
Trey Riley, RHP

Vargas is an athletic, undersized 20-year-old righty who labored deep into video games (at the least, deep into video games by 19-year-old requirements) as a starter in 2022, however he appears to be like extra like a reliever. He sits 92 mph with trip and has a possible plus slider. Johnson, 22, is again from TJ and once more sitting 93-94 with a fairly good slider and combined strikes. Riley sits within the mid-to-upper-90s with pure minimize, however he has zero really feel for the zone.

System Overview

The general high quality of the Braves system is beneath common, however that’s largely because of the org’s “If you’re ready, you’re ready” strategy to prospects. This philosophy rocketed Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider to the large leagues, exhausted Vaughn Grissom’s rookie eligibility, and has made Ian Anderson (who simply underwent Tommy John surgical procedure) a de facto prospect once more as, like Kyle Wright earlier than him, he struggles to search out his long-term footing on the highest degree.

This technique has two clear chunks. The primary is the high-ceiling pitching group concentrated largely on the high of the record. The Braves have a tendency to make use of draft assets on a number of “tip of the iceberg” prospects, the place the context of the participant’s analysis conjures up hope for future growth. Amongst these are a variety of former two-way gamers (Owen Murphy and Spencer Schwellenbach) or multi-sport athletes (AJ Smith-Shawver). Whether or not the affinity for some of these prospects stems from the a number of developmental routes they permit for, or just comes from the Braves considering it implies a further degree of athleticism, they certain are desperate to scoop them up. The identical is true of gamers whose draft inventory was altered by harm. This is applicable to Strider, Schwellenbach, Cole Phillips, and Adam Maier. There are many current examples of hurlers whose early growth was impacted by TJ after which went on to impress (Lucas Giolito, Jesús Luzardo, and Walker Buehler, to call a number of), and the Braves appear to love to fish in that prospect pool.

The opposite frequent theme all through the record is that of contact-driven up-the-middle guys, most of whom provide no energy in any respect. That is notably fascinating contemplating the present massive league shortstop scenario. Because the org navigates round it, it helps illuminate the Braves’ inner opinions of their giant inhabitants of pop-free center infielders. When Orlando Arcia was positioned on the IL, Grissom was tapped as his stand-in, which can point out the place the org views Braden Shewmake becoming in the long term (and that it’s possible not at shortstop).