Under is an evaluation of the prospects within the farm system of the Atlanta Braves. Scouting experiences have been compiled with info supplied by business sources in addition to my very own observations. That is the fifth 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 usually 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 may be discovered right here. A a lot deeper overview may be discovered right here.
The entire ranked prospects beneath additionally seem on The Board, a useful resource the positioning affords that includes sortable scouting info for each group. It has extra particulars (and up to date TrackMan information from varied sources) than this text and integrates each crew’s checklist so readers can examine prospects throughout farm techniques. It may be discovered right here.
Different Prospects of Observe
Grouped by kind and listed so as of choice inside every class.
One Nice Pitch
Ian Mejia, RHP
Adam Maier, RHP
Hayden Harris, LHP
Mejia is a well-built 25-year-old starter from New Mexico State (after Arizona and Pima Neighborhood Faculty) who labored 125.2 innings in 2024, with all however one begin coming at Double-A Mississippi. He has an above-average slider, a mean changeup, and a below-average 91-mph heater. Maier was arguably a prime 50 draft prospect in 2022 earlier than he blew out and had one of many earlier inside brace-style UCL reconstructions. At occasions, he was peaking within the mid-90s earlier than the surgical procedure. Since his return, his fastball has appeared weak within the 88-92 mph vary, however he had Low-A hit in 2024 by advantage of his 3,000 rpm breaking ball. Harris, 26, was a 2022 undrafted free agent from Georgia Southern whose excessive drop-and-drive supply creates vital uphill angle on his fastball, which he throws about 80% of the time. It has missed upper-level bats despite the fact that it sits 92, however Harris has additionally struggled with walks.
Seth Keller
Seth Keller, RHP
Keller is one other of the numerous athletic former two-way gamers who the Braves draft and attempt to develop as pitchers. He made two begins final 12 months earlier than he was shut down for the remainder of the season with a shoulder harm. He went type of viral a number of weeks in the past as a result of he was as much as 103 throughout pull downs at Driveline.
Sleeper Releepers
Domingo Gonzalez, RHP
Austin Smith, RHP
Shay Schanaman, RHP
Ryan Bourassa, RHP
Patrick Halligan, RHP
Gonzalez, 25, was a minor league Rule 5 decide from Pittsburgh in 2022 who has a roughly common fastball/slider combo. He’s had upper-level success, and is a superb Triple-A depth possibility. After three seasons at Division III Southwestern (TX), Smith transferred to the College of Arizona and loved a velocity spike all through his solely season there, with some 88-mph fastballs at the beginning of the 12 months and a few 98-mph heaters on the finish. He missed nearly all of 2023 resulting from a UCL tear, and after initially sitting within the upper-90s once more upon his return, he was again to sitting 93 for many of final 12 months. His fastball nonetheless missed bats at a plus price due to it’s lower/rise motion and Smith’s seven toes of extension. If his velo can rebound, he may very well be a fastball-heavy reliever. Schanaman, 25, was an undrafted fifth-year senior out of Nebraska in 2023. He had success as a Excessive-A reliever in 2024 by working with a number of totally different glove-side breaking balls, one of the best of which is an above-average slider. An undrafted free agent out of South Dakota State, Bourassa is a husky 25-year-old vert slot righty with a driving 91-mph fastball and a plus splitter. He additionally had an excellent 12 months at Excessive-A in 2024. A 2021 Royals’ JUCO decide, Halligan solely lasted a few years in KC’s system earlier than he was launched in March 2023. The Braves signed him, and for some time have been trying to stretch Halligan out as a starter earlier than simplifying issues late in 2023 and early in 2024. Working an inning or two at a time, Halligan’s misleading supply and nasty splitter have allowed him to dominate Double-A.
Energy Bats
Drew Compton, 1B
Junior Garcia, LF
Adam Zebrowski, C
Compton, 23, was a 2023 undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech who has posted a roughly common contact and energy efficiency in A-ball since turning professional. You possibly can argue he belongs proper subsequent to David McCabe on the above checklist as a switch-hitting bench weapon, however he has largely been relegated to first base in professional ball after taking part in a number of third base in faculty. Garcia, 19, struck out a ton within the FCL and at Low-A final 12 months, however he’s a lefty-hitting challenge with a fairly large body. He must get higher on protection. The identical is true of Zebrowski, who’s now 24 and nonetheless battling most elements of catching. He posted massive exit velos at Rome final 12 months, however his total offensive efficiency was below-average.
System Overview
The Braves system stays flush with pitching and light-weight on place gamers. A part of that’s as a result of the membership has tended to place their eggs in a number of massive baskets within the worldwide market, which for probably the most half hasn’t gone nicely. A lot of the high-dollar signees have been “arrow down” guys since placing pen to paper, and a few (like seven-figure guys Diego Benitez and Douglas Glod) have fallen off the checklist totally. And but the explanation the system has extra listable place gamers than final cycle is as a result of a few lower-figure worldwide prospects have emerged from these courses. Nonetheless, the general high quality of Atlanta’s complicated and DSL teams was means beneath the league common in 2024 resulting from their top-heavy worldwide strategy during the last half decade or so.
Atlanta positive can crank out pitchers, although. The membership makes use of a two-pronged strategy by which it targets a high-upside highschool pitcher or three in each draft, and in addition efficiently tweaks faculty pitchers (typically from smaller faculty packages however not all the time) who haven’t but optimized their stuff. It has stored this technique thrilling despite the fact that it’s comparatively one dimensional. There are a number of pitchers on monitor to debut in every of the subsequent three seasons, sufficient to offer homegrown depth and (hopefully) influence even whereas factoring in some harm attrition. With many of the Braves’ massive league lineup locked into place for the subsequent three years (Marcell Ozuna comes off the books after this season, however nearly everybody else has at the very least a membership possibility via 2027), this is among the extra secure golf equipment within the sport.
Drake Baldwin and A.J. Smith-Shawver ought to present significant influence this 12 months, or at the very least have the chance to take action. The chance that Baldwin performs an enormous position this season exploded when Sean Murphy suffered a fractured rib, the most recent of his many maladies. Smith-Shawver’s 2025 influence is extra as much as him, and will depend on whether or not or not his command (particularly of his slider) clicks. The remainder of the potential “stars” (Cam Caminiti, Owen Murphy, Diego Tornes, Jose Perdomo — you already know, the younger high-variance fellas) would appear to be a number of years away, however the Braves aren’t afraid to hit the fuel on a man’s promotion tempo if he’s taking part in rather well. That is the org the place my ETAs usually tend to be mistaken for the breakout guys as a result of Atlanta finally ends up actually pushing them.
Whereas the very prime of this technique is a bit worse than common, the meaty 45 and 40+ FV tiers and the depth of the arms assist to make it a mean system total.