TAMPA -- With the Minor League season in full swing, here is a look at some of the Braves’ prospects who have gotten off to a good start. RHP Lucas Braun (Braves' No. 10 prospect): Talent evaluators have tabbed Braun to be the most likely member of the Braves’ organization to realize a significant jump in prospect value this year. The 23-year-old hurler has a 3.86 ERA, 13 strikeouts and two walks through his first two starts (11 2/3 innings) for Double-A Columbus. He produced a 27.7 percent strikeout rate and recorded a 2.38 ERA in the 13 starts he made after a midseason promotion to the Double-A level last year. So there’s certainly a chance he could soon reach Triple-A Gwinnett and possibly even make his MLB debut at some point this year. Like Spencer Schwellenbach, Braun has shown he has the ability to command a well-stocked repertoire. His arsenal includes two fastballs (four-seam and two-seam), a slider, a curveball and a changeup. His fastball sits around 93 mph, but he has been clocked as high as 95. RHP JR Ritchie (Braves' No. 7 prospect): Braves fans got a chance to see Ritchie when he threw a perfect first inning against three players from MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list -- Max Clark (No. 5), Kevin McGonigle (No. 26) and Thayron Liranzo (No. 78) -- during a Spring Breakout game against the Tigers on March 16. The 21-year-old hurler tossed 5 2/3 scoreless against Bowling Green on Thursday, and he has allowed just two earned runs through his first two starts (9 2/3 innings) for High-A Rome. Ritchie was drafted by the Braves with the 35th overall selection in 2022. He missed most of 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery and made just 12 appearances while completing his recovery last year. So this would be his first full season at the professional level. |
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1B/3B David McCabe (Braves' No. 18 prospect): The 25-year-old Canadian looks like he has made a full recovery from the Tommy John procedure that sidelined him through last season’s first four months. He has hit .409 (9-for-22) with four doubles and a homer through his first seven games for Columbus. He has made six starts as a third baseman and one as a designated hitter. OF Isaiah Drake: Drake fell out of the list of the Braves’ Top 30 prospects when he struck out in 35.3 percent of his plate appearances while producing a meager .511 OPS in 69 games for Single-A Augusta last year. But the 19-year-old Atlanta native is 8-for-24 with a double and four stolen bases through his first seven games with Augusta this year. His brother Kenyan Drake starred at Alabama before playing in the NFL. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
Spencer Strider reunited with his teammates in Tampa on Sunday morning, threw a side session and then traveled to Toronto to prepare for his much-anticipated season debut. Braves manager Brian Snitker said "the plan is" for Strider to be activated to start against the Blue Jays on Wednesday. |
When AJ Smith-Shawver retired seven of the last eight batters he faced -- including five via strikeout -- on Saturday, my assumption was he would stick around, and Bryce Elder would be the odd man out. But you know what happens when you assume? Anyhow, the Braves optioned Smith-Shawver to make room for right-handed reliever Michael Petersen on Sunday. They needed a fresh arm for the bullpen. But they could have optioned Elder instead of Smith-Shawver. Smith-Shawver’s youth showed yet again on Saturday when he allowed a pair of two-out hits in the first inning, including Junior Caminero’s home run. He’d have allowed three straight two-out hits had Michael Harris II not made a ridiculous catch. He then issued two walks, including one with the bases loaded, in the third. But it felt like the 22-year-old turned a corner when he escaped that jam with consecutive strikeouts. “It was a little bit of pissed-off energy,” Smith-Shawver said. “It was about buckling down and just saying, ‘This is what I’ve got.’” Smith-Shawver has incredible upside that we’re starting to see. He’ll be back in the rotation within the near future. And I’m thinking he’s going to make it hard to even contemplate sending him back down again. |
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Who holds the Braves' record for the most homers hit through the first 15 games of a season? A. Darrell Evans B. Hank Aaron C. Freddie Freeman D. Justin Upton |
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Sean Murphy’s successful return from the injured list has strengthened the belief he should be behind the plate four out of every five games. So is it really worth keeping Drake Baldwin at the big league level just to help him advance his game-calling skills and familiarize himself with the big league pitchers? It would seemingly make more sense to let Baldwin get regular at-bats and continue to learn from Sandy León at the Triple-A level. James McCann has played four Minor League games so far. If McCann needs a little more time, the Braves could temporarily give the backup job to Jason Delay, who has remaining options. Baldwin has a bright future, but at this point of his career, it’s best for him to play on a regular basis. |
Girls Night Out returns to Truist Park for Saturday's game against the Twins. This specialty ticket package includes a game ticket and an Atlanta Braves Girls Night Out hat. Drink specials will also be available at Park Bench, the dueling piano bar, located in The Battery Atlanta. |
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A. Upton Upton homered nine times through the first 15 games of the 2013 season. No other Braves player has hit more than seven homers within this same span. |
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