Braves: MLB names Atlanta’s youngest top pitching prospect

Last week, MLBPipeline named their top hitting prospect for each team. This week, they turned their focus to the mound, and had high praise for one of Atlanta’s 2021 Draft Picks:

Here's each team's youngest top pitching prospect: https://t.co/LxJ9LOHL3a pic.twitter.com/Hk4kcWL9NO

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) December 16, 2021

MLB named AJ Smith-Shawver out of Colleyville High School as the top young arm in Atlanta’s system:

The Braves took Smith-Shawver in the seventh round of the 2021 Draft, but they had to go well over slot to sign him away from playing football and baseball at Texas Tech with a $997,500 bonus. He didn’t pitch a ton as an amateur, so he’s raw on the mound, but he has a strong and athletic 6-foot-3 frame, a fastball that touches 95 mph now and a rapidly-improving curve. Adding a changeup will be an early order of business.

Smith-Shawver was one of the few high school players the Braves selected, and they’re obviously high on his potential — and their ability to develop him — since they were willing to dedicate so much money to his contract. He’s obviously a gifted athlete as a dual football/baseball commit, and some scouts see a potential for him at third base. We’ll be keeping a close eye on Smith-Shawver; he only pitched 8.1 innings in the FCL in 2021, so more playing time in the coming years will yield better insight into this young star’s potential.