The Braves farm system is thin. They’ve watched several young stars graduate prospect status, and nearly all of them have had success at the top level. Atlanta has also used many of their other top prospects to acquire the likes of Matt Olson, Sean Murphy, and even Joe Jiménez. It’s understandable for them to have one of the weakest farm systems in baseball, but they’ve been incredible at developing talent in recent years. So, which one could be the next fast riser up the minor league ranks? Here are a few names to watch.
David McCabe (MLB.com Prospect Rank #24)
McCabe was a fourth-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of UNC Charlotte, where he was known for his incredible power. That power wasn’t really on display in his first taste of professional action, hitting just one homer in 28 games last season, but it’s starting to come together in his first full season with the organization.
McCabe began the season with the low-A Augusta Green Jackets and was just recently promoted to High-A Rome after smacking eight homers and seven doubles over just 42 games. He was also getting on base at a .381 clip, leading to an .874 OPS. To make things even more exciting, he picked up a couple of singles and a walk in his first game with the Rome Braves. He’s an enticing prospect because of his power and definitely somebody to keep an eye on moving forward.
Spencer Schwellenbach (MLB.com Prospect Rank #7)
Schwellenbach was taken in the second round of the MLB Draft out of Nebraska. He’s a high upside arm but unfortunately needed Tommy John surgery before he was ever able to pitch professionally until this year. He’s started out his minor-league career with the Augusta Green Jackets in low-A ball, and the early results have been promising, posting a 1.53 ERA over 29.1 innings. Schwellenbach has a big fastball that can touch the high-90s and a couple of solid secondary offerings in his slider and changeup. Don’t be surprised if he earns a promotion in the near future.
Owen Murphy (MLB.com Prospect Rank #2)
Murphy was the Braves first-round selection last year, taken 20th overall. He doesn’t have a high-90s fastball, but he’s only 19 years old and has a legitimate four-pitch mix. Murphy has also started the season with the Augusta Green Jackets and had a lot of success, boasting a 3.08 ERA over seven starts.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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