Braves top prospect among those to watch in Arizona Fall League

The Braves farm system never ranks highly by industry standards, but somehow, they continue to pump out elite talent.

Most recently, it was Spencer Schwellenbach who emerged from Atlanta’s farm as a star. The Nebraska product finished the 2024 campaign with a 3.35 ERA, 3.29 FIP, 5.52 SO/W, and 1.043 WHIP across 21 starts and 123.2 innings. What’s even more impressive is how he finished the season. In his final 12 starts, he posted a 2.47 ERA, including a 7.0 inning, one-run gem against the Mets in his final appearance.

Before Schwellenbach, it was Spencer Strider and Michael Harris II that emerged from the Braves farm system as stars. Candidates to be the next ones up are A.J. Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep, who many fans believed would be the kind of player Schwellenbach was in 2024.

Nacho Alvarez has a clear path to Atlanta if he can prove he’s capable of handling shortstop duties. Orlando Arcia is nothing more than a stopgap option at this point, and Alvarez has an argument for the best position player prospect in Atlanta’s system.

The other position player that deserves attention is Drake Baldwin, and he’s a player to watch in the Arizona Fall League, per The Athletic.

Baldwin performed well on another high-profile stage earlier this season, when he homered in the Futures Game and was the only player in the prospect showcase to hit two balls harder than 100 mph and drive in two runs. The 23-year-old backstop got off to a slow start in Double A, but hit .298/.407/.484 in 72 games in Triple A this season. He works the count well and has above-average power for a catcher.

In Gwinnett, Baldwin hit .298 with 12 homers and an .891 OPS over 72 games. Baldwin’s stick is probably already ready to see the majors, but catching at that level is much different. The nuances of calling a game are complicated to learn, and experience is the only thing that can help in that area.

More than anything, there’s a logjam at the position. Sean Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud are returning to Atlanta next season, so there’s not an obvious path forward like there is for Alvarez.

Having three high-level catchers in an organization is never a bad thing, but it could also mean a trade is on the horizon.

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Photographer: Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire

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