Atlanta Braves Prospects to Know

You are reading the free version of the Atlanta Braves Top Prospects. In this version, you will get the full writeups on the top prospect in the system, the biggest sleeper, and a player I could see breaking out in 2025.

In this edition, you will see what I offer in the full team reports. For every farm system, you will get my top 50 ranked players and detailed reports on the top 30. Each report includes advanced player data, traditional scouting thoughts from live and video looks, plus thoughts from scouts around the league.

Let’s dive in on what you get in the full report!

Glossary:

FFG = Future Fantasy Grade - essentially, what is the likely long-term outcome for the prospect? This is always going to be more conservative. Handing out ace tags is not something I like to do. So, this is a realistic outcome.

90th Peak = If the player hits their best-case outcome, what does it look like?

Variance = How risky is this player’s profile, and how likely are they to hit their likely outcome? Low variance is good; high means more risky.

Format for report: Name/Position/Age on 2025 Opening Day/Height/Weight/Highest Level

Atlanta Braves Top Prospect

1. Drake Baldwin, C, 23, 6’0”/210, AAA

Baldwin flew under radars since being drafted. Despite posting strong underlying data, it never really translated to production, at least until he hit Triple-A this year. An important thing to note for all Braves hitting prospects is that their stadiums largely play pitcher-friendly until Triple-A. Augusta is a fine place to hit, but Rome and Mississippi will skew hitters' surface numbers fast. That was the case for Baldwin.

Having 72 games in Triple-A, Baldwin looks more than ready for the Majors, considering he posted a .298/.407/.484 slash with 12 home runs there. He added four home runs in Double-A to give him 16 home runs on the year with 36 extra base hits. The contact skills have been plus or better all year and the overall mark sits around 81 percent with an in-zone mark north of 85 percent. Baldwin rarely expands the zone, chasing at a 23 percent clip, which leads to a higher OBP.

The power has been pretty impressive all year too, with an average exit velocity north of 92 mph and the 90th percentile up over 106 mph. The bat is going to play, and Baldwin is actually pretty solid behind the dish, too. If Travis d’Arnuad is not back in Atlanta next year, Baldwin might be the backup to Sean Murphy. We know how Atlanta operates with catchers, so that could lead to him being a platoon. Baldwin has fully broken out and is deserving of the top spot in the system.

FFG: Top-10 C

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .275/.370 OBP/23 HR/0 SB

Variance: Medium

Buy/Sell: Buy

Atlanta Braves Sleeper Prospect

9. Drue Hackenberg, RHP, 22, 6’2”/220, AAA

Hackenberg’s progression this year was something to watch. After being selected in the second round of the 2023 draft as a draft-eligible sophomore, some questioned Atlanta, especially given his numbers at Virginia Tech. But the Braves knew better, and Hackenberg got an overslot deal for a reason.

Hackenberg hits his spots as well as any pitching prospect in the minors. When I saw him early in the year, his fastball was in the 90-93 range, but by season's end, he was averaging 94 and touching 96. Hackenberg works comfortably on both sides of the plate, painting the corners. The Braves have differentiated the fastball into a four-seam and a sinker, with the four-seam up and the sinker down.

He throws a low-80s slurvy curveball to both left-handed and right-handed batters. It has a nice two-plane break, averaging over ten inches of arm-side movement and negative six inches of horizontal movement.

Hackenberg rounds out the arsenal with an upper 80s cutter with short horizontal movement. His 86-88 mph changeup plays very well off his fastball, especially with the added velocity separation late in the year.

Hackenberg ended the year with 129 innings pitched, showing nice durability and good results, shown by a 3.07 ERA and a 3.21 FIP. He keeps the ball on the ground, posting a 54 percent ground ball rate and induced a ton of weak contact. Hackenberg allowed just two home runs while facing 547 batters while also striking out 144. It is not a flashy profile, but it feels like one the Braves will develop extremely well.

FFG: Mid-to-Backend SP

90th Peak: 160 IP/3.50 ERA/160 K

Variance: Medium

Buy/Sell: Buy

Atlanta Braves 2025 Breakout Prospect

14. John Gil, SS, 18, 6’1”/175, A

Gil has been pretty impressive every time I have seen him, from Spring Training up to the end of the year with Augusta. A toolsy athlete, Gil moves extremely well and is easily a plus runner. Beginning the year as a 17-year-old, Gil performed well at the complex, hitting three home runs and swiping 26 bases in 51 games. He posted a slash of .286/.403/.389 with strong contact skills.

The numbers in SIngle-A were uninspiring, but again we are talking about a young player in his first taste of full season ball. In my looks, Gil adjusted well in the box and controls the barrel well. He can get to pitches in all quadrants of the zone which is encouraging.

His exit velocities have been pretty strong for his age, with a 90th percentile around 102 mph. Gil pairs that with respectable contact skills and plate discipline for his age.

Speed is Gil's biggest strength at the moment. He clocks plus times and steals bases with ease. This year, he was successful on 40 of 48 attempts. Gil is an intriguing athlete, and if he continues to develop more power, he could be a well-rounded player.

FFG: Speedy MI

90th Peak: .260/.350 OBP/12 HR/30 SB

Variance: High

Buy/Sell: Buy