For years, the Braves have relied heavily on that homegrown core that helped deliver the team multiple NL East titles and a World Series title in 2021. But this past season, injuries hit hard, and the Braves missed the playoffs. So, what reinforcements may be on the way? Well, even though the nucleus of the Braves’ high-end prospects was in the lower Minors last year, there is help on the way.
Augusta Greenjackets
The Augusta Greenjackets were home to two of three top picks from the Braves’ 2024 MLB Draft haul: Cam Caminiti (1st) and Luke Sinnard (3rd).
Sinnard, a standout from Indiana University, was fantastic in Augusta. The right-hander struck out 41 over 29 innings and posted a Whiff% of 36.3%.
Caminiti, meanwhile, came into the year as, arguably, the Braves’ best prospect. And he didn’t do much to tarnish that reputation. The left-hander struck out 75 over 56.1 IP, posted a GB% of exactly 50%, and a Whiff% of 32%. Between the stuff and deception, Caminit could be a nightmare for MLB hitters soon enough.
As for the offense, the team’s home run leader was 2024 MLB Draft pick Mason Guerra. Guerra, a 14th-round pick, hit nine home runs and 15 extra-base hits over 47 games. In those 47 games, he walked 33 times. He was disciplined in his approach, as he took pitches north of 61% of the time. However, things were not kind to him in High-A.
Three of the Braves’ top picks from 2025 also saw time down the stretch for Augusta: Cody Miller, Tate Southisene, and Dixon Williams.
Miller, a third-round pick, hit very well in a 10-game sample size. The 21-year-old posted a .905 and picked up 16 hits over 10 games with the Greenjackets. He made consistent contact – but that’s obvious with the numbers.
Williams, one of Atlanta’s two fourth-round picks, racked up 11 extra-base hits in 28 games. A product of East Carolina University, Williams was a tad less aggressive than Miller, as he took just a shade under 53%. The 22-year-old still took walks, as he picked up 16 free passes in Low-A (important to emphasize). However, despite the .857 OPS, perhaps the lone blemish was the Whiff% of 31.2%.
Speaking of high whiff rate, it was a tough slog for first-rounder Tate Southisene. The 2025 first-rounder wasn’t the only Southisene in the Carolina League (his brother, Ty, played for Myrtle Beach (Cubs)). However, his numbers were very different. Tate slashed .219/.242/.297 with four extra-base hits and 27 strikeouts in 15 games.
Tate had a swing-and-miss of 40.1% in the Carolina League.
Lastly, 2024 fourth-rounder Nick Montgomery posted a 37.3% Whiff%, as part of a season where he posted a .524 OPS and struck out 119 over 87 games.
Rome Emperors
Rome’s roster wasn’t as deep, at least compared to the talent in Augusta. However, there were some notable prospects to write and talk about.
One was Pat Clohisy. Clohisy did nothing but hit and get on base in the A-10 with Saint Louis University. However, the real calling card is the basestealing, as he stole a league-high 60 bases last season with Rome. Not a lot of pop, as he hit three home runs and 21 extra-base hits in 92 contests.
Alex Lodise, a standout at Florida State and second-round pick last July, skipped Low-A and went straight to High-A after the MLB Draft. Lodise picked up 12 extra-base hits over 25 games. However, Lodise – who averaged almost a strikeout per game at FSU – had 42 and posted a .692 OPS with the Emperors.
High Whiff% (32.8%) in the small sample size for Lodise.
Moving on to the pitching staff, there were several big names on the Emperors this season, some of whom we’ll get to in future sections. However, the two we’ll focus on here are Herick Hernandez and Owen Murphy.
We got to Hernandez in our SAL numbers recap, so we’ll be brief here. Hernandez induced a lot of swing-and-miss, despite the 68 walks. His 35.3% Whiff% didn’t rank among the top ten in the South Atlantic League – but it came close.
Murphy, meanwhile, went back to High-A in 2025 after coming back from injury. He dominated the circuit the year before, and while the numbers weren’t as strong, Murphy pitched pretty well. The former first-round pick struck out 29 over 27 innings and posted a 28.2% Whiff%.
Columbus Clingstones
This is where things get a little complicated.
The Braves’ depth in the upper Minors, particularly with respect to impact position players, is not high right now. Many of the top performers from Columbus Clingstones from 2025 were overage players, including former fourth-rounder David McCabe.
McCabe, a 25-year-old infielder, didn’t work counts egregiously, at least compared to some of his contemporaries. Nonetheless, he managed to slash .286/.379/.434 with 10 home runs and 34 extra-base hits over 105 games. He split the year between first base and third base.
Columbus’ lineup regularly featured Adam Zebrowski and Cade Bunnell, both of whom ranked in the bottom-10 in Whiff% among Southern League hitters.
The team home run leader was Ethan Workinger (16), who didn’t whiff much but didn’t get on base much that much. Hence, why he had an OPS of .684.
Columbus’ pitching staff had a lot more to write about. The Clingstones’ pitching staff included Elison Joseph, who struck out 57 over 39.2 IP and had one of the highest swing-and-miss rates in the Southern League. The problem? Forty-one walks in his time down in Double-A.
Ian Mejia and Brett Sears put up decent, yet unspectacular swing-and-miss numbers. Nonetheless, the two were able to limit the walks and the well-hit contact.
However, the real gem of the Clingstones’ 2025 season was JR Ritchie. Ritchie, who missed most of his first three pro seasons, looked like a bona fide star in the making this past season. While it started in Rome, Ritchie excelled in Double-A, as the right-hander averaged over a strikeout per inning and posted a 55.8% GB%, one of the top 10 in the Southern League.
Ritchie’s arsenal screams different looks. His primary pitch is a sinker that can touch 97 MPH but sat mostly in the low-to-mid-90s. He possesses a diverse arsenal, which also includes a four-seamer, a changeup that sits seven to 10 MPH off the fastball, plus a sweeper, and a curveball.
Gwinnett Stripers
From a prospect standpoint, there’s not a lot to dissect with Gwinnett.
Offensively, the Stripers were mostly filled with AAAA and ex-MLB players looking for a bump up. Sandy Leon, Bryan De La Cruz, Conner Capel, James McCann, as well as the recently retired infielder David Fletcher, all spent significant time with the Stripers.
The pitching, though, is a different story. We have more to focus on than that.
Hurston Waldrep (28.8% Whiff%) took that next step forward in 2025, in large part due to a pitch arsenal change. In 2024, Waldrep was a heavy four-seam/splitter pitcher, relying a lot on velocity and changing speeds with that plus-plus splitter that was his money pitch. But that changed in 2025, as he started using a cutter and incorporating a sinker.
The results, at the MLB level, spoke for themselves.
JR Ritchie (4.0% Barrel%) struck out 61 over 59 innings with the Stripers. His swing-and-miss rate (22.4%) wasn’t high but it didn’t need to be.
Didier Fuentes struck out 29 over 22.1 IP, part of a very strange season for him. Fuentes, a 20-year-old with upside, was hit very hard with Atlanta after he was called up thanks to numerous injuries.
Mind you, though, that Fuentes started the year in High-A.
Early Projected Top 5 for 2026
- Cam Caminiti
- JR Ritchie
- Tate Southisene
- Owen Murphy
- Alex Lodise
The top two are straightforward. Caminiti had a strong first pro season, while Ritchie’s high floor and equally good 2025 campaign could make him an option for the Braves as early as 2026.
After that, things get complicated.
We’ll go with Southisene at #3, although it’s very tentative. He has high upside but the swing-and-miss in his abbreviated was and is a concern.
Murphy still has a very high ceiling, while Lodise performed very well at FSU — and that can’t be ignored.
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