The Braves’ farm system has taken a real step forward this year, and the hottest stretch has come from the lower levels. After seasons when Atlanta lacked much depth there, a wave of prospects has forced its way up the ladder, and several of the names that were lighting it up in Augusta and Rome have only kept producing after their promotions.
John Gil is one of the most intriguing athletes in the entire organization. He drew plenty of attention in Spring Training, then spent a tougher-than-expected season in High-A Rome while Eric Hartman and Tate Southisene grabbed more of the spotlight. Even so, he did enough to earn a jump to Double-A Columbus, and the start has been excellent: a .311 average and an .852 OPS in his first 12 games for the Clingstones.
The upside with Gil is easy to see. As he’s gotten older, he’s added more power, and the profile points toward a player who could settle in as a 20-25 home run threat. Add in elite speed and defensive range, and Atlanta could be looking at a future middle-infield piece.
Dixon Williams may have stolen the loudest headlines of the bunch. The Braves’ fourth-round pick from last year just turned in what might be one of the wildest two-game runs in baseball history, launching five home runs and driving in 16 runs over the weekend. Through 92 games with the Rome Emperors, his OPS is now above .800, and the raw power has shown up while he’s bounced around the diamond.
Conor Essenburg has been putting together one of the strongest offensive seasons in the system. He posted a .990 OPS in Augusta before moving up to Rome, where he’s opened with an .815 OPS over his first 12 games.
The extra-base damage jumps off the page - 30 in 76 games - but the real separator is his command of the zone. He’s drawn 74 walks this season, including 16 already in Rome, and that has helped him build a .458 on-base percentage.
Essenburg hasn’t gotten the same attention as some of Atlanta’s other top prospects, but that’s likely to change over the next year. He’s a straight-up ballplayer who is only beginning to tap into his offensive ceiling.
Alex Lodise is making noise in Rome as well. After a slow first month, he has found his rhythm in a big way, hitting over .300 with four home runs and an OPS north of 1.000 since the promotion.
For the season, he’s up to 25 home runs and an .854 OPS. Tate Southisene has earned plenty of praise for his first full professional season, but Lodise is making a strong case to enter that conversation as the best player from last year’s draft class.
He was a star at Florida State, and that same confidence appears to be carrying over in pro ball.
In Other News...
Bryce Elder's Latest Issue Puts Braves Rotation In A Tough Spot
Bryce Elder gave the Braves another steady outing, working six innings and allowing one run with five strikeouts even as manager Walt Weiss said the right-hander was dealing with a knee injury. It was the latest reminder of why Elder has mattered so much to Atlantas rotation this season, with the righty logging a 3.92 ERA over 24 starts and giving the club dependable innings when it has needed them most.
Now the Braves have a decision to make, and it could affect the rest of the pitching staff. They are trying to figure out how best to handle Elders knee issue, with a 15-day injured list move or a rotation adjustment both on the table, and any shuffle could open the door for AJ Smith-Shawver to slide into a spot. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Just Sent A Telling Lineup Message With Mauricio Dubon
The Braves lineup card offered a notable hint Friday, with Mauricio Dubon set to start in left field and hit fifth. It is the kind of move that stands out because it places a versatile role player in a prominent spot, and it comes as the club continues sorting through recent performance trends for several regulars, including Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Riley, while also peeking at the matchup against Twins right-hander Bailey Ober.
There is some extra texture in the pitcher-batter history too, though the numbers come with the usual caution about tiny samples and are mostly there for amusement. Martin Perez also factors into the broader scouting picture, but the bigger takeaway for Atlanta is the same one the batting order suggests: Dubon is in a position to matter, and the way the Braves are aligning pieces around him says plenty about how they are viewing this game. [Read more 🡒]
Braves May Have A Creative Answer For Their AJ Smith-Shawver Dilemma
AJ Smith-Shawvers next step with the Braves may not be the straightforward return trip to the rotation that many expected. Atlanta has been weighing creative ways to use the young right-hander as it sorts through its pitching mix, and one option under discussion would place him back on the major league roster in a relief role rather than asking him to immediately reclaim a starting job.
There is also a broader wrinkle tied to Grant Holmes, whose place in the rotation has been a point of confidence for Walt Weiss. The Braves have at least considered a tandem-style approach that would let Holmes begin games before Smith-Shawver handles the next stretch, a sign the club is still searching for the cleanest way to balance innings, roles and roster flexibility. For now, the final call remains unsettled, which keeps the door open to more than one outcome. [Read more 🡒]