The Braves are sending a mix of headline prospects and bullpen arms to the 2026 Arizona Fall League, and the group gives Atlanta a chance to get a better look at a few players whose seasons were interrupted or whose stock is still climbing.
The two biggest names in the bunch are infielder Tate Southisene and left-hander Briggs McKenzie. Southisene put a rough debut behind him, surged to Double-A, and even cracked the top 100 prospect rankings before a pitch to his hand and wrist as soon as he reached Columbus shut him down for the rest of the regular season.
McKenzie was moving on a similar path through multiple promotions before an elbow issue knocked him out in June. Both now head to Arizona for the extra innings they missed during the year.
Atlanta is also sending two outfielders worth tracking in Owen Carey and Isaiah Drake. Carey missed time early in 2026, then came back and produced a .730 OPS across mostly two minor league levels.
Drake’s value has climbed again after a couple of seasons piled up with strikeouts, but his season stopped on June 27 after a hot stretch, and he landed on the IL a few days later. For him, a strong showing in the AFL could be his best shot to force his way into the upper minors.
The Braves’ AFL group also includes four relief prospects: Taylor Bauman, Owen Hackman, Tyler LaPorte, and Logan Samuels. All four have at least two years of professional experience. LaPorte is the name to watch there, thanks to his strikeout production and a 1.84 ERA in 43 appearances at Double-A this season.
In Other News...
Braves Have A Fast-Rising Prospect Fans Need To Start Watching
Canadian baseball has produced plenty of big-league names over the years, from Hall of Famers like Fergie Jenkins and Larry Walker to current stars such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the next wave is starting to take shape. In the latest look at the best prospects from north of the border, the attention lands on Eric Hartman, whose breakout 2026 minor league season has pushed him to the top of the list and given evaluators a new name to track closely.
For Braves fans, Hartman is the kind of prospect worth filing away now rather than later. The ranking puts him ahead of a broader group of top 10 Canadian hopefuls spread across the majors farm systems, and that kind of placement usually signals both performance and projection are starting to line up. The only question now is how quickly the rest of the industry starts treating him like more than a fast-rising name on a prospect list. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Riley Is Representing The Braves For Something Bigger Than Baseball
Austin Riley is being recognized for more than what he does at third base. The Braves named him their 2026 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, an honor that goes to players whose impact reaches well beyond the field and into the community. Riley has built a steady reputation for that kind of work in Atlanta, especially through Operation Home Team, the clubs program that honors military veterans during home games.
Riley and his wife have also been active in supporting military families and veterans through a range of initiatives, including a Military Appreciation lunch and a charity golf tournament that benefited veterans. For a Braves team that has watched Riley grow into a central figure on the roster, the nomination is another reminder that his presence in the organization extends far past game night. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Bullpen Just Got A Joe Jimnez Twist Fans Did Not Expect
Joe Jimnezs path back to a major league mound has taken another step, and it is the kind the Braves have been waiting on for a long time. After dealing with cartilage damage and then going through three knee surgeries, the reliever has not pitched in nearly two years, leaving his status one of the more difficult injury stories on the roster to track.
Now, Atlanta has sent him out on a rehab assignment with the Stripers, which at least puts a return back into the conversation. Given how complicated the recovery has been and how unusual his timeline looks compared with other pitchers who have dealt with similar knee issues, any late-2026 comeback would be the kind of development that still feels very much in progress. [Read more 🡒]