Atlanta Braves

Track Record: The Braves made Shuster their first-round pick in 2020 after the southpaw saw a significant uptick in velocity during the shortened 2020 season, signing him for just under $2.2 million. That velocity didn’t hold up in his first taste of pro ball this year, and while he pushed to Double-A, Shuster is still adjusting to the rigors of pro ball.
Scouting Report: Shuster stands out for his pitching ability and a devastating changeup that multiple Braves officials have said is better than righthander Ian Anderson’s. The pitch is an easy plus offering that generates ugly swings and is thrown with confidence and 12 mph separation from his fastball. While that velocity gap is solid, Shuster sat with a fastball in the 88-92 mph range, touching 94. The shape of the pitch is solid, but so far it looks like his draft-year spike in velocity was more of a flash in the pan than a sign of a new normal. Shuster’s slider is a low-80s breaking ball that generated whiffs at a decent clip this year, but scouts think it’s more of an average offering at best. Shuster looked like he was still acclimating to the pro schedule, and he got hit around over three starts in Double-A (11.7 H/9), though he has continued to throw quality strikes.
The Future: Shuster’s ceiling is somewhat limited given his velocity, though an out-pitch changeup and above-average control give him a chance to be a backend starter.

Track Record: Vines was drafted twice (by the Astros out of high school and Cubs out of junior college) before the Braves eventually signed him as a seventh rounder in 2019. After struggling in rookie ball, Vines took a step forward in 2021.
Scouting Report: Vines was older than his competition to start the year, and overwhelmed hitters with an ability to land his quality secondary offerings for strikes. His fastball averages 92 mph and has touched 95-96, but is average at best. He shines with secondary stuff and took a big step forward with a low-80s changeup that looks like an above-average offering. Vines has excellent feel to spin the ball and throws both a low-80s slider and a downer, mid-70s curveball with plenty of depth that was his calling card as an amateur. He has feel for both offerings, but went to the slider more frequently in 2021 and lands it in the zone consistently. Vines was a high school quarterback and is a good athlete who has shown strong ability to throw strikes with his entire arsenal.
The Future: How Vines’ stuff plays against hitters in the upper minors will add more clarity to his future role, but for now he seems like a depth arm who could be a back-end starter or pitch in the pen.

Track Record: Schwellenbach was one of the best two-way prospects in the 2021 class. A shortstop and righthander, he strolled to the mound as a reliever for Nebraska—with little to no pitching prep—and put 99 mph fastballs and solid secondaries over the plate. Atlanta’s scouting staff drooled over his upside and signed him for $997,500.
Scouting Report: Schwellenbach is one of the better pure athletes in Atlanta’s system, with incredible natural arm talent. However, he needed Tommy John surgery after the draft and has few innings under his belt. The 6-foot-1 righty has a chance to throw 100 mph in the future, and despite how little time he’s spent honing his craft, showed impressive command of his fastball and a slider and changeup. Amateur scouts saw the secondary offerings as average or above-average pitches, while Braves officials think both pitches have a chance to be plus. The Braves are planning to stretch him out as a starter, where his athleticism and easy operation could serve him well.
The Future: Schwellenbach’s surgery means he might not get into games until 2023 and there might not be a player in the system with higher variance. The Braves will try to continue adding to their reputation for developing arms and identifying two-way talents with the Nebraska product.

Track Record: A twitchy, multi-sport athlete out of high school, the Braves took a chance on Smith-Shawver’s explosive arm speed, signing him to just under $1 million in the 7th round.
Scouting Report: Given Smith-Shawver’s current stuff, athleticism and arm speed, there are officials in Braves camp who think the 6-foot-3 righthander could be one of the top prospects in the system in a few years. There’s some refinement that needs to happen—particularly with his command—before that, and he did struggle in a brief pro debut but the toolset is tantalizing. Smith-Shawver touched 94-95 during the spring but with Atlanta he’s been sitting in that range, getting up to 97 mph with solid vertical life. The spin on both his breaking balls is impressive as well. He threw a mid-80s gyro slider more frequently this summer than a 7 o’clock tilt, downer curve in the upper-70s—but both pitches have a chance to be above-average. On top of that, Smith-Shawver showed feel for a mid-80s changeup that was well beyond his years and experience level on the mound, forcing hitters well beyond his level to ground out on ugly swings in live at-bats.
The Future: Smith-Shawver was a prep quarterback and hasn’t spent much time focusing on pitching, but Braves officials rave about his early progress and believe he is a potential breakout candidate.

Track Record: Benitez was one of the top offensive threats out of Venezuela in the 2021-22 class, with the Braves making him the centerpiece player of their group when the signing period opened on Jan. 15, 2022.
Scouting Report: With a wide back on a strong frame, Benitez has excellent bat speed on a smooth swing thats stays on plane through the hitting zone for a long time. He’s a patient hitter who will take his walks, typically swinging at good pitches with the plate coverage to square up pitches throughout the zone. Benitez has gap power now, with the bat speed and strength projection to grow into average or better power, with some of it already starting to show up now more as he has learned to get his legs more engaged in his swing. He’s an above-average runner, though with his body type he might slow down as he packs on more weight. He’s a sound enough defender to handle shortstop now with the arm for the left side of the infield, but with his range and size he might slide over to third base.
The Future: Benitez is the most advanced offensive player the Braves have signed out of Latin America in several years. He should make his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League.

Track Record: After spending two years in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, Hernandez signed for $190,000 in 2017 and took a big step forward in High-A in 2019. The Braves challenged Hernandez this year and assigned him to Triple-A, where he struggled initially before rebounding with Double-A Mississippi and finding more success in a return to Triple-A.
Scouting Report: Hernandez has never started a professional game and works with a hard two-pitch mix. His fastball sits with plus velocity for a reliever in the 96-99 mph range and he gets to 100 mph at peak. The pitch comes from a flat approach angle thanks in part to his 5-foot-10 frame and has impressive vertical life. He pairs the fastball with a hard slider that sits in the 87-89 mph range and will get into the low 90s, with sharp downward bite. The breaking ball is also a plus offering and he used both to rack up plenty of whiffs. What has held Hernandez back is his control. He’s walked 11.3% of batters in the minors and that rate was worse in Double-A and Triple-A this season.
The Future: Hernandez has the two-pitch mix to be a middle-leverage reliever, but he’ll need to sharpen his control to step into that role. If he’s throwing strikes, he could debut in 2022.

Track Record: Wilson was a two-way player at Stetson—where he was teammates with Mariners first rounder Logan Gilbert—and signed for just $80,000 as a seventh-round senior sign. His first two years in pro ball were sound, but he was outstanding in 2021, so much so that the Braves placed him on the 40-man roster after the season.
Scouting Report: Among Braves minor leaguers, only Indigo Diaz managed a better strikeout rate than Wilson’s 41.4% mark in Double-A and Triple-A. Wilson throws from a high, three-quarter slot and has a 92-94 mph fastball that touches 96, a low-80s split-change and an upper-70s curveball he uses as a get-me-over pitch. The splitter is Wilson’s bread-and-butter, a pitch that racked up tons of whiffs this year and falls out of the bottom of the zone. That pitch was the primary reason he was able to set career-bests in strikeout rates against upper-level minor league hitters. He struck out more than 40% of batters at both levels.
The Future: Braves officials have lauded Wilson’s competitiveness, and given his performance, three-pitch mix and strike throwing, think he can be a multi-inning or low-leverage reliever.

Track Record: A 27th-round pick in the 2019 draft, Diaz had a strong—albeit brief—pro debut in Rookie ball. In his first full season in 2021 he was one of the best pitchers in the Braves’ system. His 47.4% strikeout rate led all minor league pitchers with at least 40 innings.
Scouting Report: A big, physical reliever, Diaz put in plenty of work over the offseason to get stronger and that resulted in louder pure stuff. The Braves always liked the carry on his fastball and now he’s throwing the pitch in the 93-94 mph range and touching 97. That velocity doesn’t stand out among relievers, but the traits of the pitch are solid and he does a nice job living in the top of the zone where he generates a ton of whiffs. His secondary offering is an 83-84 mph vertical slider that gets slurvy at times, but at its best plays off his fastball nicely at the bottom of the zone. He’ll need to continue sharpening the breaking ball, because he isn’t the sort of flamethrower one typically sees in big league bullpens and he tended to get fastball-reliant in 2021.
The Future: It’ll be hard to replicate the season Diaz just had as he starts to face upper-level bats, but he has a chance to become a medium-leverage reliever with continued progress.

Track Record: De la Cruz was a low-profile signing who Atlanta signed to a $55,000 bonus out of the Dominican Republic, but as he progressed through the system his stuff took big steps forward. He showed an ability to start with effectiveness against Double-A pitching in 2019, but his control regressed significantly in 2021, where he struggled against Triple-A hitters.
Scouting Report: De la Cruz looked great in May when he threw strikes 65% of the time but fell off significantly after that and split time as a starter and reliever, with better results out of the bullpen. He has a firm fastball in the 94-96 mph range that gets to the upper 90s and has touched 100 mph in the past. The pitch has ordinary life, however, and missed a below-average number of bats. His slider is his go-to secondary, a mid-80s breaker that receives above-average and plus grades at times and has been up to 92 mph with big spin in the 2,700 rpm range. De la Cruz rarely uses a firm changeup that doesn’t have much separation from his fastball and is predominantly a two-pitch righty. After improving his control in 2019, he walked a career-high 12.5% in 2021.
The Future: Without a consistent third offering and below-average control, De la Cruz profiles best out of the bullpen, where perhaps his fastball/slider combination can play better.

Track Record: The Braves took a shot on Vodnik’s natural arm strength out of high school, despite plenty of rawness to his game, and signed him for $200,000 in the 14th round. He pitched well in his first full season in 2019, but struggled with Double-A Mississippi this year, and also dealt with a forearm strain and blisters that limited him to 33.2 innings.
Scouting Report: While Vodnik had some bright spots in the Arizona Fall League, his struggles largely carried over in his 23.2 innings there as well. Vodnik is a short righthander with a three-pitch mix led by an easy plus fastball that sat 95-96 and has been up to 100 mph. He also throws a firm changeup in the upper 80s and a slurvy slider in the low 80s. The former looked like his best secondary this season and features plenty of arm-side running action. The breaking ball has been crude going back to his prep days and is a question mark moving forward. After showing solid control during his first two years, Vodnik walked 14.7% of the batters he faced this year.
The Future: Vodnik will look to get back on track next year, where scouts will look to see if his regression in control was health-related or an accurate reflection of his skill in putting the ball over the plate. He projects as a reliever moving forward.

Track Record: Conley is the son of former professional player and coach Brian Conley and was the sparkplug of Texas Tech’s lineup and the anchor of the team’s defense this spring. The Braves signed him for $422,500 in the fourth round and assigned him to Low-A Augusta, where he struggled with the bat while playing shortstop and second.
Scouting Report: A tough, but smaller switch-hitting infielder, Conley stands out more for a collection of average-ish tools than any individual carrying tool. He’s shown consistent contact ability and some pop from both sides in the past, though in his debut he swung and missed at an average rate and scouts don’t believe his 15-home run power in college will translate to a wood bat. His top end exit velocity numbers this summer don’t suggest average power production, though Conley should stick at a middle infield position where that’s less of an issue. He’s a solid runner with reliable hands and the Braves were happy with how he handled shortstop, though his arm strength and range fit better at second base. He has solid instincts and a good internal clock.
The Future: Conley will need to add more power to profile as anything more than a utility infield-type player who looks stretched as an everyday shortstop.

Track Record: Woods was one of the most anticipated lower-level prospects in Atlanta’s system after improving his stuff in 2020. A forearm injury in 2021 sidelined him until mid-August and he threw 31.2 innings on the year.
Scouting Report: Woods has explosive pure stuff, headlined by a fastball that has consistently ticked up over the years and is now touching 99-100 mph and sitting in the mid-90s. In a bullpen role, Woods has the sort of arm strength to regularly throw in the 97-100 mph range in one-inning stints. He’s gotten above-average grades on a mid-80s slider in the past, and that was his most frequently used secondary in his limited time in 2021. He also throws a firm changeup around 90 mph that could use more separation from his fastball but has looked like a promising third offering. Woods has shown scattered control at times, though he is athletic enough to improve in this area given more innings.
The Future: Woods is difficult to project given his injuries, lack of innings this year and with the lost 2020 season. Scouts haven’t seen much of him at full strength and he’s an entirely different pitcher today than he was in 2019. He has a chance to start, and the Braves continue to develop him in that role but might fit best as a power-armed reliever.

Track Record: Jenista was a standout hitter at Wichita State and was named MVP in the Cape Cod League prior to being drafted for $1.2 million in the second round. Amateur scouts wondered if Jenista would ever tap into his impressive raw power in games. After struggling to do so in 2018 and 2019, he broke out with 19 home runs in Double-A in 2021.
Scouting Report: The physical, 6-foot-4 lefthanded slugger has standout raw power and posted some of the better top-end exit velocities in the organization. Jenista does plenty of damage on contact, but he whiffs at a high clip and is susceptible to big velocity. Fortunately, Jenista’s swing decisions seem to be good ones and he used a career-best 15.5% walk rate to get on base at a .343 clip despite a .216 average. He struck out at a career-high rate as well, but those extra whiffs came with the best HR/FB ratio (26.8%) he’s posted in full-season ball and a more pull-heavy approach. Jenista is a fine defender in a corner outfield spot with arm strength for right but with few first base prospects in the system, he played most of his innings in the infield this year.
The Future: Accessing his raw power more frequently was a step forward for Jenista. He now looks like a three-true-outcomes (57%) slugger who could be a power bench bat or platoon corner option.

Track Record: Rangel signed with the Braves out of Mexico in 2014 and has largely been an unnoticed, under-the-radar arm who took his time progressing through the system. He repeated Low-A Rome three consecutive years from 2017-2019 but broke out in 2021 with more strikeouts and pushing to Double-A Mississippi in his age-23 season.
Scouting Report: Braves pitching coaches worked with Rangel to trust his stuff more, and that paid off with career high strikeout rates, topping 30% in both High-A and Double-A. He has a three-pitch mix featuring a fastball, changeup and curveball. His fastball ranges from 92-95 mph and touches 96, but the pitch has solid vertical life and some arm-side run. His best secondary is a low-80s changeup with good fastball separation. The pitch earned above-average grades and allowed him to dominate hitters and rack up whiffs. Rangel also throws a 12-to-6 curveball in the mid 70s that draws solid-average grades. Rangel has been an above-average strike thrower over his minor league career and his 6.1% walk rate in 2021 was one of the best marks in Atlanta’s system.
The Future: Rangel’s season was loud enough for the Braves to place him on the 40-man roster. He’ll try to keep missing Triple-A bats in 2022, with a chance to be a big-league depth starter option.

Track Record: A speedy, up-the-middle player out of McKinney Boyd High in McKinney, Texas, Collins signed for $447,500 in the eighth round. He was assigned to the Florida Complex League, where he was one of the more impressive 2021 draftee hitters.
Scouting Report: Speed is Collins’ carrying tool at present. He’s a double-plus runner who can cover plenty of ground in the outfield and turn lightly hit balls into the gaps into extra base hits. His production this summer was likely buoyed in part because of that standout running ability, and his .500 BABIP is unsustainable moving forward. He’s a contact hitter who can spray the ball around the field, but at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds he lacks strength and power. His speed should allow him to play center field with improvement in his reads, but he also played shortstop in high school and could get some time at second base as a professional. His arm is a bit light. At either corner he would need to add significantly more power to profile as an everyday bat.
The Future: Collins has a carrying tool with his running ability, but scouts will get a better idea of his overall offensive profile in 2022 during full-season ball.

Track Record: Mezquita signed with the Braves in 2017, a year after the class that had 13 players’ contracts voided and resulted in former general manager John Coppolella being banned for life. Mezquita has been one of the only bright spots on the international front for the organization over the last few years.
Scouting Report: Mezquita impressed Atlanta hitting coaches with his power potential and gap-to-gap hitting ability. He currently has an aggressive approach that features some swing-and-miss (29% strikeouts) but he has posted impressive top-end exit velocity numbers which should continue to improve and translate into more game power. A plus runner, Mezquita has played all three outfield positions but has increasingly logged more time in left and right over the years. He has an above-average arm. Braves officials are impressed with his cultural adjustment and English skills, and believe he has the mental acumen to make the necessary adjustments as he climbs the minor league ladder.
The Future: After spending a few years in rookie ball, Mezquita should begin the 2022 season in Low-A Augusta. He is one of the organization’s more intriguing, lower-level hitting prospects.

Track Record: Tavarez is the first prominent international signing the Braves have made since their international sanctions, and there will be pressure on him given his $1.5 million price tag. Tavarez has yet to make his pro debut, but he did go to instructional league.
Scouting Report: Tavarez is one of the bigger question marks in the system given his lack of playing time, but international scouts were excited about his power potential from the right side. He has lots of strength in his arms and wrists, with bat speed that should allow him to develop plus power in the future as he fills out a projectable frame. Tavarez hasn’t had much in-depth hitting instruction and will need to make improvements with his lower half and get a better understanding of the foundation of his swing. However, his hands work well and the swing is loose and easy. Tavarez will likely begin his career at shortstop, and he’s got more than enough arm strength, but some evaluators think his actions and limited range fit at third base.
The Future: Tavarez should make his pro debut in 202. He’s a high-upside bat.

Track Record: A four-year starter at Georgia Tech, Waddell was the first Yellow Jacket to make the U.S Collegiate National Team since Derek Dietrich in 2008. Draft-eligible in three consecutive years, Waddell was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 32nd round of the 2019 draft but returned to school for his junior season in 2020. After a hot start that spring, Waddell saw his season cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. He went undrafted in the five-round 2020 draft, and returned to Georgia Tech for his fourth season. Waddell started 56 games at shortstop for the Yellow Jackets and showed increased power, hitting .309/.402/.474 with eight home runs. Selected in the fifth round by Atlanta in 2021, Waddell signed for an under-slot bonus of $247,500. He debuted with High-A Rome, before seeing a brief eight-game stint with Double-A Mississippi.
Scouting Report: A classic utility profile, Waddell does a lot of things well but lacks loud physical tools. He’s undersized with a physically mature frame, with boxy shoulders and little to no projection. Despite a lack of physical gifts Waddell is a heady player with innate bat-to-ball skills and a keen eye at the plate. He spits on chase pitches, adjusts to pitch heights and locations and shows the ability to fight off strikes on the edges of the zone with relative ease. He added length and loft to his swing entering his fourth and final season at Georgia Tech and it translated to more game power as he doubled his previous collegiate home run total during the 2021 season. He continued to show power in his professional debut, hitting six home runs with Rome. He’s still at his best when he’s looking to make contact and use the whole field, but the improved impact is a welcome development. Defensively, Waddell has the actions and internal clock to handle several spots on the infield. He’s likely limited by his range at shortstop but has a good first step and has enough arm to make all the necessary throws on the left side of the infield. Waddell is an average runner now but that is likely to regress as he ages.
The Future: Waddell fits the mold of a utility infielder with the ability to give you a good at-bat off the bench and fill in at a variety of positions on the dirt. He fits best at second base in a full-time role, where his infield actions will prove valuable but his limited range won’t be as exposed as it is at shortstop. The development of some in-game power is welcomed, as Waddell has top-of-the-scale contact rate and rarely strikes out. Whether he hits for enough impact against upper-level pitching is the make-or-break question for Waddell.

Track Record: With the Braves no longer encumbered by penalties for their previous international signing violations, they spent most of their 2021-22 bonus pool space on a pair of Venezuelan prospects, shortstop Diego Benitez and outfielder Douglas Glod, when the signing period opened on Jan. 15, 2022.
Scouting Report: Glod is an offensive-minded center fielder with a strong track track record at the plate. He has a medium, compact frame that’s relatively mature already, so while he doesn’t have a lot of physical projection remaining, he’s already a skilled player with explosiveness to his game. He has the raw power to drive the ball out from center field over to the pull side, with an adjustable swing that leads to good plate coverage. Depending on his physical development, Glod could end up in right field if he slows down. For now he’s a plus runner whose underway speed is better than his first-step quickness with a solid-average arm to start his career in center.
The Future: Glod sticks out among the organization’s lower-level Latin American prospect group that has thinned out due to signing penalties. He’s ticketed to start his career in the Dominican Summer League.

Track Record: Signed out of Venezuela during the 2018 international free agency period, Salinas was not a highly touted signing, but performed well during his professional debut in 2019 DSL play. He made his stateside debut last summer in the Florida Complex League and was one of the standouts early, striking out 49 batters over 25.1 innings. He saw a promotion to Low-A Augusta at the start of September and made four starts, striking out 18 batters across 14 innings of work. Scouting Report: Salinas deploys a four-pitch-mix that heavily relies on the quality of his fastball. His four-seamer is an above-average pitch sitting 94 mph and topping out at 98 mph, and it generates a great deal of ride from his higher release point. He pairs his fastball with a downer curveball in the upper-70s that classifies as a true “hammer” breaking ball. He mixes in a tighter slider in the mid 80s and a mid-to-high-80s changeup. The Future: Assigned to Augusta this spring, Salinas will look to carry the momentum of his 2021 performance over into 2022. The makings of a potential back-of-the-rotation starter are here, but Salinas has the quality of stuff to cut it in a high-leverage relief role as well.