This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman¡¯s Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
TAMPA -- With the Minor League season in full swing, here is a look at some of the Braves¡¯ prospects who have gotten off to a good start.
RHP Lucas Braun (Braves' No. 10 prospect): Talent evaluators have tabbed Braun to be the most likely member of the Braves¡¯ organization to realize a significant jump in prospect value this year. The 23-year-old hurler has a 3.86 ERA, 13 strikeouts and two walks through his first two starts (11 2/3 innings) for Double-A Columbus. He produced a 27.7 percent strikeout rate and recorded a 2.38 ERA in the 13 starts he made after a midseason promotion to the Double-A level last year. So there¡¯s certainly a chance he could soon reach Triple-A Gwinnett and possibly even make his MLB debut at some point this year.
Like Spencer Schwellenbach, Braun has shown he has the ability to command a well-stocked repertoire. His arsenal includes two fastballs (four-seam and two-seam), a slider, a curveball and a changeup. His fastball sits around 93 mph, but he has been clocked as high as 95.
RHP JR Ritchie (Braves' No. 7 prospect): Braves fans got a chance to see Ritchie when he threw a perfect first inning against three players from MLB Pipeline¡¯s Top 100 Prospects list -- Max Clark (No. 5), Kevin McGonigle (No. 26) and Thayron Liranzo (No. 78) -- during a Spring Breakout game against the Tigers on March 16. The 21-year-old hurler tossed 5 2/3 scoreless against Bowling Green on Thursday, and he has allowed just two earned runs through his first two starts (9 2/3 innings) for High-A Rome.
Ritchie was drafted by the Braves with the 35th overall selection in 2022. He missed most of 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery and made just 12 appearances while completing his recovery last year. So this would be his first full season at the professional level.
1B/3B David McCabe (Braves' No. 18 prospect): The 25-year-old Canadian looks like he has made a full recovery from the Tommy John procedure that sidelined him through last season¡¯s first four months. He has hit .409 (9-for-22) with four doubles and a homer through his first seven games for Columbus. He has made six starts as a third baseman and one as a designated hitter.
OF Isaiah Drake: Drake fell out of the list of the Braves¡¯ Top 30 prospects when he struck out in 35.3 percent of his plate appearances while producing a meager .511 OPS in 69 games for Single-A Augusta last year. But the 19-year-old Atlanta native is 8-for-24 with a double and four stolen bases through his first seven games with Augusta this year. His brother Kenyan Drake starred at Alabama before playing in the NFL.