Here are the Braves' 2025 Top 30 prospects

The name of the game in the Braves' system is still pitching, with 21 of their new Top 30 prospects on the mound. But if you wanted a microcosm of the risk/reward world of pitching prospects, you¡¯ve come to the right place.

Atop the list of hurlers is 2024 first-rounder Cam Caminiti, who¡¯s thrown three professional innings to date. He¡¯s followed by a pair of right-handers with exciting stuff who have touched the big leagues but have uncertain roles in AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep, who may or may not be starters long term. There¡¯s upside a little further down from the 2022 Draft, but Owen Murphy had Tommy John surgery last year and JR Ritchie just got back from the same procedure in 2024. Cade Kuehler and Carter Holton are also making their way back from TJ and will be out until 2026.

So there¡¯s a lot of variance here. Everyone could be talking about the embarrassment of riches on the bump the Braves have when everyone is healthy and rowing in the same direction, especially with some interesting lesser-known arms who could step up and fill the void.

If you¡¯d like more of a sure thing entering 2025, take a look at the guy who someday soon will be catching most of these guys in the big leagues. Drake Baldwin launched himself to the No. 1 spot on the list -- and onto the Top 100 overall prospects -- with a terrific 2024 campaign in which he very much looked like a big league starting backstop in the making.

Here¡¯s a look at the Braves¡¯ top prospects:
1. Drake Baldwin, C (MLB No. 63)
2. Cam Caminiti, LHP (MLB No. 89)
3. AJ Smith-Shawver, RHP
4. Hurston Waldrep, RHP
5. Nacho Alvarez Jr., INF
Complete Top 30 list ?

Biggest jump/fall

Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the 2024 preseason list to the 2025 preseason list:

Jump: Didier Fuentes, RHP (2024: NR | 2025: 12)
Signed for just $75,000 in January 2022, Fuentes struggled with a move to full-season ball in '23. But when he went back to Single-A Augusta this year, things clicked as he finished with a 2.74 ERA, 11.7 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a .200 BAA over 75 2/3 innings of work as a teenager.

Fall: Dylan Dodd, LHP (2024: 15 | 2025: NR)
He has touched the big leagues the past two seasons and is a 6-foot-2 left-hander, but he¡¯s also 26 and coming off a year in which he posted a 5.35 ERA and a .297 BAA at Triple-A while his strikeout ability plateaued at 8.2 K/9 for the second season in a row.

Best tools

Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools ¨C 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.

Hit: 55 -- Nacho Alvarez Jr. (Jose Perdomo, Diego Tornes)
Power: 55 -- Drake Baldwin (Nick Montgomery)
Run: 70 -- John Gil
Arm: 55 -- Diego Tornes (David McCabe, Nick Montgomery)
Defense: 55 -- Nacho Alvarez Jr. (Luis Guanipa, Carlos D. Rodriguez)
Fastball: 70 -- Elison Joseph
Curveball: 55 -- Drue Hackenberg (Cade Kuehler, Luke Sinnard)
Slider: 60 -- Rolddy Munoz (Carter Holton, Cade Kuehler, Elison Joseph)
Changeup: 55 -- Cam Caminiti (AJ Smith-Shawver)
Splitter: 65 -- Hurston Waldrep
Control: 55 -- Lucas Braun (Jhancarlos Lara, Luke Sinnard)

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How they were built
Draft: 20 | International: 9 | Free agent: 1

Breakdown by ETA
2025: 8 | 2026: 5 | 2027: 8 | 2028: 6 | 2029: 1 | 2030: 2

Breakdown by position
C: 2 | 3B: 1 | SS: 3 | OF: 3 | RHP: 18 | LHP: 3