Predicting ETAs for each of the Braves top 10 prospects

The Braves have produced more young talent over the last decade than any other organization. Keeping it all healthy has been a bit of a different story, but when it comes to getting young guys ready for the majors, few clubs can even compare.

That’s something that should make the next few years incredibly exhilarating. Even when the Braves had one of the worst-ranked farm systems, they still produced the likes of Spencer Schwellenbach, Didier Fuentes, AJ Smith-Shawver, Drake Baldwin, and several others. Imagine what could come next now that their farm system is moving up towards the top half of the league.

Prospect rankings courtesy of MLB.com.

10. Owen Murphy (2026/2027)

Owen Murphy has already made his MLB debut, appearing in three games with one start, and for the most part, he looked like a competent option. He has a great chance of being a significant piece of the Braves’ staff in 2027.

9. John Gil (2028)

A lot of people expected John Gil to be the Braves’ breakout prospect of 2026. That didn’t exactly come to fruition, but he still put up a more than decent campaign that’s led him to Double-A Columbus at just 20 years old, where he’s currently hitting .320 with an .825 OPS. 2027 will be a massive year for Gil. With a strong start, there’s an outside chance he makes his MLB debut next year, but 2028 is probably more likely.

8. Briggs McKenzie (2029)

We are just getting our first look at Briggs McKenzie this season, and it might not be long before the 19-year-old is regarded as the organization’s best pitching prospect. The Braves have never been hesitant when promoting their most talented arms, but he’s still at least a few years away.

7. Kaiden McCarthy (2030)

McCarthy was the Braves’ second-round selection in this year’s draft. His really big arm is going to be fun to watch coming up the system, but at 18 years old, it’ll be at least three more seasons before we see him in the bigs.

6. Jensen Hirschkorn (2030)

Pretty much copy and paste what I said about McCarthy right here. He’s another bright high school arm that the Braves took in the third round, but we really won’t have an idea of his trajectory until we see him pitch next season.

5. Alex Lodise (2027)

I’m all aboard the Alex Lodise train and believe there’s an outside chance we see him make his MLB debut next season. After a slow start to the season, he’s been arguably the Braves’ best offensive prospect over the last few months. He hit .343 in Rome after being promoted and is now hitting .310 in Double-A Columbus. It’s unclear exactly where he might play at the major-league level, but if he keeps raking, the rest will sort itself out.

4. AJ Gracia (2029)

The Braves’ first-round pick in this year’s draft, Gracia won’t play until next season, but given he’s a college bat, he should be up the soonest of all this year’s draft selections.

3. Tate Southisene (2028)

Southisene was in the running for prospect of the year in the organization before suffering a hand injury after being hit by a pitch. He’s just 19 years old and in his first full season of professional baseball, yet the Braves had no issue quickly promoting him to Double-A after he dominated in Augusta and Rome. Given the uncertainty around the middle infield in Atlanta moving forward, he’s on track to get a look in 2028.

2. Cam Caminiti (2027)

The top-ranked pitching prospect in the system has now made five starts in Double-A and owns a 2.13 ERA. Given his talent and the Braves’ history with their young arms, an MLB debut at some point next season feels probable.

1. Eric Hartman (2028)

Hartman has had a historic 2026 campaign, becoming the first minor-league player since Andruw Jones to record 25+ homers and 50+ steals in a season. He has the tools to become an All-Star caliber player, but he’s still just 20 years old and has struggled a bit since his move to Columbus. If he hits like he did in the first half of this season to start next year, he’ll make his MLB debut in 2027, but I would say 2028 is the safer bet.

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(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)