Braves Hitters to Watch in Spring Training
Drew Waters
Most eyes will likely be on Waters is a polarizing prospect among Braves fans — some hate him, some love him.
I’ve been more on the side that I think he’s a bust, and certainly what we saw from him in Spring Training last year wasn’t pretty.
But there’s a reason people keep putting him at the top of their prospect list, and it’s because of the potential.
Hopefully he made some big strides at the alternate camp and was able to cut down on his swing to avoid so many strikeouts. As down as I’ve been on him, I’m really excited to see him in camp.
Michael Harris
This is the prospect I’m most excited to see as I think he might be the best prospect in the Braves system (once Cristian Pache and Ian Anderson graduate).
The soon-to-be 20-year-old out of Stockbridge, Ga. turned a lot of heads in his first season of pro ball.
A very raw player with plenty of athleticism, he has the chance to turn into a top 100 prospect by the end of the year.
Trey Harris
A college bat out of Missouri, Harris has done nothing but hit since the Braves drafted him in the 32nd round of the 2018 draft.
He reached Double-A in 2019 where he hit .281 in 41 games.
Harris just also seems like a really cool guy if you follow him on Twitter (@JustCallMe_Duce), and somebody that’s easy to root for.
Many still aren’t sure if he’ll be an everyday corner outfielder or just a really solid fourth outfielder. But either way, he seems destined for the big leagues pretty soon.
Shea Langeliers
The ninth overall pick in the 2019 draft, Langeliers looks like the catcher of the future for the Braves. Many services rank him as a top 100 prospect in all of baseball — and that’s mostly just because of his elite defensive skills.
But the Braves also say he’s come along quickly with the bat. I’m interested to see how much that bat has developed and if he could be ready to take on the starting job in Atlanta as soon as 2022.
William Contreras
I’m really interested to see what Contreras does this Spring. At this point, the Braves haven’t signed a back-up catcher for the 2021 season, which means it could be a battle between Contreras and Alex Jackson.
I really loved what I saw in the limited sample size from Contreras last year, and wouldn’t be mad at all if ends up being the team’s back-up.
Braden Shewmake
Another prospect that a lot of people are much higher on than me. And it’s not that I don’t like Shewmake, I just don’t see him as an everyday guy.
I think he certainly has the potential to be a great utility guy who could start 80-100 games a year as a utility player.
His bat is mature enough that he could make a push to be in the big leagues this year. And with the lack of depth on the Braves bench, he has a good shot at having an impact there if he can impress the coaching staff this Spring.
Bryce Ball
Maybe everyone’s favorite prospect to gush over is 6-foot-6 Bryce Ball. He became the darling of 2020 Spring Training with his huge size and power.
The problem now is that the first base is (most likely, assuming an extension soon) locked up for years to come, and the DH is likely locked up as well for the next three years after 2021 with Marcell Ozuna.
I’m not sure what the Braves plans are with him, but I do know it’s fun to watch him in the batter’s box.
Those are the prospects I’ll be keeping an eye on this Spring. Please let me know who you’re excited to see the most in the comments below.