5 Atlanta Braves Prospects That Could Make Full-Time Debut in 2021
By Matt Melton
5. RHP Jasseel De La Cruz – Atlanta Braves #10 Prospect
Even though Jasseel De La Cruz has never pitched above Double-A, he is still a candidate to make his Major League debut in 2021. Yes, De La Cruz was called up with the big league club twice during the 2020 season, but he never appeared in a game.
Jasseel De La Cruz, the Atlanta Braves #10 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, signed with the Atlanta Braves back in 2015, but never quite started to emerge until 2019.
De La Cruz pitched across three levels in 2019, with a majority of his work coming in Double-A at Mississippi. Going 4-7 with a 3.83 ERA in 87 innings pitched while striking out 73 batters, De La Cruz earned himself a spot on the 40-man roster at season’s end catching the eyes of some Braves fans.
As mentioned previously, Jasseel De La Cruz received two call-ups during the 2020 season, partly due to his performance at the Braves alternate training site. While he didn’t appear in a game to make his MLB debut, it was encouraging to see that the Braves see De La Cruz as a legit option making him a prime candidate to debut in 2021, and why not?
Jasseel De La Cruz displays an electric arm with a fastball that consistently sits anywhere from 97-99 MPH, as well as a wipeout slider. De La Cruz struggles at times walking batters making him a potential bullpen option going forward.
With an electric fastball and a wipeout slider, Jasseel De La Cruz displays the kind of stuff that could make him a multi-inning weapon in the Braves bullpen, even as early as this season.