Braves Prospects Who Could Get a Shot in the Second Half

As we get ready to start the second half of the 2021 season we look at what rookies for the Atlanta Braves could get their first taste of the big leagues. 

The Atlanta Braves have had to rely on a lot of young talent the last couple of years, which in turn has left their farm system pretty dry.

But there are a few prospects who I could see potentially making their big league debuts in the second half of the 2021 season.

Of course, a lot depends on how the Braves choose to go about the rest of the season — if they decide to buy or sell at the trade deadline.

And you never want to call up a prospect for the sake of calling them up and risk hurting their development, which is why I won’t have Drew Waters on this list.

In terms of prospects who have already appeared in the big leagues, I do think we see Cristian Pache, Kyle Muller, and Tucker Davidson (when healthy).

There aren’t really a ton of bats that I could see making their debuts this year.

If there was a long-shot bat who I think could get a late call-up, it would be Trey Harris.

He’s a more mature player from college ranks who profiles as a fourth outfielder anyway, so I don’t think you’d hurt any potential development there as you might with Waters.

And I just love Trey Harris and want to see him get a shot. He’s currently hitting .272 at Mississippi after getting off to a slow start with a .345 OBP and 4 home runs.

On the pitching side, I’d love to see Thomas Burrows get a shot. He’s from around my area in Florence, Ala. and went to college down the road from me.

I thought the lefty was going to get a shot after a good 208 season when he posted a 1.42 ERA in 29 innings at Double-A. But his 2019 was a little rough and the Braves’ bullpen was actually pretty set then.

That’s not the case this year, so why not give him a chance. He has a 3.04 ERA in 23.2 innings at Gwinnett with 34 strikeouts. Probably the biggest them keeping him down is that the Braves already have a ton of lefties — and they’d have to give him a 40-man spot.

The biggest prospect who I think makes their big league debut in the second half is Jasseel De La Cruz.

He’s already been called up a few times but has yet to throw that first big league pitch.

The 24-year-old righty from the Dominican Republic is having a terrible season at Gwinnett with a 6.55 ERA in 34.1 innings and a 1.57 WHIP.

But he has big-time velocity and a plus slider, which make him a perfect fit in the back of the bullpen. I think we’ll see him get some time there later in the year.

Again, the Braves have already seen a lot of their top prospects debut, so there are a ton of new players that jump out. We won’t be seeing Shea Langeliers, Braden Shewmake, Michael Harris, or Jared Shuster any time soon.

Let me know in the comments below if you think there are any I missed who could make their debut for the Braves this season.