By now we all know the big names in the Atlanta Braves' farm system like Cam Caminiti, Eric Hartman, Tate Southisene and John Gil, but who else is waiting in the wings to rise up rankings? The next wave of prospects coming up will have PLENTY of talent including some names most are not talking about nearly enough right now.
So who are THOSE guys? What do they bring to the table? Well, if you are asking yourself these questions, here are the five most underrated prospects in the Braves' system that you need to know before they blow up.
The 5 most underappreciated Braves prospects of the 2026 season
1. Owen Carey
Owen Carey was the Braves 15th round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Since Carey was drafted he has done nothing but hit. In 2025, at 18 years old he was assigned to the Augusta GreenJackets where he was not overmatched at all hitting .258 in 469 ABs with a .330 OBP. What really impressed was the approach at the plate. He was the only 18 year old in all of MiLB to have a walk percentage over 7%, strikeout percentage under 16%, with at least 450 plate appearances.
Carey also was riding a 79.8% contact rate, which is almost unheard of for a player coming straight from high school ball. In 2026 he was looking to build on his draft year success, but sustained a heel injury that cost him some time early in the year. Regardless of the injury, Carey has still managed to post a 108 wRC+ on the year. Carey is also one of 38 players in minor league baseball this year who is 19 or younger with a ISO of .195+ and a K% under 21%. Given all of that, Carey being a starting left fielder in the very near future feels very possible.
2. Ethan Bagwell
No pitcher in the Braves system has impressed me this year more than Ethan Bagwell and one more pitcher we will get into very soon. For now we are going to talk about the 6th round pick in the 2024 Draft. Bagwell is a 20 year old right handed pitcher out of Collinsville, Illinois who is 6'4 230 pounds and has looked like a 10-year vet instead of a 2nd full year prep arm. So far in 2026, he's gone: 6-6, 2.93 ERA, 104.1 IP, 104 K's, and a 1.05 WHIP.
Bagwell's had nine quality starts out of 20 total starts, and sports a K% of 25.1% and a BB% of 7.2%. While the BB% is a little high overall, he has come down on it to a modest 5.6% in High-A Rome. He has a fastball (93-95 mph), slider, changeup pitch mix and has been able to really utilize all three pitches this year. Bagwell was pulled from his last two starts due to lower back tightness, but is still one of our personal favorites this year.
3. Luis Guanipa
It is hard to believe this is already the fourth year for Luis Guanipa in the Braves organization and yet here we are. Guanipa is only 20 years old, but he is putting together his best season as a pro BY FAR. He's already set career highs in games (by 54), home runs (by eight), RBI (by 62), stolen bases (by 18), among many other stats.
The one that surprises me the most is the K% and Contact%. Guanipa's K% is a measily 13.5% this year and Guanipa's Contact% is 78.3%. He is also one of only five minor leaguers aged 20 or younger with at least 300 plate appearances, K% under 15%, and a wRC+ over 105. Of that group, Guanipa is behind only Jesus Made (#1 prospect in baseball) in home runs. The Luis Guanipa breakout is here and as long as he can maintain his health, he looks like he is here to stay.
4. Davis Polo
Davis Polo is a candidate to legitimately balloon up prospect boards next year. He has a fastball that isn't overpowering at 93-95 and a slider that's still a work in progress... but the changeup is his bread and butter so far in 2026. It has an argument to be one of the best pitches in the system as he has developed it in the past year. In Polo's last eight games, he has allowed a 1.99 ERA over 45.1 innings pitched with 4 of those runs coming in a single inning of work back on July 11th against the Hickory Crawdads.
Polo also sports a 51.3 GB% to go along with his 27.4% K%. What Polo needs to work on is just throwing strikes. his year over year increase of 4.2% in BB% has led to some uneccesary baserunners that he wasn't allowing before this season. If Polo can keep up with his progression that we've seen the last two months, we can see him becoming a quality big league starter within the next 2-3 seasons.
5. Cody Miller
Cody Miller is a very intriguing player. He came out of East Tennessee State University and looked like a stud. So far, Miller has been more bust than somebody who was drafted as high as he was (3rd Round). However, there are still some things to like, as he is a freak athlete on the field. He can pick it anywhere you put him defensively. Miller's hit tool was supposed to be the carrying card, but he hasn't been able to make consistent contact. While we are optimistic that he will find it, but his contact rate of only 72% this year is much lower than what you would expect from someone with his profile.
Miller also does have 50 stolen bases this season and can get on base (.199 batting average, but a .331 OBP). His 13% BB% would be the highest of the hitters on this list but his 28.5% K% is ALSO the highest on this list. Overall, Miller is a true athlete, but we need to see more of him swinging the bat well instead of striking out.
Add us as a preferred source on Google