3 Atlanta Braves prospects land on Fangraphs' list of names to know in 2024
They haven't gotten the superlatives that Smith-Shawver and Waldrep have gotten but these three players look to have strong 2024 campaigns and put themselves on the map.
Another day, and more news involving significant Atlanta Braves prospects - this time three that have not been in the limelight yet. Eric Logenhagen and Tess Taruskin over at Fangraphs put together a list of 100 prospects that maybe aren't top 100, but sure as heck are close.
With the Top 100 main course served, it’s time for a prospect dessert.@longenhagen and @tesstass run through another 100 interesting prospects you should know: https://t.co/8wz9fqQaJT
— FanGraphs Baseball (@fangraphs) February 22, 2024
It's been Hurston Waldrep this and A.J. Smith-Shawver that so far this off-season and with good reason, but the trio of Spencer Schwellenbach, Drake Baldwin, and Ignacio "Nacho" Alvarez are three to watch this upcoming season. So, let's talk about each one a little more.
Spencer Schwellenbach
A two-way player at Nebraska, the Braves drafted Spencer in the second round of the 2021 draft and indicated that it was his arm that impressed them the most. They had to play wait-and-see with him as Tommy John surgery was needed and caused Spencer to sit out the 2021 and 2022 seasons. We got our first look at Spencer in 2023 and he put together 16 solid starts, across two levels (A, A+), to the tune of 65 innings with a 2.49 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP.
At 23 years of age, Spencer was a bit older than his competition so a talent of his is expected to play well, but after nearly two years away from pitching in real games it was extremely surprising to see his command play up so well. After being promoted to A+ ball, Spencer's strikeout rate rose from 7.19 to 9.22 and his walk rate decreased from an already impressive 2.63 BB/9 to 0.66 - again, especially impressive for someone who was that far removed from pitching in real games.
Now we enter 2024 where the real fun begins for Spencer. With the injury behind him, it's time for the leash to be dropped and for the Braves to fully push Spencer. I expect that Spencer starts the season in Rome, with a quick promotion should he continue to show the types of numbers they saw from him last year.
With his fastball and slider already plus pitches, if Spencer shows continued improvement on his changeup and more importantly an increase in his durability, fans can expect Spencer to quickly rise on Top 100 lists. This could be a special year for Spencer so make sure to pay attention to his starts this season. Whether he makes it as a starter, or potentially as a high-leverage relief option, there is a lot to like about what he brings to the mound.
Drake Baldwin
Taken in the third round of the 2022 draft, Drake Baldwin was a catcher with good raw power and a decent showing behind the plate. Coming from Missouri State, Drake made his professional debut in 2022 and spent time at the Braves Complex as well as A-ball. While he got off to a slow start in his professional career he still put up an astounding 17.8% walk rate which made him someone to keep an eye on for 2023.
2023 came and went for Drake and it was overall a resounding success. He played across three levels, spending 92 games at A+ ball in Rome where he hit .260/.385/.466 and showed off improved power, to the tune of 14 homers and 54 RBI before being promoted to Double-A Mississippi.
At Double-A, facing much more polished pitchers, Drake still put up a 10.2% walk rate and improved his strikeout rate once again bringing it down to 18.6% while still accumulating a 117 wRC+ and a line of .321/.390/.396. It was also in Mississippi where Drake showed much improvement behind the plate. He showed great confidence in calling games and cemented himself as a catcher with potential plus power which is a potential luxury for Atlanta.
2024 will be a fascinating year for Drake because if he shows continued improvement at the plate while also gaining more confidence behind the plate you have yourself an extremely intriguing catching prospect.
If his strikeout rates hold steady around 18% and his walk rate continues to stay around the 10% range you have yourself a very intriguing backup option for Sean Murphy heading into 2025, or a very interesting prospect that the Braves can utilize in a deadline trade for Alex Anthopoulos.
Ignacio "Nacho" Alvarez
There is no more intriguing positional prospect, at least in 2024, than Ignacio "Nacho" Alvarez who also lands on Fangraphs list. Nacho, drafted in the fifth round of the 2022 draft out of Riverside Community College, was an incredibly intriguing draft pick. There was no denying his overall potential as his defensive floor is that of a league-average infielder to go along with a good arm, so any kind of offensive production makes Nacho more and more intriguing as a prospect.
Nacho played in 30 games in 2022 where he hit a combined .287/.451/.394 showcasing his very good bat-to-ball skills and a very advanced approach at the plate which was highlighted by his 26.8%, yes, 26.8%, walk rate in 15 games in A-ball which opened a lot of eyes and made him a sexy pick to be at the top of the positional rankings for the Braves.
So, how did Nacho respond to that very strong 2022 campaign? Well, he showed even more, playing in 116 games at A+ Rome where he hit .284/.395/.391 and that was good for a 123 wRC+ while playing fantastic defense at shortstop, a position that is his best. With plus defense, a plus arm, and the ability to play shortstop - you can imagine Nacho is just on the outside of the Top 100 lists and is looking to rocket up those rankings with a strong 2024 campaign.
He already has an advanced approach at the plate and is more than capable of staying at shortstop, the last box that Nacho has to show is if he can tap into that average to fringe above-average raw power as well as improve his slugging. If he does that, Nacho will be the talk of the town coming into Spring Training 2025, where he looks to secure the shortstop role at the big league level for the foreseeable future.
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