A.J. Smith-Shawver (Triple-A Gwinnett)
A.J. Smith-Shawver represents one of the two high-ceiling options to round out this list but given his rocky start to his time in Gwinnett this season, he appears unlikely to be given the immediate callup. He didn't make it out of the first inning of his first start, giving up 3 earned runs, and only reached the third inning in his second start, once again surrendering 3 earned runs.
The resulting 18.00 ERA isn't pretty to look at but it's not a huge worry when the sample size is all of 3 innings. However, it is enough to put him a bit farther down the pecking order when considering the relative wealth of options at the Braves' disposal.
Hurston Waldrep gets the season started with straight gas for his first strikeout of the year against the first batter he faces pic.twitter.com/TBOzCnClii
— Gaurav (@gvedak) April 7, 2024
Hurston Waldrep (Double-A Mississippi)
Waldrep is coming off a scintillating professional debut last season after being drafted in the first round of the MLB Draft but he has a little more to prove in the minors before being entrusted with getting major league hitters out.
His Achilles heel remains the free pass and Braves brass would probably like to see him throw up a month's worth of solid results before giving him the nod on a major league mound. While he gave up 7 runs in his first start at Mississippi it's helpful to note that over 75% of the balls put in play against him fell for hits. That completely unsustainable number illustrates the bad luck he suffered and considering his 4 to 1 K/BB ratio in the outing it was more of a positive than a negative.
Once Waldrep hones in his command and learns how to handle professional hitters a bit more confidently, he will be a huge weapon for the Braves. His splitter has potential to be one of the best in all of baseball.
Atlanta has a plethora of options available and the team hasn't announced just yet what the timetable is for Strider. It's safe to assume he's done for the year and the team will deliberate in the next few days as to the right decision to make as the team heads off for a six-game road trip.