The 2024 season is upon us and the Atlanta Braves appear, at least on paper, set to be one of the best teams in baseball yet again. While Alex Anthopoulos has been very diligent in making trades and free agent signings to supplement this Braves roster, a huge reason for the team's success in recent years has been due to their ability to develop talent in their farm system.
It is incredibly difficult to have a team that has been consistently among the best teams in the regular season for six straight years while also continuing to pump out young talent. Between picking lower in the draft and having less international money to work with, it is quite easy to have the prospect well run dry especially given the international sanctions the Braves had to deal with.
However, Atlanta has still managed to produce guys like Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider in recent years with more help on the way despite those headwinds which speaks to the organization's ability to spot and develop talent. With spring training heating up and tons of prospects set to get playing time in the coming weeks, it is time to take stock of the Braves' farm system ahead of the 2024 season.
Atlanta Braves 2024 Top 30 Prospect Rankings
Before we get into the rankings, it is important to note that prospect rankings are merely a fun thought exercise and nothing more. Guys who aren't ranked highly still find a way to succeed every year and top prospects break hearts all the time. If you have a pet prospect that isn't ranked as highly as you would like here, just know that all of these rankings are very fluid and that the gaps in actual talent don't necessarily match the gaps in the rankings. The difference between say the 17th ranked prospect and the 11th aren't as big as you might think.
One note here: we did not ranked Jose Perdomo just yet. He is a phenomenal talent, but we decided to wait until he actually plays in games and gets some more information out there before projecting him as there is just so little actual information out there on him. Ranking him would be a pure guess and that doesn't benefit anybody. Now that the disclaimers are out of the way, here is a look at the top 30 prospects in the Atlanta Braves' farm system heading into the 2024 season.
30. Lucas Braun - RHP
The Braves' sixth round pick in the 2023 draft has four pitches he can land for strikes with his slider being his best swing and miss pitch. Braun got right to work in his pro debut with a 2.67 ERA in his first six starts down in the minor leagues in 2023. His lack of power stuff and velocity limits his ceiling a bit, but his diverse arsenal and ability to throw strikes could lead to him being a fine #4/#5 starter down the line.
29. Tyler Tolve - C
The offensive bar for catchers is notoriously low which makes the pure raw power that Tolve has pretty exciting. His first look at Double-A was a struggle in 2023, but this guy has some pop, moves very well for a catcher, and has improved each season defensively as well. In all likelihood, he ends up as a backup catcher, but one that could see significant playing time given his upside at the plate.
28. Ambioris Tavarez - SS
The Braves gave Ambioris Tavarez a $1.5 million bonus as an international free agent back in 2021 and unfortunately, that investment hasn't really paid off. Thoracic outlet surgery in 2022 slowed his development down and his first look at full season ball in 2023 saw him struggle to make contact and impact the ball consistently partially due to a funky and ever-evolving swing. His defense at short has flashed plus and his bat had it's moment, but he is going to have to start making more contact and driving the ball before he can't really be in the Braves' long-term plans.
27. Jesse Franklin V - OF/DH
No one denies that Jesse Franklin has some of the most raw power in the Braves' farm system. After his full season debut at Rome which saw him crack 24 homers including one stretch where it felt like we were watching Babe Ruth, Franklin had to undergo Tommy John surgery in 2022. His 2023 season down at Mississippi saw him hit 15 homers and steal 21 bases, but also only hit .232 as he battled timing issues as well as having some holes in his approach at the plate. Hopefully another full season of reps in is in the cards and he can make some strides because at 25 years old, he doesn't have a ton of time to figure things out.
26. Luke Waddell - INF
Drafted out of Georgia Tech in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, Waddell is the prototypical grinder of a baseball player. While his lack of power does hurt his long-term projection, he has strong bat-to-ball skills, draws plenty of walks, and can play anywhere in the infield. The 29 steals that he put up in 2023 was simply a nice bonus. Being an everyday player in the big leagues may be a stretch, but Waddell could end up carving out a nice role as a utility bench bat down the line.