Entering the 2023 season, there was one prospect in particular for the Atlanta Braves that you could argue was not necessarily getting as much attention or hype when compared to some of the other names in the club's system - Luis De Avila.
Coming off an impressive season with High-A Rome, one in which he posted a 3.49 ERA and 129:45 K:BB ratio across 126.1 IP (24 starts), De Avila was still ranked among the bottom half of Atlanta's Top 30, and was still a fairly unknown name in the lower levels of the Braves system.
However, as mentioned prior to the start of this season, De Avila was a name to know as we entered 2023, and that has certainly not changed one bit due to his impressive campaign so far with Double-A Mississippi.
Atlanta Braves LHP prospect Luis De Avila impressing in Double-A Mississippi
Currently the Braves' No. 26 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline, as well as the No. 3 left-hander behind only Dylan Dodd and Adam Shoemaker, De Avila is in the midst of the best single-season of his professional career, which as mentioned previously, has come entirely in Double-A.
De Avila's first action at the Double-A level, the left-hander has made 19 starts so far this season for the Braves, where he owns a 6-6 record with a 2.95 ERA and 93:44 K:BB ratio across 91.2 IP. De Avila is also holding opponents to a combined .214 AVG against and has been particularly strong recently having allowed only three earned runs across his last 22.2 IP.
Still only 22 years old, De Avila could very easily be set for a potential promotion to Triple-A as well before the 2023 minor league season comes to a close, and if not, should still have a strong finish to the year in Mississippi.
Regardless of whether that happens or not, it's clear that De Avila has emerged as one of the most intriguing prospects in the Atlanta Braves system.