The Atlanta Braves have long been known for having great talent stored in their minor league system. It's allowed the team to remain relevant for so many years now and is something they take pride in. That talent was put on display during the Gwinnett Stripers game on Wednesday afternoon in the form of Braden Shewmake.
Shewmake appeared with the Braves briefly in 2023, making his MLB debut during their series with the Orioles on May 5th. He went 0-for-4 with 1 strikeout during his stint with the team before being sent back down to Gwinnett.
Shewmake hit for the cycle during Gwinnett's game against the St. Paul Saints on Wednesday and became the first player in Stripers' history to do so. The 25-year-old shortstop went 4-for-4 scoring three runs and driving in one run. A cycle is an impressive feat no matter the level of competition.
Unfortunately, the Stripers went on to lose the game 12-9 despite an impressive performance from Braden.
Gwinnett carried a 9-8 lead into the bottom of the ninth until Striper's pitcher Joe Harvey allowed a single and two walks to load the bases for the Saints. Jair Camargo then hit a grand slam to walk things off for St. Paul.
While a loss like that stings, I'm sure hitting for the cycle makes things feel just a little bit better. Shewmake is currently slashing .232/.310/.418 with a .728 OPS over 57 games played in 2023 for the Stripers. He has 8 home runs and 35 runs batted in.
Shewmake's time with the Braves was a short one as they tried to bridge the gap with him and Vaughn Grissom while Orlando Arcia was out with a microfracture in his wrist. Grissom did a great job offensively but his sub-par defense led to Shewmake getting a start in one game.
It was shortlived for the young shortstop as Arcia returned just two days later and Shewmake found himself back in a Gwinnett Stripers uniform. Shewmake was once one of the Braves' top prospects but just hasn't been able to find that consistency to get a shot at being THE shortstop for Atlanta.