When the 2024 minor league season began back in early April, Adam Maier was not necessarily the most well-known name across the Atlanta Braves organization. The system is full of talented prospects who are well-regarded but some don't garner attention immediately.
A recent draft pick, Maier was selected by Atlanta in the seventh round a couple of years ago, but was largely an unknown when taken. This was likely due to his lack of experience in recent years, as he had only pitched 60.1 innings since 2020 for a variety of different reasons.
Maier began his collegiate career at the University of British Columbia back in 2020, but would only pitch 19 innings due to that season being canceled. The right-hander's 2021 season would also be canceled, but Maier did not go without action that entire year, however, as he had 25.2 innings pitched in the Cape Cod League that summer.
After 2021, Maier went on to transfer to Oregon for the 2022 season but also saw limited action there as well due to an injury, pitching only 15.2 innings.
Even despite that sample size, the Braves selected Maier in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft, with the right-hander not making his professional debut until the 2024 season.
How well is Maier performing in his first season of professional competition?
Adam Maier is through six scoreless innings with a career high 8 strikeouts!!
— Augusta GreenJackets (@GreenJackets) May 18, 2024
Augusta leads 4-0 in the bottom of the 6th. pic.twitter.com/qGTNqcaEI5
Atlanta Braves prospect Adam Maier is quickly making a name for himself
The Braves No. 17 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, Maier has so far made eight starts with the Low-A Augusta GreenJackets, a span in which he has certainly impressed.
Across those eight starts, Maier owns an overall 2-2 record with a 3.86 ERA and an impressive six walks to 35 strikeouts ratio across 35 IP. Over that span, opponents are also batting for a combined .277 average against the right-hander. Maier also posted a strong month in May in which he owns a 2.50 ERA with no walks and 20 strikeouts over 18 innings pitched (four starts).
Based on these numbers as well, Maier is quickly becoming a name to know in the Atlanta Braves minor league system, despite his limited sample size.
Assuming the right-hander keeps up this level of play in the coming weeks, could Maier potentially be on his way to High-A Rome soon? It feels like that is almost guaranteed.