The prevailing wisdom regarding the Atlanta Braves' farm system is that they have some pitching depth, but they are sorely lacking in terms of position player talent. While the Braves do have some names like Tate Southisene, Diego Tornes, Alex Lodise, and John Gil, there is no denying that they could use some impact bats in their prospect ranks. However, one player who often gets overlooked and who has quietly built a strong resume in the minors is 1B/3B/DH David McCabe.
McCabe never came with a ton of fanfare as he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of a relatively small program, UNC-Charlotte. Still, there was some hope that the power he showed in college could translate to the pros, but his development ran into a snag when he required Tommy John surgery before the 2024 season.
However, since his return from surgery, McCabe has lurked in the shadows and performed pretty well, especially when you incorporate batted ball metrics. Now, the secret may be out because McCabe is laying waste to Double-A to start the 2026 season.
Braves prospect David McCabe is showing signs of being a prime breakout candidate in Double-A
Now, this is just seven games at Double-A from a college draftee who is 26 years old. If you are hoping to see a young guy who is only scratching the surface of his potential, then McCabe isn't for you.
However, that doesn't mean that McCabe couldn't be a very useful bat for the Braves or as a trade chip. In his first 34 plate appearances of the season, McCabe is slashing .320/.500/.720 with three homers, 11 RBI, and more walks than strikeouts. As small samples go, that is still a lot to like, and it does mirror McCabe's previous strengths as a hitter, albeit to a magnified degree.
At his age, there is only so long that the Braves can keep McCabe at Double-A if they want to extract any value out of him. It would not be shocking to see McCabe get a quick promotion as a result. That way, the Braves would have an actual back-up plan in the event that Austin Riley or Matt Olson are hurt in the short-term and then be able to sell McCabe as a close to big league-ready bat at the trade deadline if they decide he is expendable.
Of course, this all requires McCabe to keep hitting, although he has not shown any signs of slowing down. If anything, it seems like he is getting more and more dialed in.
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